THE BUDDHA...............THE WORLD 541
Some people will say what will happen if Mahar becomes Buddhist. I tell them they should not say so. It will be dangerous for them. Higher and wealthy class will not feel the necessity of religion. The officers among them have bungalows to live in, servants to serve them, they have money, wealth and respect, the men of such sort need not think of religion or to be worried about it.
Religion is necessary for the poor. Religion is necessary for the Depressed people. The poor man survives on hope. The root of life lies in hope. What will happen to the life if the hope is lost? Religion makes hopeful, and gives a message to the depressed and the poor—do not be afraid, life will be hopeful, it will be! Therefore, the poor and the depressed mankind clings to the religion.
When the Christian religion entered Europe, the condition of Rome and neighbouring countries was very distressful. People could not get enough food. That time hotch potch (Khichadi) was distributed among the poor people. Who became the followers of the Christ? Poor and Depressed people. The poor and lower class people of Europe became Christian. Gibbon had said that Christianity is the religion of beggars. Gibbon is not alive to give the answer to how Christian religion became the religion of all in Europe, otherwise he would have had to answer this.
Some people will say that this Buddhism is the religion of Maharas and Mangas. The Brahmin people used to call Lord Gautam as ‘Bho Gautam’ means ‘Are Gautam’. In this way the Brahmins used to tease the Lord Buddha. They have to see how many idols of Rama, Krishna and Shankara will be sold out in the foreign countries, if they are put to sale. On the contrary, if the idols of Lord Buddha are kept for sale, not a single idol will be left out (Loud clapping). That is too much in India, go and show something outside, the name known to the world is of the Lord Buddha. Then how the propagation of this religion will be prevented !
We will follow our path, you follow yours. We have found a new path. This is the day of hope. This is the path of elevation and progress. This is not the new path. This path has not been borrowed from any where. This path is from here, it is purely