डॉ . बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर लेखन आणि भाषणे ५६०
The Anagarika Dharmapala’s mother, Srimati Malika
of Rs. 600.00 to purchase Hevavitarana sent the first contribution
three acres of land at Sarnath, Benares.
Rs. 2,000.00 which amount The late Raja of Bhinga conributed
was expended in the purchase of ten bighas oflandatSarnath. The Society also has purchased a plot of land at Gaya, and it is lying idle as we have not the means of erecting a Dharmasala thereon for the use of pilgrims who visit Buddha Gaya. For nearly fifeen years efforts were made to get contributions to erect a Dharmasala from the well-to-do Buddhists, but we are sorry to say we have failed to find one Buddhist who is willing to contribute for the purpose.
Buddhists of Burma and Arakan, countries nearer to India, when written to for help, answers that they have no interest in India. China, Japan, Siam, independent Buddhist countires, when asked for help answer that charity begins at home. For nearly twenty years the society have received very little help from the people
of Ceylon.
Buddhism the oldest and foremost of missionary religions has ceased to exist as a living force in the land of its birth, though its spirit still lingers. The last missionary went forth from Bengal in the person of Srignana Dipankara Atisa to reform the Buddhism of Tibet, ‘nine hundred years ago. The Buddhism of Java. was destroyed by the Arab Muhammedans about five hundred years ago. According to the researches of Archaeological scholars in Central Turkestan, Buddhism was a living religion in those distant
lands a thousand year ago.
Archaeological evidence shows that Buddhist temples were built for the last time in Bengal and Magadha in the reign of Mahipala, king of Bengal in the eleventh century. In the beginning of 13th century the university of Nalanda was destroyed by Bakhtyar
Khilji.™
1: Guruge, Ananda Editor, Returned to Righteousness, Pp. 732-733.