The Triratna Story by Vajragupta

The Indian Dhamma Revolution equality, and solidarity between peoples. It was also rooted in Indian culture, so conversion would not be socially divisive or destructive of the best of Indian heritage.

In 1954 he finally announced his intention to convert to Buddhism, and two years later, on 14 October 1956, he took the refuges and precepts from U Chandramani, the most senior monk in India at that time, and then led 480,000 followers in those same refuges and precepts and 22 additional vows. Another 200,000 converted at Candrapur the next day, and Ambedkar predicted massive waves of conversion. Fresh hope was in the air.

In the words of someone who was there: I cannot describe what I felt that day – I do not have the words in English – but it was as if our lives started anew. After so many centuries, people who had been treated as slaves and outcastes came to know that we are no less than anyone else. That was a great change, and what we gained was confidence in ourselves.36 Ambedkar’s health was failing: he suffered from diabetes, rheumatism, high blood pressure, heart problems, and severe leg pain.

Yet still he pushed onwards, working late into the night, studying and writing. Only six weeks after the conversion, on the morning of 6 December 1956, he was found collapsed at his desk. Ambedkar was dead, and his new Buddhist movement was without a leader. n Among the new Buddhist community there was no one else of Ambedkar’s stature, no one with his understanding of the Dharma and its potential. The rest of the Buddhist world did not understand the new movement and did very little to respond, offer encouragement, or give teaching.

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