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JOURNAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PALI VOLUME : FOURTEEN, 2007 UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA JOURNAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PALI Volume : XIV, 2007 Editor of this Volume Bela Bhattacharya UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA Journal of the Department of Pali © University of Calcutta Published in India by the Registrar, University of Calcutta 87/1 College Street, Senate House, Kolkata 700 073 and Printed by Pradip Kumar Ghosh, Superintendent, C.U. Press, 48, Hazra Road, Kolkata 700 019. Price: 70.00 Reg. No. 2596B Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavira, Tipitaka Visarada & Winner of Rastrapati’s Certificate of Honour —...................................' .......................... ........ ............ -..................f!-------•"""-------'■~N DEDICATED TO LATE DHARMADHAR MAHASTHAVIRA DEPARTMENT OF PALI UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA ^ .......................................................... ............ .... ................. - EDITOR’S NOTE We, the faculty members of the Department of Pali of the University .of Calcutta, are very happy to publish this fourteenth volume of the Journal of the Department of Pali, 2007. The present volume is dedicated to Late Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavira, Tipitaka Visarada and recipient of Rastrapati’s Certificate of Honour, Guest-lecturer Department of Pali, University of Calcutta, In 22nd May, 2007, the teachers and the students of the Department of Pali, observed of 2551st BUDDHA PURNIMA DAY, a day of triple important events in the Buddha’s life, day of Birth, day of Enlightenment and the Demise. In this connection, Pali Department, Calcutta University published a Commemoration volume, ‘Haraprasad Smarane’ in memory of Late M.M. Haraprasad Sastri. Prof. Asis Kumar Banerjee, Honourable Vice-Chancellor, Calcutta University was the President of the Ceremony. Prof. Satyajit Choudhury, Director, Bankim Bhavan Gavesnna Kendra, Naihati, graced the ceremony as a chief-guest. Prof. Biswanath Baneijee, President, Asiatic Society, Kolkata, graced the Ceremony as a guest of honour. Prof. Devaprasad Guha, retired teacher of Rangoon University, enriched the ceremony as a guest of honour. Prof. Arun Kumar Bandyopadhyay, Dean (Arts), Calcutta University, graced the ceremony by his kind presence as a guest of honour. Prof. Binayendra Nath Choudhury, Ex-Research Professor in Pali and Buddhism, The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, Prof. Sukomal Choudhury, Ex-Principal, Govt. Sanskrit College, Kolkata, Dr. Asha Das, Ex-Head, Department of Pali, Calcutta University, had enriched the ceremony. In this connection many dignitaries were present and the teachers of the Pali Department and the teachers of other Departments also participated. Prof. Bela Bhattacharya, delivered welcome address and Dr. Manikuntala Haidar (De) gave the vote of thanks. This volume contains twenty valuable articles from eminent scholars both in India and abroad. We take the opportunity here to offer our sincere thanks and profound gratitude to our respected patrons for contributing their valuable research papers which enriched the Journal with their scholarly approach on different aspects of Pali and Indology and hope to receive their sympathetic attitude in future. Lastly, I would like to express my hearty gratitude to Prof. Asis Kumar Banerjee, the then Vice-Chancellor, Calcutta University and Prof. Suranjan Das, the then Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Calcutta University, for their sincere help and encouragement. I further, express my hearty gratitude to Prof. Tapan Kumar Mukherjee, Pro. Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs and Finance, Calcutta University, for the financial assistance to publish this volume in time and also convey my heartiest thanks to Mr. Pradip Kumar Ghosh, Press Superintendent, Calcutta University for his untiring help in the publication of this volume quickly. Department of Pali Bela Bhattacharya University of Calcutta 12.03.2008 CONTENTS Nos. Pages 1. Most Venerable Sangharaj Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavira A Grateful Homage Santosh Bikash Barua ... 1 2. Ayam vesakhapunnamiya gurutta-mahattam sandhaya vannitanibandho (The significance of vesakha-fullmoonday...) S. Sasanananda, Nalanda ... 5 3. Historical Perspective of Contemporary Buddhism and its followers in India Dipak Kumar Barua ... 8 4. Medium of Instruction of Buddhavacana Binayendra Nath Chaudhury ... 38 5. The Image of Buddha in Ramchandra Kabi BharatT’s , ‘BhaktiSatakam’ Asha Das ... 47 6. Buddhism and the Environment in Assam Bela Bhattacharya ... 53 7. The Jatila-Kassapas and the Buddha Mani Kuntala Haidar (De)' ... 58 8. Fable-Literature in Buddhism Jay anti Chattopadhyay ... 61 9. Buddhist Samaneri tradition; past & present Saswati Mutsuddy ... 65 10. Some Madhyamika Acharyas in India during its last phase [Circa 8th - 11th century A.D.] Aiswarya Biswas ... 75 11. Buddhism In Tripura: The Early Phase Arindam Bhattacharyya ... 81 12. Buddhist Way of Mind Training Varasambodhi Thera , ... 90 Nos. Pages 13. Concept of Saddha from the Buddhist point of view Subhra Barua ... 98 14. Heart Sutra Reconsidered Rameshchandra Mukhopadhyay ... 102 15. Contribution of Foreign Buddhist Monasteries Towards Propagation of Buddhism in India Jinabodhi Bhikkhu ... 112 16. Buddhist concept of mind for promotion of world peace Bandana Mukherjee ... 123 17. The Publications of the ‘Buddhist Mission’ of Burma (1928-1941): Its role towards the awakening of the Bengali Buddhists Mohammad Mafbubul Hoque ... 128 18. Buddhist Karma Theory and the Question of Determinisim? Siddharth Singh ... 140 19. Third Buddhist Council: Theravada Perspective Belu Rani Barua ... 146 20. The Doctrinal Maxims in the Dhammapada Saheli Das 151 Most Venerable Sangharaj Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavir A Grateful Homage Santosh Bikash Barua It was indeed a rare and happy occasion for us when we had an opportunity of offering our felicitation to Venerable Sangharaj Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavir in his pious presence at a function arranged by the Sangharaj Dharmadhar Centenary Celebration Committee at Vidarshan Siksha Kendra on completion of ninety-nine years of his holy life in July 2000. We then had heartily prayed and hoped to celebrate his birth centenary in his presence, but unfortunately to our deep disappointment Yen. Dharmadhar Mahasthavir passed away on 4 November 2000. During the long period of, his holy life Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavir has earned wide reputation in India and neighbouring Buddhist countries for his invaluable dedicated service to the Buddhist world through the propagation of Lord Buddha’s teachings, his erudite scholarship and profound knowledge in Buddhist doctrines. It is well-known that the pioneering missionary work done for the revival of Buddhism in India where it had been dead for a millennium and its spread abroad by Anagarika Dharmapala, the founder of the Mahabodhi Society of India and Yen. Kripasaran Mahasthavir, founder of the Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, inspired some of their immediate eminent successors. Pandit Dharmadhar Mahasthavir is distinctly one of them who greatly contributed .to this noble cause. I had an opportunity of coming in contact with Yen. Mahasthavir and having his affectionate blessings for a long time. It is significant to note that his way of life was conducted from the beginning in a well planned manner, conducive to his future attainments. Yen. Dharmadhar Mahasthavir was bom on 27 July 1901 in the village of Dharmapura in Chittagong (now Bangladesh) and grew up in atmosphere of devout and traditional Buddhist family. In 1914 he was ordained as Sramana (noviciate monk) and in 1922 as Bhikshu (higher ordination) under the direct supervision of the most revered Dhammakathika Mahasthavir. He studied Pali