By Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Former General Secretary, Nepal-Russia Cultural Association
The diplomatic relations between Nepal and Russia (the former Soviet Union) was established on July 20, 1956 AD. The relations between Nepal and the Soviet Union at that time were not just confined to economic, technical, trade, literary and cultural aspects but to Buddhism as well.
Long before the diplomatic relations were established, a Russian Oriental scholar Ivan P. Minayev had visited Nepal during the period of Rana regime along with India, Sri Lanka and Burma in 1874-75. Later on, Minayev published articles in Russian journals about Buddhism in Nepal. Actually, Minayev was the first Russian to visit Nepal.
In fact, there are a number of dignitaries and luminaries who played a very crucial role in strengthening and consolidating bilateral relations between Nepal and Russia on a public level. One of them is venerable Bhante Amritananda Mahasthavir.
Amritananda Bhante was not just a Buddhist monk. He was a widely known Buddhist personality whose activities zeroed in on research, history, culture and literature etc. Venerable Amritananda Bhante has written and published hundreds of books on history of Buddhism and its different aspects.
Amritananda Bhante is a towering and pioneering personality who had worked very hard to publicize and disseminate the ideas and studies about Buddhism. "Buddhakalin Grantha" is the magnum opus of late Bhante. Actually, he is one of the most erudite and learned Buddhist monks of Nepal.
The venerable late Bhante was a multi-dimensional personality and a quintessence of knowledge, scholarship and erudition.
The Venerable Bhante rendered valuable help in bringing out the "Dharmodaya" monthly magazine from Kalimpong, India in 1947. The monthly magazine, which was mouthpiece of the Dharomodaya Sabha, strived to popularize and publicize Theravada Buddhism.
In an article entitled "Theravada Buddhism in Nepal" published in the magazine "Kailash", Ria Kloppenborg says:"The venerable Amritananda returned to Nepal in 1941 from a period of study in the Vajirama in Colombo, under the guidance of Narada Mahathera, a well-known and active Sinhalese monk.
Kloppenborg further says:"He became involved in the works of the Nepalese Buddhists on several occasions and used his diplomacy and reputation to the advantage of the Theravada cause."
I had the opportunity to greet and be blessed by Amritananda Bhante and Sudarshan Mahasthavir at various programs organized by the then Nepal Soviet Cultural Association at Jamal Tole, Kathmandu. Likewise, I also had an opportunity to be blessed by Lama Bhante Hambo Dorje Gamboyev from Soviet Buryatia when he was in Kathmandu on a friendly visit.
It is to be noted that Buddhism has deep roots in the lives of the people in Buryat, Kalmik and Tuva Autonomous Republics of the Russian Federation and in Russian cities like Irkutsk and Chita. Buddhism is also a key factor in our bilateral relations. Buddhism spread to Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva Autonomous Republics of the Russian Federation through Mongolia and Tibet. And it was luminaries like Arniko, Bhrikuti and others who spread Buddhism in Tibet, according to historical chronicles.
My father late Pushpa Ratna Shakya was also one of the people who contributed in promoting Nepal-Soviet relations in people-to-people level. Actually, my late father was one of the founders of the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association.
At age 19 in 1975, I became an active member of the then Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association which was then located at Jamal Tole, (opposite of Tri-Chandra College) in Kathmandu. Later on, I had the honour of becoming the general secretary of the Nepal-Russia Cultural Association from 1998 to 2002. Very few people know that late Venerable Sudarshan Mahasthavir was also the president of the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association and that late Amritananda Mahasthavir was in the former Soviet Union several times on friendly visits.
It may be a coincidence but nearly half of my life was spent in countries like the former Soviet Union and the United States of America. For about a decade, I was in the former Soviet Union for higher studies.
According to the Western propaganda, there was no freedom of religion in the USSR. But Amritananda Bhante said that he saw people in Ulan Ude (capital of Buryat Autonomous Republic under the Russian Federation) carrying out Buddhist rituals freely. As a matter of fact, Buddhism was the third most prominent religion in the former Soviet Union after Christianity and Islam, it still is in Russia.
Late Amritananda Mahasthavir was invited at the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association at Jamal Tole, Kathmandu to share his experience about his visits to the Soviet Union.
Addressing the gathering at the conference room of the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association in 1978, Ven Amritananda Mahasthavir said that the people in Soviet Buryatia and other autonomous republics of the USSR were free to exercise their rights to carry on Buddhist rituals.
Late Amritananda Bhante also expressed the view that the Buryati Soviet Buddhists had a lot better lifestyle conditions than in other countries.
I remember late Amritananda Bhante saying that the Buddhists in Soviet Buryatia had unprecedented respect for the monks, a lot more honour, warm hospitality and kindness prevalent than in our country.
During his interactions at the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association, I always found Amritananda Bhante to be supportive of friendly relations and mutual cooperation between Nepal and the former Soviet Union.
The Soviet cooperation for expansion of Science Faculty of the Anandkuti Vidyapeeth was also very remarkable. At that time, some sections of the people went on to the extent of wrongly calling the late Bhante "pro-communist".
Meanwhile, late Bhante Amritananda had played a significant role in organizing the Fourth World Buddhist Convention in 1956 in Nepal. The convention was participated by representatives from 37 countries. Before 1951, Nepal was totally an isolated country during the Rana regime. The Fourth World Buddhist Convention also paved the way to further expand Nepal's diplomacy with rest of the world.
Likewise, during the repressive regime of Rana autocracy, the Buddhist monks of Nepal were banished twice. Late Amritananda Bhante also played a proactive role in bringing a Sri Lankan delegation in 1946 headed by Bhante Narad Mahathera who requested the Rana Prime Minister Padma Shumshere JBR to lift the ban on Nepalese Buddhist Bhantes. After that, the Nepalese Buddhist Vichhus were allowed to come back to Nepal.
Finally, in conclusion, there is no doubt that Amritananda Bhante had played a constructive and positive role in enhancing and enriching the Nepal-Soviet Buddhist relations still at the time when our country was the Kingdom of Nepal and Russia was the Soviet Union.
While celebrating the centennial birthday anniversary of the late Bhante, the Nepalese people will always remember his illustrious and trail-blazing works coupled with his indomitable resolve to make Nepal a secular country.
Actually, there is no doubt that Amritananda Mahasthavir was one of the founding pillars for strengthening Nepal's Buddhist relations not only with the former Soviet Union but with other friendly countries like Burma, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Mongolia and so on.
Former General Secretary, Nepal-Russia Cultural Association
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| Ven. Amritananda Mahasthavir |
Long before the diplomatic relations were established, a Russian Oriental scholar Ivan P. Minayev had visited Nepal during the period of Rana regime along with India, Sri Lanka and Burma in 1874-75. Later on, Minayev published articles in Russian journals about Buddhism in Nepal. Actually, Minayev was the first Russian to visit Nepal.
In fact, there are a number of dignitaries and luminaries who played a very crucial role in strengthening and consolidating bilateral relations between Nepal and Russia on a public level. One of them is venerable Bhante Amritananda Mahasthavir.
Amritananda Bhante was not just a Buddhist monk. He was a widely known Buddhist personality whose activities zeroed in on research, history, culture and literature etc. Venerable Amritananda Bhante has written and published hundreds of books on history of Buddhism and its different aspects.
Amritananda Bhante is a towering and pioneering personality who had worked very hard to publicize and disseminate the ideas and studies about Buddhism. "Buddhakalin Grantha" is the magnum opus of late Bhante. Actually, he is one of the most erudite and learned Buddhist monks of Nepal.
The venerable late Bhante was a multi-dimensional personality and a quintessence of knowledge, scholarship and erudition.
The Venerable Bhante rendered valuable help in bringing out the "Dharmodaya" monthly magazine from Kalimpong, India in 1947. The monthly magazine, which was mouthpiece of the Dharomodaya Sabha, strived to popularize and publicize Theravada Buddhism.
In an article entitled "Theravada Buddhism in Nepal" published in the magazine "Kailash", Ria Kloppenborg says:"The venerable Amritananda returned to Nepal in 1941 from a period of study in the Vajirama in Colombo, under the guidance of Narada Mahathera, a well-known and active Sinhalese monk.
Kloppenborg further says:"He became involved in the works of the Nepalese Buddhists on several occasions and used his diplomacy and reputation to the advantage of the Theravada cause."
I had the opportunity to greet and be blessed by Amritananda Bhante and Sudarshan Mahasthavir at various programs organized by the then Nepal Soviet Cultural Association at Jamal Tole, Kathmandu. Likewise, I also had an opportunity to be blessed by Lama Bhante Hambo Dorje Gamboyev from Soviet Buryatia when he was in Kathmandu on a friendly visit.
It is to be noted that Buddhism has deep roots in the lives of the people in Buryat, Kalmik and Tuva Autonomous Republics of the Russian Federation and in Russian cities like Irkutsk and Chita. Buddhism is also a key factor in our bilateral relations. Buddhism spread to Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva Autonomous Republics of the Russian Federation through Mongolia and Tibet. And it was luminaries like Arniko, Bhrikuti and others who spread Buddhism in Tibet, according to historical chronicles.
My father late Pushpa Ratna Shakya was also one of the people who contributed in promoting Nepal-Soviet relations in people-to-people level. Actually, my late father was one of the founders of the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association.
At age 19 in 1975, I became an active member of the then Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association which was then located at Jamal Tole, (opposite of Tri-Chandra College) in Kathmandu. Later on, I had the honour of becoming the general secretary of the Nepal-Russia Cultural Association from 1998 to 2002. Very few people know that late Venerable Sudarshan Mahasthavir was also the president of the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association and that late Amritananda Mahasthavir was in the former Soviet Union several times on friendly visits.
It may be a coincidence but nearly half of my life was spent in countries like the former Soviet Union and the United States of America. For about a decade, I was in the former Soviet Union for higher studies.
According to the Western propaganda, there was no freedom of religion in the USSR. But Amritananda Bhante said that he saw people in Ulan Ude (capital of Buryat Autonomous Republic under the Russian Federation) carrying out Buddhist rituals freely. As a matter of fact, Buddhism was the third most prominent religion in the former Soviet Union after Christianity and Islam, it still is in Russia.
Late Amritananda Mahasthavir was invited at the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association at Jamal Tole, Kathmandu to share his experience about his visits to the Soviet Union.
Addressing the gathering at the conference room of the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association in 1978, Ven Amritananda Mahasthavir said that the people in Soviet Buryatia and other autonomous republics of the USSR were free to exercise their rights to carry on Buddhist rituals.
Late Amritananda Bhante also expressed the view that the Buryati Soviet Buddhists had a lot better lifestyle conditions than in other countries.
I remember late Amritananda Bhante saying that the Buddhists in Soviet Buryatia had unprecedented respect for the monks, a lot more honour, warm hospitality and kindness prevalent than in our country.
During his interactions at the Nepal-Soviet Cultural Association, I always found Amritananda Bhante to be supportive of friendly relations and mutual cooperation between Nepal and the former Soviet Union.
The Soviet cooperation for expansion of Science Faculty of the Anandkuti Vidyapeeth was also very remarkable. At that time, some sections of the people went on to the extent of wrongly calling the late Bhante "pro-communist".
Meanwhile, late Bhante Amritananda had played a significant role in organizing the Fourth World Buddhist Convention in 1956 in Nepal. The convention was participated by representatives from 37 countries. Before 1951, Nepal was totally an isolated country during the Rana regime. The Fourth World Buddhist Convention also paved the way to further expand Nepal's diplomacy with rest of the world.
Likewise, during the repressive regime of Rana autocracy, the Buddhist monks of Nepal were banished twice. Late Amritananda Bhante also played a proactive role in bringing a Sri Lankan delegation in 1946 headed by Bhante Narad Mahathera who requested the Rana Prime Minister Padma Shumshere JBR to lift the ban on Nepalese Buddhist Bhantes. After that, the Nepalese Buddhist Vichhus were allowed to come back to Nepal.
Finally, in conclusion, there is no doubt that Amritananda Bhante had played a constructive and positive role in enhancing and enriching the Nepal-Soviet Buddhist relations still at the time when our country was the Kingdom of Nepal and Russia was the Soviet Union.
While celebrating the centennial birthday anniversary of the late Bhante, the Nepalese people will always remember his illustrious and trail-blazing works coupled with his indomitable resolve to make Nepal a secular country.
Actually, there is no doubt that Amritananda Mahasthavir was one of the founding pillars for strengthening Nepal's Buddhist relations not only with the former Soviet Union but with other friendly countries like Burma, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Mongolia and so on.
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