Buddhism in Assam and Arunachal: An Over View

Sumanapal Bhikkhu

The five countries of North East India surrounded by Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh are comparatively less explored than the other parts of India. The reason is lack of proper communication and remoteness of the area. But of late the scenario has changed a lot and further developments are taking place. These seven states of North East India namely Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram are collectively called ‘Seven Sisters’. Apart from the remoteness of the area and lack of proper communication persisting insurgency is another cause for the area’s being less explored.

These states possess a large diversity in flora and fauna and the people. The people belong mostly to the Indo Burmese and Mongoloid racial background and their facial features are different from the people living in other parts of the country. Nature is bountiful here with unparalleled floral feast. The tropical and sub-alpine woodlands house wide diversity in faunal species. 166 different tribes live in this region and they practise their individual ethnic styles.

The faith practiced by them has some similarities with the ancient civilizations all over the world like Egypt, Maya, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and parts of South America along Amazon Basin. All of these tribes worship a mother Goddess as a Supreme power and human sacrifice to appease the gods. Their heritage has given birth to innumerable folk tales. With the introduction of Buddhism this heritage accelerated and mingled with the fragrance of spiritualty and noble human values. Buddhism played an important role in the cultural awakening of the people of North East India which in the long run became the gateway for the dissemination of Buddhism towards South East Asia.

Buddhism came to North East India during third century B.C. when Asoka sent a mission for spreading the Buddhist faith after the completion of the third Buddhist Council which took place in Pataliputra.  During that period Assam was known as Kamrupa. According to some tradition Thera Upagupta’s disciple Thera Dhitika was responsible for the spread of Buddhism in this area. He converted the renowned Brahmin Siddha along with a large number of his followers. He became a devout Buddhist and under his supervision a great alms giving to the Buddha sangha was arranged. Siddha after his conversion to Buddhism built the Mahachetiyabihar. Siddha propagated Sarvasthivada Buddhism or orthodox Buddhism in this region. The presence of archeological evidence like remains of religious structures, ruins, images of the Buddha and the cultural representation of the life of the blessed One on monuments found at the Neelachalaprove that Buddhism got rooted in the land of Kamrupa very deeply.  Some of the important events represented on the Neelachala are as follows: A). Birth stories of The Buddha, B). The Buddha’s participation in marriage, C). His renunciation of worldly life, D). The Buddha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. E). The Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath, F. Symbolic representation of the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana or the Great Demise, G). Buddhist Relics casket, H). The Buddha’s image in the posture of Bhumisparsha Mudra, I). An image of seated Buddha, J). Sculptural representation of Bodhisattva.

According to some other scholars after the completion of the third Buddhist council Thera Sona and Thera Uttara carried the teachings of the Buddha to ‘Suvarnabhumi’ in Myanmar through Assam. And it is quite possible that following the Buddha’s instructions “BahuajanahitayaBahujanasukhaya” etc they might have preached the doctrines of the Buddha to the inhabitants of ancient Assam on their way to their destination.

After the discovery of the sculptures related to the life of the Buddha at the Neelachala hills it may be safely concluded that some of the places of Assam originally belonged to Buddhist establishments. It is traditionally believed that wherever Buddhism is supposed to go it was accompanied by forms and symbols expressive of the great master’s teachings. The sculptures at the Neelachala hills represent various episodes from the life of the Buddha. They are fairly logical because they represent a fairly connected account of the Buddha’s life.

The Buddhist sites as well as temple-remains and some other sculptural remains available in the different regions of greater Assam are certainly indicative of fact that Buddhism was a living force in the land for centuries together. Assam has harboured Buddhism as cultural heritage of India for many centuries. Buddhist thought and culture have made such a great lasting impact on greater Assam that it is still vibrant with full force. 

Both adherents to Theravada and that of Mahayana can be found in Assam. The tribal Tai Buddhist communities and others are to be found as the followers of Buddhism as mentioned above. They are such as Tai- Khamti, Tai Phakeay, Tai-Khamjangs, Mog, Naga Barua Nepali and so on. And almost all of them are inhabitants of villages and a few of them live in major cities and towns. The members of the Tai- Khamits tribe live in the Ledo region in the district of Tinsukia. They are staunch Buddhists. They belong to the scheduled tribe community. Their social and religious cultures seem to be very rich. They have got their own script. They are proud to be pious Buddhists.

The Tai Pakheays are other Buddhist tribes who live in the area of Naharkatia and Jeypore and in the regions Margheria and Ledo in the district of Tinsukia. They are devout Buddhists and the teachings of Buddhism are part and parcel of their daily lives. They possess their own script and by means of which they have translated some Buddhist scriptures of the Palitipitaka into their vernacular language. Their social and religious cultures are very rich and they are based on Buddhist teachings. The Tai-Phakheays speak their mother tongue at home and modern education in Hindi, English or Assamese. They are preserving their traditional customs and usages ever since time immemorial. Economically they are not very sound. A few Tai Phakeays of the Buddhist tribe settled down in the region of Bardumasa district of Arunachal Pradesh are also to be seen.

The Tai Khamyangs are found mostly in Shibsagar, Jorhat and Bolaghat districts. This community has adopted Assamese as their mother tongue. They are Buddhists and monasteries are to be found in every village. Some of them have recently left for Arunachal Pradesh to settle down there.

The Tai Altons are said to have been section of the Shans who lived in Mongkwing of upper Chindwin valley. They migrated to Assam after the Khamtis.

There are two settlements of the tribe, one in the Naga Hills and the other in Sivasagar district. They are Buddhists and belong to Chirado sect of Buddhism (Sayadaw).They reside in Barpathar, Sarupathar, and Nowjan in Goaghat district and the region of KabiAnglong district.

According to tradition the Turungs were originally inhabitants of Mong –Mang –Khaosang (North East of Upper Burma) from where they settled down on the bank of the Turung river for a long period before migrating to the Brahmaputra Valley. They entered Assam in 1820. They are concentrated mostly in Jorhat and Golaghat districts. Being Buddhists they retain their old traditional custom and culture.

The Burmese invasion of Assam between 1816 and 1825 left hundreds of Buddhists in the district of Kamrup, Goalpara and and Garo Hills area. They call themselves as Burmese Buddhists. However they have lost their customs and beliefs except some Buddhists at Phulabari district in Garo hills.

There are some Buddhists in Arunachal, Mizoram and Manipur. They came from Burma in recent times.

The Singphos are now inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh in the Tirap and Lohit districts. The Singphos are the inhabitants of the eastern region of the Irawaddy River in Burma. Their other name was Kachinn Karen or Kayen. After the collapse of the Northern Shan Empire the Kayan started to invade other territories and occupied the regions between easternmost Assam and Bhutan. They first appeared in the region of Brahmaputra valley at the time if the internal disturbance in Assam when the Moyamariya sect of Vaisnava revolted against the Ahom King Gaurinath Sinha in 1793. They first settled down on the bank of the Tengapani river, east of Sadiya and then Namrup tract on the Buridihing river.

The Dowaniyas are said to be a mixed race who are the descendants of Singphos and their Assamase slaves. They are mainly concentrated in the districts of Sivasagar and Lakhimpur. They are Buddhists by faith and belong to the Saydaw sect of Buddhism. At present they mostly live in the regions of Margheria and Digboi and some of them also live in Sivasagar district. Those who live in Sivasagar district belong to the Sangharaja sect under the Theravada tradition of Buddhism.

In recent times a large of number of Buddhists belonging to the Chakma community have migrated from Chittagong Hill Tract of Bangladesh to Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Al thought they are Buddhists by religion we come across a peculiar mixture of Buddhism and Vaisnavism in their prayer. Apart from performing Buddhist religious practices they also offer sacrifice to the goddess of water and other spirits. They celebrate their religious festivals with great pomp and grandeur. 

Some Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhists can also be found in Asaam. They reside in Lakhimpur. Some Naga Buddhists also live in the Margherita and Ledo area.

There is a long standing trade relation between Assam and Tibet. Tibetan traders reached Assam through different passes and routes like Bijni and Chapaguri in Kamrup and Burigoma in Darrang district. From the ancient times northern Assam professed Tibetan form of Buddhism or in other words Lamaism which is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The tribes of Arunachal Pradeshalso follow this kind of Buddhism.

The Bhutiyas a tribe of migratory nomads follow the Mahayana form of Buddhism. They came down to mainly Daranga (Kamrup) and Udaigiri (Darang) regions during the cold seasons. Being Buddhists they come down to the Hayagriba Madhava Temple which they consider to be the place of the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana. The literature of Assam was greatly influenced by Buddhism. Modern assumes is very closely resembles Buddhist Doha. Buddhism has played a very important role in the cultural and environmental development of the area.

The Bengali speaking Buddhists known as Baruas are the inhabitants of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya. They are devout Buddhists and they follow the orthodox Nikayas of Buddhism. Their temples and monasteries can be found almost every major city and town like Shillong, Pandu, Guwahati, Lumding, Golaghat, Jorhat, Namrup, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Digboi, Panitola, and elsewhere in the state. In fact the Baruas who speak Bengali are primarily under the influence of the ‘Nikaya of the Mahasthavira and SangharajaNikaya’. Traditionally Baruas are devout Buddhists and are traditionally seen as a Palilitterateur since the traditional form of Buddhism or Theravada was revived.

We can find Mog Buddhists of Arakanese origin. Most of them have settled down in the states of Tripura or Mizoram. They are the adherents of Theravada Buddhism. Their language is more akin to Burmese and Arakanese. Most of them are followers of Buddhism but they follow a concept which is different from the Tibetans. In Tripura Mogs arte concentrated over the South and Dhalai districts. According some scholars the word Magadha is the source of the word Mog. The Mogs of Tripura are the speakers of the Arakanese language and they live mainly in South Tripura. 

We can find a number of Bengali speaking Singhas living in Shibsagar district. They are devout Buddhists. There are a few Nepalis and Nagas living in the region of Jeypore Margherita and Ledo who profess Buddhism.

Some younger generation of the Buddhists of Manipur is supporters of the Buddhist monastery, temple and world peace pagoda.

However there is a debate regarding the propagation of Buddhism in Assam.  According to   the famous book ‘On Yuan Chwangs Travels in India’ by T. Watters, when the Chinese pilgrim was residing at Nalanda, King Bhaskaravarman the king of Kamrupa requested him to come to his kingdom. At first Yuan Chwang declined the invitation and said that he had to return to China but his teacher Shilabhadra persuaded him to go to Kamrupa in the invitation of a non Buddhist monarch like Bhaskarvarman. The pilgrim changed his mind and agreed to go. The king received him with great honour. When Siladitya organized a Buddhist assembly at Kanyakubja Bhaskarvarman participated in it. When Harsha performed the great distribution of gifts and alms at Prayaga Bhaskaravarman was present there also. From the biography of Xuan Zang we come to know that Bhaskara told the pilgrim,” If the Master is able to dwell in my dominions and receive my religious offerings I will undertake to found one hundred monasteries on the Master’s behalf.”

After his arrival in Kamarupa Xuan Zang found that the people have, “No faith in the Buddha, hence from the time when the Buddha appeared in the world even down to the present time not a single sangharama has been built as a place for the priests to assemble.

Almost all the Buddhists in Assam by and large perform and observe various Buddhist festivals such as varsavasa, vesak full moon day or the Buddha Purnima etc. The Buddha Purnima is also the day of the Buddha’s Enlightenment and demise. In Assam this day is observed not only by Buddhists but by all classes of people.

The Buddhist sites and remains in different places in Assam testify to the survival of Buddhism and Buddhists during the period from the 3^rd century B.C. to the 13^th century A.D. and also beyond this till now. However some scholars are of the opinion that Buddhism spread in ancient Assam not during the 3^rd century B.C. but actually existed during the Buddha’s lifetime. From the Buddhist literature we come to know that Tapussu and Bhallika or the merchants who received the Buddha’s sacred hairs carried them to the ‘suvarnabhumi’ or lower Burma through the land route of Assam. Renowned scholar like Dr. R.L. Sony believes that Buddhism became prevalent in Assam since then.

 There are many evidences to prove that Buddhism had a profound effect on the people of Assam. Ancient Assamese literature abounds in such instances. The writings of Madhavakandali, Anantakandali are proofs of this assertion. Buddhism permeated into the social life of Kamarupa, thereby influencing the thoughts of the time. Even the Vaisnavic revival of Sankardeva in the 15^th century shows its influence.

In Kamarupa the shape taken by Vaisnavism can be found nowhere else in India. The Vaisnavites in Assam take refuge to four things. They are as follows:

1. Haritasaranai.e Vaisnavite must take refuge in God.

2. Namatasarana i.e. vaisnavite must take refuge in the teachings.

3. Gurutasaranai.e.Vasisnavite must take refuge in the teacher.

4. Bhakatasarana i.e. Vaisnavites must take refuge in the order.

It is evident that apart from ‘Haritasarana’ the other three are very similar to the Buddhist triratnas. Since Buddhism has no faith in God, this “Haritasarana’ had to be imported. This similarity is not just a coincidence. It shows a deeper and more significant link between Buddhism and Vaisnavism. Here teacher stands for the Buddha, Teaching stands for Dhamma and Order stands for the sangha.

As a result of the influence of Buddhism on Hinduism new beliefs and doctrines evolved and this lasted till the great reformer Sankardev are formed and revived Vaisnavism in the 15^th century A. D. The faith and doctrine preached by him show a clear influence of Buddhism.

The Neo-vaisnavites adopted many Tantric Buddhist rites through absorption Sankardeva and his disciple Madhadeva based their teachings on those of the Buddhists of an earlier period. In this way Kamarupa became a famous centre of Tantric Buddhist faith. Generally the ardent followers of Sankarism or Sankaridharma do not worship any icon of goddesses. Rather, they observe in their daily life five precepts of morality that reminds us of panchasila followed by the Buddhists.

The Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh is the biggest monastery belonging to the Mahayana sect and is the principal centre of learning of Mahayana Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism. In Mahayana Buddhism there is a great variety of sects such Tantrayana, Vajrayana, Gelukpa, Nyingmapa, etc. The Gelukpas wear yellow hats during rituals whereas the monks of Nyingmapa sect use red or black. Tibetans, Bhutias, Khambas, Sherpas and so on are followers of the Mahayana sect.

The monasteries of North East India are both centers of religion as well as of education. The monasteries have played a vital role in the preservation of the cultural heritage of Buddhism in India. During the mid 17^th century notorious invaders were ravaging the monasteries by setting fire on them. Even though in these areas of North East India succeeded in keeping Buddhism in its pristine form. In Arunachal Buddhists belonging to the Theravada school can also be found. This sect is the oldest and it preserves the original teachings of the Buddha. In these regions the dead bodies of the senior monks are kept as long as one year to enable the devotees to come and pay their homage to the departed teacher or Rimpoche. The Theravadins also keep then bodies of the senior venerable masters for the same reason. They conduct the funerals of such monks in a grand scale. In these rituals devotees contribute both in cash or kind and this is a standard in the measurement of one’s devotion to the departed monk. Sometimes the corpse of a senior monk is kept inside the chortanor pagoda on a permanent basis.

The tribes like Khamti, Phake, Turung, Aiton, Singphou, Monpaalps live in the villages of Arunachal and Assam. Among them the Khamti tribe has the largest population. Historians are of the opinion that a small branch of the Shan clan migrated to the hilly tracts of the easternmost part of Arunachal Pradeshduring the 18^th century from a place called Barkhamti which is situated near Iravbadi river. After that they settled in many places under the present Assam state. Barkhamti, Sribhuyan, Gosaibari, Borpathar, Deotala ,Tipling, and Tunija are some of the Khamti villages in the district of Lakhimpur. The Khamtis are highly concentrated in the Myunleng Khamti village near margherita in Tinsukia. We can find an influence of Buddhist thought in the socio cultural life of the Khamtis. We can notice simplicity in their dress, ornament, food habit and festivals. They are influenced by the concept of transitoriness preached by Buddhism. They invite monks in the auspicious occasions. Mangalasutta is recited by monks in marriage ceremony which is preceded by a general prayer of the Trisarana. Their monks follow celibacy. In order to show their respect to the Buddha the Khamtis build temples in every village and keep his image on a shrine above head level. The monks as well as the ordinary villagers work on wood and make the idols of Buddha in different sizes and poses. The Khamti women make Tankhon or religious flag that hand inside and outside the temple and increase its beauty. Religion is the very basis of their social pattern. The monks enjoy the highest status in society. When a monk crosses ten years in monastic life he is called Sthavira and when he crosses twenty years he is called Mahasthavira.

The Pakhis follow Theravada Buddhism in their faith. They are concentrated in a large area on the bank of the river Burhidihing. In an old vihara in the Namhake village thousands of manuscripts of old Buddhist texts are preserved. They are mainly Tripitaka, Abhidhamma, Jatakas, etc.

The Buddhists following the Theravada faith observe some functions that are in keeping with their religion. They are Poysoangken, Poykathin, Poyleng and Poynasi. In the Poysoangken  they take out Buddha images from the temples and water the images and spray water on one another in New year which is observed according to the lunar calendar. In the poykhowa they are initiated in pancasila, astasila and dasasila.

Among the monks following the Theravada schoolin Assam celibacy is an important ideal. In order to encourage it monasteries are built along with separate lodges that provide shelter to the monks who dedicate their lives for dhamma and sangha. In such lodges apart from imparting education in monkhood general education in Pali, English and Hindi are provided by senior monks. We may mention in this connection that four provincial schools situated in the districts of Jorhat, Sivsagar, Dibrugarh, and Tinsukia provide education in Pali language and Buddhist scriptures on a regular basis. 

The lives of different Buddhist tribes in north east India have been influenced by the climatic condition and soil, natural resources, customs and manner. But under all these there is an impact of Buddhist faith and culture that also influence their lives. This can be seen in their simple life style, sense of detachment from modern luxury natural urge for charity and kindness and their devotion to the Triratna, namely the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Bibliography:

1.      Bose, Balaram., Explore India’s North East, Treks and Tours, 2007.

2.      Mandal, Pratibha.,  An Approach to the Cultural Mapping of India in Respect of Tribal Tales, The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, 2009.

3.      Panth, R., (edited), Buddhism and Culture of North East India, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda, 2004.

4.      Sarkar, Niranjan., (edited), Tawang Monastery, Directorate of Research government of Arunachal Pradesh, 1996.

5.       Tripathy, B, Dr., and  Datta Gyan, S.,  (edited),  Religious History of Arunachal Pradesh: Publishing House, New Delhi, 2007.