Someone said, "You're on a dangerous path—be careful." —let’s see how far I go.
In my previous article, I called Buddha a powerful administrator. Now, I see a similar view on Mahakumbh from our Prime Minister. He wrote 'This Maha Kumbh event held in Prayagraj has become a subject of study for management professionals of the modern era, for planning and policy experts. Today, there is no other comparison to such a huge event in the whole world; there is no other example like this.' The similarity is striking. Is Sir reading my articles? Well, I’m flattered! These words by the Prime Minister are all over the news; you can just Google and find them.
I've long wanted to write about Kumbh, and finally it's time. Our distorted history is the reason of our identity issues, corruption, and socio-economic struggles and also poverty. Why did our historians do such a terrible job? To shape our perspective. What else! So here I am giving you real history.
Let me be clear—my work is not to hurt anyone or spread hatred. It is not against any religion, God, or specific community. My work is for truth and for those kept blind for millennia so rulers could keep ruling. To me, God is one and loves every living and non-living thing. People created different forms of God, different religions, and the idea of being "chosen," justifying unthinkable gruesome crimes in God's name.
If God is watching us, God must either be in absolute disgust at the crimes we commit in God's name or laughing at our stupidity. Rules, justice, and systems exist for people—not the other way around. If any of them fail to serve the people, they are of no use.
Cutting my jabber and taking you to history of Mahakumbh administration as quoted by Shri Narendra Modi. First, let’s take a look at this picture from one of the Akhadas at the Maha Kumbh.
I see Buddha. But why is Buddha in the Mahakumbh? Isn’t it a Hindu festival? Ah, you might say he is the 9th avatar of Vishnu—that’s why he is there. Really though? Then why don’t Hindus actively worship Buddha? Well, they do—they are just kept blinded that it is Budha. Just like many of us didn’t know that Buddha is being worshipped at the Kumbh, as shown in this picture.
During my research on the rise and fall of religious history in India, I came across a book that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how India once was. This book is widely referenced by historians, and its author was honored with the title 'Prince of Travelers.' It is the work of Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese traveler who visited India during 7th century in search of wisdom. I am attaching a screenshot of the book so you can read his words directly, rather than relying on my interpretation or you can read the book here.
Although the festival was not known as Kumbh at that time, Hiuen Tsang mentions a grand gathering on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna. He also uses the word 'Prayag' and refers to the festival as the 'Arena of Charitable Offerings.' That was the original Maha Kumbh. The mythological story of Kumbh of the gods and asuras churning the ocean and spilling the Amrit was added much later in the Puranas. Puranas came into existence during 10th and 11th century much later after Budha.
The festival, referred to as the 'Arena of Charitable Offerings' by Hiuen Tsang, was originally meant to be an event where everything belonging to the king was distributed among priests of different religions, wise thinkers, sadhus, and even the general masses. However, King Harsha’s first offering was made to Buddha. It wasn’t just about charity; the festival was also a grand gathering of thinkers, philosophers, and wise men who discussed the mysteries of life and various philosophies. Among these, the best ideas were selected and implemented for the benefit of the masses—not for any specific community or group.
Today, Kumbh has become nothing more than a business—a way to generate money. Where all this money goes, no one knows. For the common man, it is only a financial burden, with nothing to gain in return. If not crushed in a stampede, he might fall victim to contaminated water. The environmental cost of depleting natural resources is another issue altogether. Hiuen Tsang wrote that King Harshavardhan gave away everything except weapons. It is also mentioned that although he gave away all his wealth, his royal treasury was soon replenished. How was that possible? Well, he also received charity from others because he had renounced everything.
This was the original Buddha administration. Buddha understood that you receive when you give. He was not only applying the profound psychology of givers and takers, as we understand today, but also implementing these principles in the country’s administration, combining them with spiritual aspects. Buddha recognized that wealth is not always accumulated through righteous means—riches are often engaged in cynical and exploitative ways. He understood that income inequality leads to the downfall of civilizations, which is why he emphasized the redistribution of wealth after a certain number of years among all classes of society.
Even today, politicians talk about wealth distribution that's because it India's original culture established by Budha. Buddha understood that when income inequality grows criminals are born. Criminals and rebels are nothing but creation of unjust society and inequality. Inequality breeds chaos, destruction, and, ultimately, suffering which leads to struggle and fall of civilization. Boxing Budha as just spiritual leader is like downplaying his work. He was the biggest rebel and gangster like persona who rebelled against established hegemony not only in India but on global scale.
The world embraced democracy after learning from Buddha, yet it still fails to grasp the spiritual and psychological depth of his teachings. That is why we are witnessing cracks in democracy, and once again, people are fighting in the name of religion and God across the world.
When someone says the priestly class did not destroy Buddhism, I want to ask them—why not give control of the Mahabodhi Temple to Buddhists? Why keep the idol of Ram and a Shivalinga in the Mahabodhi Temple? Most importantly, why introduce Buddha as Pandavas in Mahabodhi temple?
The priestly class has destroyed knowledge not just in India but on a global scale, and I am not referring only to the Hindu priestly class. This pattern is consistent in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism as well. As I said before, if people become wise, it becomes difficult to rule them—even in the name of God.
We Indians are only taught about the Vedic era, with every great teaching or philosophy traced back to it. But that’s far from the truth. I’ll explore that another time. For now, one thing is clear—Buddha’s administration made India an education hub, the ‘Sone Ki Chidiya,’ and a true superpower. He wasn’t against God; he was against the hegemony of the priestly class, the rich, the powerful, and everything that brought suffering to society.
No matter what right wing says becoming superpower looks like far fetch dream for India today with constat ups and down in share market and whistle-blower like Rohan Mehta making shocking statements.
This is a heavy read, but it's truth. Stay authentic. Happy Sunday!
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