Biography Of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, affectionately known as Babasaheb, was one of the most renowned sons of India. He appeared on the Indian socio-political scene in early 1920 and remained in the forefront of all social, economic, political and religious efforts for upliftment of mankind. Dr.Ambedkar was a great scholar who made outstanding contributions as an economist, sociologist, legal luminary, educationalist, journalist, Parliamentarian and above all, as a social reformer and champion of human rights.
Dr. Ambedkar mind was deeply imbued with Kabeer’s philosophy in the childhood days. On passing his matriculation (1908) examination, he was felicitated by his teacher and was presented with a copy of a book on the life of Buddha. This gift must have made
Nobody has seen the soul or has conversed with the soul. The soul is unknown and unseen. The thing that exists is not the soul but the mind. Mind is different from the soul. Belief in soul He said is unprofitable. He argued that the discussion of the existence of the soul is as unprofitable as the discussion of the existence of God. He argued that the belief in the existence of the soul is as much against the cultivation of Samma Ditthi as the belief in the existence of God. He argued that the belief in the existence of the soul is as much a source of superstition as the belief in God is. Indeed in his opinion the belief in the existence of a soul is far more dangerous than the belief in God. For not only does it create a priesthood, not only is it the origin of all superstition but it gives the priesthood complete control over man from birth to death. The existence of the soul cannot be a part of
Ambedkar regarded sila as another important aspect of saddhamma. He pointed out that education had to include sila or virtue in its range. Knowing the political and social advantages of developing an educated society established on moral values, Dr. Ambedkar underscored the importance of education in the Buddha’s teaching on virtue. He envisaged the agency of religion to ensure that all people from the early years of their life were acquainted with it. One way to understand the virtues which underlie the five prohibitions that is not to kill, not to steal, not to have illicit sex, not to lie and not to drink, is by reversing them. So these will be five virtues that is to protect life, to keep personal belongings, to establish family, to access true information and to honour dignity. This is how Dr. Ambedkar puts forth his point through the Buddha, “Brethren ... the person who has striven for his own welfare as well as that of the other, is to be deemed just and good”. So it is clear that sila is the value-system. It helps a person to discern right from wrong, and to espouse what is right and eschew what is wrong. None were exempted from these. The reason why the Buddha gave greater importance to Sila than to knowledge is obvious. The use of knowledge depends upon a man’s Sila. Apart from Sila, knowledge had no