Tailoring India's "Buddhist Diplomacy" Toolkit to South(east) Asian Cultural Realities

Introduction

The Indian government’s recent outreach to the global Buddhist community is a welcome move, especially given the fact that most of India’s potential partners in balancing Chinese belligerence in Asia also happen to be Buddhist-majority nations or nations with sizable Buddhist populations. However, this soft power programme needs to consider the heterogeneity within Buddhism itself in order to draw maximum goodwill from target countries and thus achieve the intended outcome(s). Ambassador P. Stobdan recently opined that “Any nation that controls Buddhism will control Asia.” This rings true especially today when China and India are engaged in a game for influence over South and Southeast Asian nations. This article tries to analyze the religious (Buddhist) dimension of the ongoing bilateral powerplay in Asia between India and China in South(east) Asia.

The key problem identified in this study is that India’s strategic toolkit in this domain has been too broad, trying to reach out to the “Buddhist world” as a homogeneous constituency. As a result, the outcomes of India’s Buddhist diplomacy have been sub-optimal. On the other hand, China’s outreach to the Buddhist world and its claim to global Buddhist leadership has, thus far, been way more effective—despite the unlawful occupation and repression in Tibet—because it has understood the fine distinctions between the major Buddhist sects (Mahayana and Theravada) much better than India, and has carefully reached out to both the sects in various countries. This study looks at the distribution of Buddhist sects in South and Southeast Asia, and suggests that for deeper cultural diplomacy in South(east) Asia, India must focus on the Theravada sect of Buddhism, as other sects elsewhere. This, it argues, necessitates incorporating a “living” dimension in the Buddhist circuit to promote people-to-people contact alongside the existing historical dimension.

Background

India and China, both, claim to be guardians of global Buddhism. Whereas India’s claim is based on historical facts such as the presence of Buddha and Buddhism in ancient India, China’s claim is based on the fact that it is home to the largest Buddhist population in the world. Currently, in the People’s Republic of China, there are an estimated 185 to 250 million Chinese Buddhists, who predominantly practise Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. It is also the major religion in Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora. Although the Chinese Communist Party if considered atheist, in practice, the Chinese government has increasingly been trying to present itself as the supreme protector of the religion. In the past two decades, China has regularly hosted the World Buddhist Forum. China is overseeing the $3 billion project of building a major tourist complex at Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal. China also controls the World Buddhist Sangha Councils and bodies, helping to renovate and revive Buddhist institutions worldwide, across Mahayana and Theravada countries, participating in international events like the UN Vesak Day. Projecting himself as a guardian of Buddhism helps Xi promote China as a palatable world power with soft image. Buddhist globalization further helps China push its economic projects, thus making geopolitical influence easier in Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and elsewhere. China is also trying to develop Lingshan, which houses one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, into the new Vatican of world Buddhism. China may even be leveraging the significant Tibetan Buddhist ties to increase its outreach, as was done during the imperial period. Whether pressing territorial claims in the South China Sea or promoting connectivity along the Silk Route as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi seems to be focusing on Buddhism's political geography. His attempt of tying commerce and Buddhism together seems to support this. The BRI is being pushed into Nepal in order to connect Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is being dubbed the Gandhara road since it connects China with Buddhist centers like Lahore, Taxila, and Peshawar. Relics from Taxila are being transported to Sri Lanka for a public exhibition. The Saidu Sharif monastery in Swat Valley has welcomed Asian monks, including those from Bhutan. It may not be wrong to assume, here, that just as President Vladimir Putin is trying to legitimize his role as leader of the Slavic world by adopting and promoting Orthodox Christianity, President Xi Jinping is trying the same in Asia which contains 97% of the global Buddhist population. Although he views foreign ideologies (Western Democracy, Christianity and Islam) with suspicion, Xi Jinping has helped rebuild many temples and is generally aiding the resurgence of Buddhism in China.

India, on the other hand, has only recently woken up to the urgency of reclaiming the Buddha’s legacy. According to an IndiaSpend analysis of 2011 Census data, there are more than 8.4 million Buddhists in India. This number pales in comparison to the 250 million Buddhists in China. Moreover, 87% of Indian Buddhists are neo-Buddhists or Navayana Buddhists. They converted from other religions, mostly Dalits (Scheduled Caste) who changed religion to escape casteism. The remaining 13% of Buddhists belong to traditional communities (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) of the northeast and northern Himalayan regions. Although the Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is in present-day Nepal, he lived, preached and died in India. It was here, from India, that Buddhism could spread across Asia—to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, China, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Mongolia and Japan—through trade. PM Modi’s first foreign visit as Prime Minister was to Bhutan, a Buddhist nation. During his visits to Sri Lanka, Modi reached out to the Buddhist clergy. He was the first Indian prime minister to go to Mongolia, which is also a Buddhist stronghold. Modi visited two Buddhist temples during his 2016 visit to Japan, and Buddhism was included in the joint statement. The ministry of foreign affairs currently has a unit to carry out initiatives in which the Archaeological Survey of India's assistance are sought by other nations. Buddhist legacy is an obvious candidate, and there is an Indian aspect of protection from Bagan to Bamiyan. In addition, the government is constructing a Buddha Museum in New Delhi's new Central Vista. On the tourism front, there has been a tremendous drive in recent years to increase the number of Buddhist visitors and pilgrims visiting India. The Buddhist Circuit is the most well-known initiative. The Buddhist Circuit is a tourist route that travels from Lumbini, Nepal, where the Buddha was born, via Bihar, India, where he obtained enlightenment, to Sarnath and Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, where he delivered his first teachings and died. Only locations where the Buddha really spent time are included on this famous itinerary, and these sites — all of which are over 2500 years old – are among the most important and cherished for all Buddhists. The Buddhist Circuit is projected to be a major pilgrimage site for the world's 450 million Buddhists.

Evaluation

A fact worth noting is that whereas the Buddhism practised in China is of the Mahayana denomination, that practised in most countries of South(East) Asia—except Bhutan and Vietnam—is of the Theravada denomination. Whereas the Buddhism practised in East Asia (Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vietnam) and Central Asia (Mongolia, Tibet, Bhutan) is Mahayana, the Buddhism practised in South Asia (Sri Lanka, Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh) and Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, southern-central Vietnam) is Theravada. The Dalai Lama is a Mahayana spiritual figurehead whereas for the Theravada, the Dalai Lama has no spiritual significance, except the similarity in the basic beliefs which are common to both the sects. This could be a major reason why despite China’s crackdown on Mahayana Tibet, its relations with Theravada Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand have continued unaffected and thrived. This leaves a lot of scope for India to fill the vacuum in Theravada diplomacy as China is a Mahayana country. India has tried to play the Buddhism card with Sri Lanka on many occasions. Most recently, during the inauguration of the Kushinagar airport, 130 Sri Lankan Buddhist monks were invited to the ceremony. Moreover, after upsetting Sri Lanka by voting against it in the UN Human Rights Council in 2012, India made up by donating the hallowed Kapilavastu relics (fragments of Buddha's bones) to the island country on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's request. PM Modi has also promised to send the relics to Sri Lanka again. Many senior Buddhist leaders have opined that if India plays her cards well, Sri Lanka and India can be friends since both share a “blood relationship”. Buddhism has been a bridge between both India and Sri Lanka since it has been a Buddhist country for 25 centuries. Also, in Myanmar, Boddh Gaya, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is a must-visit place for Myanmar’s leaders and pilgrims. The Sarnath-style Buddha statue donated by the Indian government to people of Myanmar and installed at the Shwedagon Pagoda premises remains a shining symbol of cultural and civilizational connect between the two countries.

It must be noted that three of the BIMSTEC countries (Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand) follow Theravada Buddhism. However, the Buddhist diplomacy of India vis-à-vis Theravada countries lacks the “people” component. India might boast of being the “karmabhoomi” of the Buddha and of being the centre of Buddhism in the ancient times, but today, India’s existing policies (including the tourism circuit) pay little attention to living communities of Theravada Buddhists in India. Dharamshala is the capital-in-exile of the Tibetans who practise Mahayana Buddhism, so is Sikkim and Tawang. On the other hand, Buddhists in Maharashtra, home to India’s Buddhist population, follow Navayana Buddhism. It is only in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam that members of the Tai communities practise Theravada Buddhism. Surprisingly, however, the whole of Northeast India is absent from the main Buddhist circuit. Historical facts alone may not suffice in India’s claim to a special relationship with Buddhists in South(east) Asia, let alone the world. People-to-people contact is equally necessary, if not more.

Proposed Solution

In order to address the aforementioned lacuna, it may be strongly suggested that the Indian government incorporates a “living” component in its Buddhism Circuit, promoting tourism in villages of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam where Theravada Buddhism is practised in the purest form till date. This would enhance people-to-people contact between Sri Lankans, Thais, Burmese and Indians. This is a domain where India clearly has an advantage over China, where Theravada Buddhism is practically absent. This also calls for the diplomatic community to engage with anthropological studies of beliefs and cultures in developing their international strategies. This is because religion has come to play an increasingly important role in soft power (and sometimes, hard power) diplomacy. India, having distinct interests in different regional fronts (Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia) cannot view Buddhism—a connecting thread in all these regions—as a homogenous entity. Region-specific tailoring of its Buddhist diplomacy toolkit is the need of the hour if the Indian government is serious about balancing Chinese cultural overtures in the region.

Recommendations

1. Extending the Buddhist Circuit (including the railway, air and road components) to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

2. Setting up of a Theravada Buddhist Centre in New Delhi serving as a hub for scholars from across the globe willing to conduct research on Theravada Buddhism.

3. Developing Theravada Buddhist villages in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam as model villages, and inviting dignitaries from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand to these villages.

4. Setting up of an anthropological research wing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to source and study finer details of the cultures of the other nations in all their heterogeneity