Surai Sasai

Bhadant Nagarjun Surai Sasai

Surai Sasai (7 June 2009) at Tokyo
Born 30 August 1935
Japan
Other names Bhadant Sasai
Religion Buddhism, Humanism

Bhadant Nagarjun Arya Surai Sasai (佐々井 秀嶺 Sasai Shūrai) (born Minoru Sasai (佐々井 実 Sasai Minoru)), popularly known as Sasai, is a Japanese-born Buddhist bhikkhu (monk) who later chose India as his home. Susai came to India in 1966 and met Nichidatsu Fujii, whom he helped with the Peace Pagoda at Rajgir. He fell out with Fuji, however, but he related that on his return journey he was stopped by a dream in which a figure resembling Nagarjuna appeared and said, "Go to Nagpur". In Nagpur, he met Wamanrao Godbole, the person who had organized the conversion ceremony for Dr. Ambedkar in 1956. Sasai claims that when he saw a photograph of Dr. Ambedkar at Godbole's home, he realized that Ambedkar had appeared in his dream. At first, Nagpur residents considered Surai Sasai very strange. Then he began to greet them with "Jai Bhim" (victory to Ambedkar) and to build viharas. In 1987, a court case to deport him for overstaying his visa was dismissed. He was granted Indian citizenship, which cost him his Japanese citizenship. Sasai is one of the main leaders of the campaign to free the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya from Hindu control.[1]

Disciples

Sasai has hundreds of thousands of lay disciples and hundreds of ordained monk and novice disciples. His most active disciples are Bhante Bodhi Dhamma (Dhammaji), Prajnasheela Bhikkhu, Ken Bodhi, and Bhikkhu Abhaya Putra. The first and last were trained as Theravada monk and the others as Mahayana monks. Bodhi Dhamma works in South India teaching Zen while Prajnasheela works in central India. Abhaya Putra is the founder of Metta India and trains Theravadin monks and novices of Indian origin in Thailand[2]

Timeline

Recognition

References

  1. ↑ Doyle, Tara N. Liberate the Mahabodhi Temple! Socially Engaged Buddhism, Dalit-Style. In: Steven Heine, Charles Prebish (eds), Buddhism in the Modern World. Oxford University Press. pp. 249–280. ISBN 0-19-514698-0.
  2. ↑ METTA. (12 May 2012). Meditation Education Training Treatment Academy Organization. Retrieved 2 February 2014, from Meditation Education Training Treatment Academy Organization

Bibliography


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