( 4 ) For the creation on a mass scale of this communist consciousness , as well as for the success of the cause itself , it is necessary for men themselves to be changed in a large scale , and this change can only occur in a practical movement , in a revolution . Revolution is necessary not only because the ruling class cannot be overthrown in any other way , but also because only in a revolution can the class which overthrows it rid itself of the accumulated rubbish of the past and become capable of reconstructing society ”. [ ibid , p79-80 ] This is enough to make it clear that Dr Ambedkar ’ s effort to compare Buddha and Marx , and to choose between them is misleading . Even his understanding on both Buddha and Marx , without acknowledging the particular period they lived , and then to choose between them is misleading and obfuscate by premeditation .
Where Did Dr Ambedkar Err ?
He has correctly pointed out that , according to Buddha , ‘ avarice ’, greed or desire for wealth were the root cause of miseries . But he has put some notions as Buddha ’ s , which were completely wrong and Buddha had not thought like that . For example , he has said : ” As to the Buddha ’ s own attitude towards class conflict , his doctrine of Ashtanga Marga recognises that class conflict exists and that it is the class conflict which is the cause of misery ”.
But at the time of Buddha there was no concept of ‘ class ’, let alone class conflict . What were the Ashtanga Marga ? It can be stated as follows : 1 ) Right belief , 2 ) Right resolve , 3 ) Right speech , 4 ) Right conduct , 5 ) Right occupation , 6 ) Right effort 7 ) Right mindfulness , 8 ) Right samadhi or meditation . These were to be practiced by individuals . From this it will be wrong to construe that Ashtanga Marga recognised “ class conflict ” or “ that it is the class conflict which is the cause of misery ”. According to Buddha , as we have
8 earlier mentioned that the cause of misery is ‘ greed ’ and ‘ avarice ’, which give rise to desires . Later Sanghas were established to differentiate his path from the metaphysical wisdom , and the Sanghas were modelled on the tribal collective as parallel to the Varna divided society at large . So , it was a matter of protest against the developing social system based on Varna . Even if the organisation of Sanghas is conceded as Buddha ’ s consciousness of class conflict , Dr Ambedkar could present no proof that Buddha had or tried to have taken a side in the class conflict . Rather Buddha had appealed to the exploiters , kings , to be benevolent , that is what he meant by Dhamma Chakra . This was the basis of ahimsa , preached by Buddha . In that period when the old order was yielding to a new order , tribal equality was being forced to the new kingdoms basing on Varna division , nothing more could have been done . The development of productive forces would not allow him to do any more . This clarifies where had Dr Ambedkar erred when he said , “ The means of bringing about communism which the Buddha propounded was quite definite . “ Because from Buddha ’ s teachings we know that consciousness comes from the conditions of life ; so , at the time of Buddha only the idea of tribal egalitarianism and equanimity could be conceived as opposed to formation of empire and social divisions based on Varna system . It was not possible to conceive of communism then . This has already been clarified in the paragraph 2 of quotation from German Ideology by Karl Marx . Actually , Dr Ambedkar has done great disservice to both Buddha and Marx by pitting one against other the two Great Teachers of the oppressed people of their times . Why did Dr Ambedkar go for such an Exercise to Pit Buddha and Marx Against each Other ?
Perhaps this is one of the weakest wrongs by the great scholar and thinker , Dr B . R . Ambedkar . He has written this article in accordance to his concepts and world outlook . His world outlook is completely different from Karl Marx ’ s outlook . What caused him to take up this exercise of comparing Buddha and Marx ? To understand it we must know when did Ambedkar write this article . Dr Ambedkar converted to Buddhism on 14 October 1956 and died on December 6 of the same year . He completed his manuscript of the article , “ Buddha or Karl Marx ”, just four days before his death on 2 December 1956 . This fact clarifies that he was in a hurry to explain to his followers why he embraced Buddhism . Although around March 1956 as a preparatory exercise he completed his manuscript THE BUDDHA AND HIS DHAMMA , which was published post-humously . He needed a short article to clarify his position . He had to clarify why he did embrace Buddhism instead of Marxism .
To be TRUE , in the last years of his life the great personality was not a happy man , failing to achieve what he fought for throughout his life . He was the person who way back in 1916 clearly stated that Manu did not create the castes . He declared : “ One thing I want to impress upon you is that Manu did not give the law of caste and he could not do so . Caste existed long before Manu . He was an upholder of it and therefore philosophised about it , but certainly he did not and could not ordain the present order of Hindu society . His work ended with the codification existing caste rules and the preaching of Caste Dharma ”. [ CASTES IN INDIA , Their Mechanism , Genesis and Development ; paper read at Columbia University , New York , 9 May 1916 ; from Indian Antiquary , May 1917 , vol XLI , P 16 ]
We can refer to Marx on this question : ” Under the patriarchal system , under caste system , and under feudal guild system , there was admission of labour in society as a whole according to fixed rules . Were these rules established by a legislator ? No . They were born ,
Class Struggle