India’s historical connection to Buddhism

India’s historical connections to Buddhism provide a foundation for modern policymakers to enhance the country’s soft power. Buddhism has been a quiet but resilient link to South, Southeast, and East Asia for centuries.

As the birthplace of Buddhism, India has a deep spiritual connection to the religion. During India’s height of power, Indian scholars and priests travelled abroad and spread Buddhism across Tibet, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia via Sri Lanka. Tibetan Buddhism spread northward to Tibet and China, while the Theravada school of Buddhism was promoted in South Asia and throughout Southeast Asia. Buddhism’s influence is evident in Indian art, culture, and architecture, such as the three lions of the Ashoka pillar, which are now India’s national emblem. As of 2023, nearly 10 million people in India practice Buddhism.

India also has ties to Tibetan Buddhism through its sizable Tibetan community. The first wave of Tibetans arrived in India with the fourteenth Dalai Lama in March 1959 following the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1950. Since then, high-ranking Tibetan religious leaders, members of the Tibetan nobility, and ordinary Tibetans have continued to flee to India, mainly via Nepal. India is home to the fourteenth Dalai Lama and the heads of all four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism – Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Sakya – along with many other high-ranking Tibetan lamas. However, the main monasteries of these four sects are located in Tibet. 

BUDDHISM IN INDIAN AND CHINESE DIPLOMACY

In recent years, India has been actively promoting Buddhist thought and culture. In November 2011, with the assistance of the Indian government, the Global Buddhist Congregation (GBC) brought together representatives of various Buddhist traditions from around the world to establish the International Buddhist Confederation. This centralized body was to preserve the traditions and practices of different sects and promote research and popularization of Buddhism.

China has also been hosting international Buddhist gatherings called the World Buddhist Forums (WBF) since the mid-2000s. These gatherings are reflective of China’s efforts to raise the profile of the China-appointed Panchen Lama and convince Buddhists to accept him as the rightful holder of this position.

However, the GBC hosted in India in 2011 had an impact on China’s efforts, and the WBF in 2012 was a muted affair.

Tibetan Buddhism has occasionally drawn attention to the on-going border dispute between China and India. Despite this, India hosted a Buddhist conference in Nalanda in March 2017 to bring together all Buddhist lamas into the fold. This gathering served to enhance India’s standing in the Buddhist community.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, the Indian Government has made Buddhism a part of its bilateral diplomatic efforts, especially with Japan and Mongolia. Private organizations have also been involved in these efforts, such as the joint Buddhist and Hindu three-day conclave on conflict avoidance and environment consciousness in September 2015.

Buddhism also factors into India’s diplomacy with Mongolia, which has a special link to the Dalai Lama. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ulaanbaatar in May 2015 emphasized India and Mongolia’s shared Buddhist connection.

The selection of the next spiritual leader, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, has turned into a power struggle in Mongolia with China’s increasing influence overshadowing the country’s religious affairs. The title, which represents the most senior lama of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, has been vacant since the passing of the 9th Jebtsundamba in 2012. Although the 9th Jebtsundamba had wished for the Dalai Lama to recognize his successor, China is pressuring Mongolia to obtain its approval before acknowledging a new leader. This manoeuvre is a part of China’s larger plan to exert control over Buddhism beyond its borders, with Mongolia being a crucial element in this strategy.

Overall, India’s promotion of Buddhism reinforces its cultural ties with Southeast Asian countries and strengthens its bonds with Buddhists around the world. 

CHINA’S INFLUENCE OVER SRI LANKA THROUGH BUDDHISM

Meanwhile, China has been using its soft power in Sri Lanka through Buddhist monks to gain political influence in the country. In recent years, China has invested heavily in Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development projects, including the Hambantota Port, which has become a source of concern for India and other countries in the region.

Buddhist monks play an important role in Sri Lanka’s political and social landscape, and China has been cultivating relationships with influential Buddhist monks to further its strategic interests in the country. For instance, China has been funding the construction of Buddhist temples and monasteries in Sri Lanka, and has also been providing scholarships for Sri Lankan Buddhist monks to study in China.

In addition, China has been using Buddhist cultural exchanges as a way to strengthen its diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka. For instance, in 2013, China and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote Buddhist exchanges between the two countries. This MoU includes the exchange of Buddhist scholars, experts, and pilgrims, as well as the preservation of Buddhist cultural heritage.

China’s influence on Sri Lanka through Buddhist monks has also been a source of controversy. For example, some Sri Lankan politicians and religious leaders have raised concerns about China’s role in promoting a Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalist agenda, which they argue could undermine Sri Lanka’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

Overall, China’s use of Buddhist monks to gain political influence in Sri Lanka is an example of how the country is using soft power to expand its global influence. However, it is also a reminder that soft power can have significant political implications, and that the use of cultural diplomacy can be a double-edged sword. 

BUDDHIST TIES BETWEEN INDIA AND SRI LANKA

India and Sri Lanka share a legacy of historical, cultural, religious, spiritual, and linguistic ties that span over 2,500 years. The Cultural Cooperation Agreement signed in 1977 in New Delhi serves as the foundation for periodic cultural exchange programs between the two countries.

Buddhism is a crucial link that connects the two nations and civilizations. Emperor Ashoka sent his children Arhat Mahinda and Theri Sangamitta to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha at the request of King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka, strengthening the people-to-people connection and shared Buddhist heritage between India and Sri Lanka.

The venerated relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilawasthu discovered in 1970 in India have been exhibited twice in Sri Lanka, with the first time drawing nearly 10 million people in 1978. In 2012, the relics once again travelled to Sri Lanka at the request of the then Sri Lankan President to commemorate the 2600th Anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha. Similarly, the venerated relics from the Waskaduwe Viharaya were exhibited in India in 2015.

To promote and protect Buddhist ties between India and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced a USD 15 million grant assistance during the Virtual Bilateral Summit in September 2020. This grant can be used for the construction/renovation of Buddhist monasteries, education of young monks, strengthening engagement of Buddhist scholars and clergy, development of Buddhist heritage museums, cultural exchanges, archaeological cooperation, and reciprocal exposition of The Buddha’s relics.

In July 2020, the Indian Government declared the Kushinagar Airport as an international airport, where Lord Buddha’s Mahaparinibbana took place, to allow Buddhist pilgrims from around the world to visit the site with ease. To further strengthen people-to-people ties, the first-ever pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya for Sri Lankan Armed Forces personnel and their families was organized in 2018, and the second pilgrimage was organized in 2019. Direct flights between Varanasi and Colombo were also announced during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Colombo in May 2017.

Finally, the Jaffna International Airport was inaugurated in October 2019, with regular service between Jaffna and Chennai starting in November of the same year. These initiatives and collaborations serve to strengthen the deep-rooted people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka.