Surai Sasai
Encyclopedia
Bhadant Nagarjun Arya Surai Sasai born (Minoru Sasai) popularly known as Sasai is a Japanese-born Buddhist bhikkhu
(monk) who later chose India as his working destination. 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, and started home, but, by his own account, 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 it was Ambedkar who had appeared in his dream. At first, Nagpur folk 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 on the grounds that he had overstayed his visa was dismissed, and he was granted Indian citizenship, upon which he automatically lost his Japanese citizenship. Sasai is one of the main leaders of the campaign to free the Mahabodhi Temple
at Bodh Gaya from Hindu control.
Among 4 of them two were trained as Theravada monks and rest two are Mahayana monks. Bodhi Dhamma is working in South India teaching Zen while Prajnasheela works in center India.
Abhaya Putra in engaged with creating Theravadian monks for India.
Takashi Oyama薬王院出家in 1960, trained in religious Ouzi Nichiren in Kagoshima
大正大学1962 and the Auditors, the magazine's issue of Buddhist practice. He浪曲the side (easy東家(2 generations)), the fortune-teller.
The dream reported in 1967, moved to Nagpur
妙法寺built in 1969 to Nagpur, India Mt
Siddhartha College of the study in 1970 in Mumbai
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
(monk) who later chose India as his working destination. Susai came to India in 1966 and met Nichidatsu Fujii
Nichidatsu Fujii
Nichidatsu Fujii was a Japanese Buddhist monk, and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji order of Buddhism. He is best known world-wide for his decision in 1947, to begin constructing Peace Pagodas in many locations around the world, as shrines to world peace.Fujii was born into a peasant family in the...
, whom he helped with the Peace Pagoda at Rajgir. He fell out with Fuji, however, and started home, but, by his own account, was stopped by a dream in which a figure resembling Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna was an important Buddhist teacher and philosopher. Along with his disciple Āryadeva, he is credited with founding the Mādhyamaka school of Mahāyāna Buddhism...
appeared and said, "Go to Nagpur". In Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
, he met Wamanrao Godbole, the person who had organized the conversion ceremony
Deekshabhoomi
Deekshabhoomi is a sacred monument of Buddhism at the place where Babasaheb Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with his about 380,000 followers on October 14, 1956. Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism is still a guidance for the masses in India....
for Dr. Ambedkar in 1956. Sasai claims that when he saw a photograph of Dr. Ambedkar at Godbole's home, he realized that it was Ambedkar who had appeared in his dream. At first, Nagpur folk considered Surai Sasai very strange. Then he began to greet them with "Jai Bhim
Jai Bhim
Jai Bhim is a greeting phrase used by the Buddhist people in India, especially by the ones who converted to Buddhism with or by inspiration of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Though mostly used by the Dalit converts to Buddhism, it is not religious by its origin and meaning...
" (victory to Ambedkar) and to build viharas. In 1987 a court case to deport him on the grounds that he had overstayed his visa was dismissed, and he was granted Indian citizenship, upon which he automatically lost his Japanese citizenship. Sasai is one of the main leaders of the campaign to free the Mahabodhi Temple
Mahabodhi Temple
The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is located about from Patna, Bihar state, India. Next to the temple, to its western side, is the holy Bodhi tree...
at Bodh Gaya from Hindu control.
Disciples
He has hundreds of thousands lay disciples and hundreds of ordained monks, novice disciples. His most active disciples are: 1) Ven. Bhikkhu Abhaya Putra , 2) Bhante Bodhi Dhamma ( Dhammaji), 3) Ven. Prajnasheela Bhikkhu, and 4) Ken Bodhi,Among 4 of them two were trained as Theravada monks and rest two are Mahayana monks. Bodhi Dhamma is working in South India teaching Zen while Prajnasheela works in center India.
Abhaya Putra in engaged with creating Theravadian monks for India.
Important Dates
- 1935 : Sugao Niimi, Okayama Prefecture, the village was born the eldest of the brothers
- 1951 : Student Academy of positive入塾Tokyo.
- 1957 : High School Yoneko Aduma Tottori Prefecture. 大善寺training in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture.
Takashi Oyama薬王院出家in 1960, trained in religious Ouzi Nichiren in Kagoshima
大正大学1962 and the Auditors, the magazine's issue of Buddhist practice. He浪曲the side (easy東家(2 generations)), the fortune-teller.
- 1965 : study as a monk in ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
- 1966 : Calcutta, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
move to the mountains 妙法寺Rajigiru after
The dream reported in 1967, moved to Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
妙法寺built in 1969 to Nagpur, India Mt
Siddhartha College of the study in 1970 in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
- 1988 : Get the nationality India
- 1992 : Buddhagaya large family temple (Temple Mahabodhi) started a campaign to regain control
- 1998 : Mansell ruins, the excavation of the ruins started Shirupuru
- 2003 : Committee as a representative of the minority government of India, Buddhist (National Commission for Minorities) and a committee of people (office: 2003 November 2 - 2006 October 2)
- 2009 : Returning to Japan after 44 years, visiting around, hold a lecture
Awards
- 1986: the issue is gift from Buddha Board Buddhist Nagpur
- 1994: Ambedkar International Award
- 2004: the Maharashtra state awards Nagabhushana