Lakshman

July 28, ‘10

Bodhisattva Ambedkar said to his people “I should like to impress this thing
on your minds very clearly that religion is for man and not man for
religion. If you want to gain self respect change your religion. If you want
to organize yourself, change your religion. If you want to create a society
which ensures co-operation and brotherhood change your religion. If you want
to achieve power change your religion. If you want equality, change your
religion. If you want independence, change your religion. If you want to
make the world in which you live happy, change your religion.

I would like to ask you all what is the sense in living in a society which
is devoid of humanity, which does not respect you, protect you, humiliates
you, and never misses and opportunity to hurt you. Any person with an iota
of self respect and decency will not like to remain in this satanic
religion. Only those who live to be slaves can remain in this religion.

In view of the facts that the Hindu religion which forced your forefathers
to lead a life of degradation and heaped all sorts of indignities on them,
kept them poor and ignorant, why should you remain within the fold of such a
diabolical creed? If, like your forefathers, you too, continue to accept a
degraded and lowly position, and humiliation, you will continue to he hated.
Nobody will respect you and nobody will help you. It is for these reasons
that the question of conversion has become important for us. To change this degraded and disgraceful existence into golden life, conversion is absolutely necessary”.-Dr.Ambedkar

with metta,

Bhanteji