How does one practice Ambedkarite Buddhism?

1. Ethical Living (Śīla)

• Follow the Five Precepts:

◦ Do not kill (practice non-violence and compassion).

◦ Do not steal (respect people’s labor and property).

◦ Do not engage in sexual exploitation.

◦ Do not lie (speak truth with kindness).

◦ Do not become intoxicated (avoid heedlessness).

• Ambedkarites often stress that this isn’t just personal morality — it’s a way of refusing to exploit others in daily life.

2. Mindfulness and Wisdom (Samādhi & Prajñā)

• Practice meditation, mindfulness, and self-examination — but without detaching from the world’s problems.

• Learn and reflect on the Buddha’s teachings (especially the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path).

• Ambedkar emphasized reason over superstition: studying, questioning, and applying the Dhamma rationally.

3. Reject Caste, Hierarchy, and Inequality

• Break ties with caste practices — in marriage, dining, rituals, and social life.

• Refuse to treat anyone as “high” or “low.”

• Create community spaces where all sit, eat, and learn together.

4. Collective Struggle and Solidarity

• Ambedkarite Buddhism is deeply social: temples, festivals, and study groups double as spaces for empowerment.

• Work for justice alongside other oppressed groups — Dalits, women, workers, minorities, indigenous peoples.

• Chanting “Buddham Sharanam Gacchāmi” (I take refuge in the Buddha) becomes both a spiritual and political act of rejecting oppression.

5. Education as Liberation

• Ambedkar said: “Educate, Agitate, Organize.”

• Studying the Dhamma, history, and science are all seen as Buddhist practice.

• Passing knowledge on to children and the community is a duty.

6. Community Rituals and Identity

• Many Ambedkarites celebrate 14 October 1956, when Ambedkar and half a million followers converted to Buddhism.

• Group recitation of the 22 Vows (Ambedkar’s rejection of caste-Hindu practices and affirmation of Buddhist values) is a core practice.

• Participation in community rituals — but with an emphasis on equality, reason, and empowerment, not blind faith.

7. Building a Just Society

• Practicing Ambedkarite Buddhism means seeing the Dhamma as world-transforming, not world-escaping.

• It’s not about waiting for Nirvana in another life, but about ending suffering here and now — by dismantling exploitation and injustice.