A Very Strange Preface to a Buddhist Book

 

Puthujjano ummattako. ("The common person is insane.") —ancient Pali proverb

     In the past when I had business to attend to in Rangoon, I would stay at the house of a very good old fellow named U Han Toe, who had a building erected in his yard specifically for monks to stay in while attending to business in Rangoon. When there I would often look at his books in English, and one time I found a strange little volume entitled Maha China Yatra, or “Journey to Great China,” written by a Nepalese Buddhist monk named Dharmaloka. I’m not sure what kind of Buddhist monk he was, as he never explained exactly; although he appears to have followed a peculiar blend of Theravada and Mahayana. Also I do not remember who published his travelogue, though I’m guessing that it may have been published privately, or if not, then by a small and relatively unprestigious publishing house, for reasons that may become more clear if you read what follows.

     It has been many years since I read the book, but the gist of it is a description of his long pilgrimage from Nepal to a famous Mahayana Buddhist temple in China. He was fulfilling an ambition to visit this place ever since, if I remember correctly, he heard that the Mahayana Buddhist god of wisdom, Manjushri, resided there, and he wanted to meet him and pay his respects. After a long and eventful journey over land and sea he finally arrived at the temple and asked to see the god, and was directed towards the shrine room where Manjushri’s image stood. When the venerable and naive monk pointed out that that was just an image and that he came to see the REAL god, a monk or priest there stared at him as though he were an idiot. At the very least the venerable one came to be a little less naive and dogmatic.

     Almost the only other scene in the book that I remember more or less clearly involved the monk and his attendant spending a night in a hotel. Young women were continually knocking on the door of his room and smiling and speaking invitingly in a language he didn’t understand…until finally he realized that they were prostitutes and he was inadvertently spending the night in one of THOSE kind of hotels. If I remember correctly he scolded his rascally attendant and insisted that they move to a different place on the following day.

     But the Nepali monk’s travelogue was not as interesting to me as the Preface, written by its translator into English, Shrinivas Pathak, General Secretary of Buddhist Youth International in New Delhi. It starts out dry enough, with plenty of name dropping, as is suitable for an Indian pandit, although long before one reaches the end of it, it becomes truly bizarre, reaching its climax, methinks, with his request to then President of the USA Jimmy Carter for two “Anti-Ultrasonic-Wave-Deflective-Helmets,” allegedly made by NASA. He wanted these desperately, as a certain maharani or queen was supposedly beaming messages into his head for nefarious and lascivious purposes.

     It may be that at the time I read this Preface, and had it photocopied, I considered it to be humorous, and I suppose many people would, though now it’s a little sad to me. Also it is an interesting case history or study into mental illness, and how it can affect an otherwise intelligent and accomplished person still functioning at a relatively high level of responsibility. I would guess there are relatively high ranking politicians in America nowadays that are not much healthier psychologically than this fellow. Then again, as Buddhism teaches, pretty much everyone is at least a little crazy.

     Anyway, while moving my stuff from a room in the main building of the monastery out to a more quiet trailer, I came across my old photocopy of the preface; and I think at least a few of you will find something of interest in it, or even of value. I’ve fixed a few obvious typos and some bad spelling, but have left most of the literary peculiarities as they are, partly to demonstrate the man’s mental states more objectively, and partly to show the oddity of a fellow not quite a master of the English language taking on the task of translating a long text into English. Whether he really was offered a cabinet position by Prime Minister Nehru or not, etc., is for anyone to guess. For those of you with little patience with the dry pandit stuff I have begun the paragraph beginning the weird stuff *in bold type*.

PREFACE

To 

Stand as an Appeal.

     I was busy with the Research Work of ‘UNESCO’s Tension Research Scheme’, sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, in the study of the opinion of Indian people, towards Hindu Marriage and Divorce Bill, since 1952 onward. At the advice of Prof. H. P. Maitri, the Director of the Institute of Psychological Research and Service, Patna University, I did not go to U.S.A. on the basis of the scholarship proposed to me by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Due to involvement in considerable Field Work in the Research, I did not accept a post of lectureship in 1952, proposed to me in the Department of Psychology at Patna College. I had developed close contacts with late Bhikkhu Shri Jagdish Kashyap and Dr. Satkari Mukherji, the Directors of Nalanda Pali Institute, Nalanda, Patna, and became a fellow of Nalanda Pali Institute in the year 1954 against a fellowship for my D.Litt. in Buddhist psychology. At the initiative of Rev. Kashyap Ji who wanted me to go through the basic Buddhist Texts, I was preparing to appear in Bauddha Darshanacharya of Bihar Sanskrit Association at Government Sanskrit College Patna.

     This was the time when I came across with Ven. Amritanand Ji at Patna, who introduced me to Sister Sanghamitra and to his daughter Sushri Vimala Lal Kazi. Sushri Vimala was placed by him at Patna for her studies, and both were living quite near to my hostel. Ven. Amritanand Ji asked me to meet them on and often and to check up their whereabouts. Thus I was closely connected to the Anand Kuti Family of Kathmandoo since 1952-53.

     Ministry of Education of India did not adjust the project, which was given to me by Dr. Gardner Murphy, the senior consultant to the Government of India, on UNESCO’s Social Tension Research Scheme. Meeting every demand of the project from my personal resources, I went to the Psychometric Unit of the Indian Statistical Institute Calcutta as a guest scientist, invited by Dr. A. E. Harper Jr. & by Dr. S. K. Mitra, after a constant labour of 4 years, with a statistics of 16000 fools-caps. The project was already recommended by Prof. H. P. Maitri from Ahmedabad in the year 1956, to the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, with no favourable action of the Government.

     Prof. S. C. Mitra, the Head of the Department of Psychology, Calcutta University, accepted the work for the degree of D.Litt. in Psychology and promised to appoint me at a readers’ post, going to be vacant after sometime. He wanted to avail my services in taking classes at the University Science College, but the Standing Work of the project did not permit me to spare time for the teaching work. Considering the statistical analysis of the data on machines very expensive, beyond their resources, the authorities of the Indian Statistical Institute asked me to seek assistance of the Government of India. Prof. S. C. Mitra and Dr. C. P. Rao, the Head of the Research and Training Section of the Indian Statistical Institute Calcutta, recommended my case to the Government of India, for an immediate adjustment of the National Statistics, but the Government of India did not come forward to adjust the project. Thus having no clearance of statistical machines at the I. S. I., I submitted my services to my elder religious brother Shri Devapriya Valisinha, the General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India. Thus I started regularly coming to the Dharma Rajika Vihar at College Square since 1958 onwards.

     The work at the Society given to me by Shri Valisinha Ji was to translate the Hindi correspondence to English, to translate the English Books to Hindi, to take classes in the orphanage and to arrange the lectures in the Society under the auspices of the Dharma Pal Thursday Lecture Series.

     In the year 1962, I founded the Buddhist Youth International in the Maha Bodhi Society of India on the foreign policy of Panch Sheel of Pandit Nehru, Mr. D. Valisinha being its Chairman and I as its General Secretary. The members of the Committee were taken from the Society itself. Since a constant fight of 6 years from Calcutta could not move the Government of India to adjust the National Statistics, I came in person to Delhi to meet Pandit Nehru.

     I stayed at Buddha Vihar, Mandir Marg, New Delhi for a month with Ven. Aryawansa Nayak Mahasthavir who suddenly got an invitation from the Muni Shri Shushil Kumarji to attend the Foundation Laying Down Ceremony of Ahinsa Pustakalaya in Rajendra Nagar on 5th May, 1963. The foundation was to be laid by ‘Honble Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India. Thus I went with the venerable to attend the function. We were made seated at the dais just close to Pandit Nehru. Ven. Aryawansa Ji introduced me to ‘Honble Pandit Ji, who was very happy to know about the foundation of Buddhist Youth International and accepted it as the 3rd International of the World apart from WFDY (World Federation of the Democratic Youth) Budapest and WAY (World Assembly of Youth) Washington. Ven. Aryawansa Ji told Pandit Ji that I was working as a consultant to the Government of India on Hindu Code Bill. He was very happy to know that I was religious son of Ven. Anagarika Dharmpal Ji, the Founder of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, like Shri Devapriya Valisinha, and considering my educational back-ground he immediately offered the Cabinet Level Ministry of Culture of India and a seat in Rajya Sabha [the upper house of the Indian Parliament] against President’s nomination. ‘Honble Pandit Ji decided to appoint 4 persons to the Ministry, Smt. Indira Gandhi and myself as the Cabinet Level Ministers and Mr. Bhakta Darshan and Shri Dinesh Singh as Deputy Ministers. All of them were to be taken afterwards, while my appointment to the Ministry was announced at the stage itself. Hon’ble Pandi Ji told me to segregate Culture from Scientific Research and then to pass the Department to me.

     Considering this to be a standing National responsibility when I was busy with National Project, I did not accede to Pandit Ji’s proposal till the work was finished, and I agreed to found the ‘Marriage Bureau’ of India, declining to take the Headship of the Psychology Department, Delhi University and the Deputy Directorship  of the Opinion Measurement Institute, New Delhi. The same day he wanted to get me appointed to Rajya Sabha and was to drive to the President’s House to meet Dr. Radha Krishnan alongwith me. Any type of National Work or office till the project was duly finished, being a hurdle to the National Statistics, I did not agree to join Rajya Sabha. Thus, Pandit Ji approved the National Statistics with a Professor’s Salary to me from the beginning and told to pay the same after a year’s work on the organisation of the World Office of the Buddhist Youth International at Kutub Minar, at a site of 1/2 mile at Gudgaon Road provided by him for the purpose. Thus asking me to fold my beddings from the Buddha Vihar, he stressed on me to put with Ven. Dhammavara Ji of Cambodia, the founder of the Ashoka Mission Vihar. Accordingly I left to Ashoka Mission and lived with the Venerable for 2 months expecting help from the Buddhist Embassies, which used to come to the temple to offer their services. Madam Daw Khin Kyi, the Ambassador from Burma to India, the Ambassador Prince of Cambodia, the Ambassador of Viet Nam to India, the Ambassador of Laos, though praised and appreciated the foundation of the association, but could not come forward to assist it as it was not registered or chartered, then. Thus when my purse exhausted I want back to my home to Morena M.P. with a feeling to come back again and to pursue the interest and to fulfil the desire of Pandit Nehru by giving the association in the capital of India at the venue given by him. Further I came to Delhi at the end of the month of April 1964 and could not meet Pandit Nehru as he fell ill and went to Dehradoon for change. From Dehradoon he came back to Delhi and passed away on 27th May 1964. On 5th May 1963 was a sudden meeting of mine with Pandit Nehru on the stage. Thus my file was not with me, hence I could not take his signature on my papers. Neither had I anything in writing from him as regard the project, nor anything about the land presented by him to me at Kutub Minar for the World Office of the Buddhist Youth International.

     Madam Daw Khin Kyi the Ambassador of Burma to India was highly pleased at the analysis of the Aims and Objects of the association and was very happy to know that the same was the additional work done by me on the policies of the UNESCO, on International National Tension Reduction. Thus she announced that they will confer an Honoris De Causa Degree of D.Sc. in Psychology on me, when I visit Rangoon for the organisational work of Buddhist Youth International.

     *It was difficult* to organise the work of the International in the town from a distanced place like Ashok Mission Vihar, hence I came to the town and started working from the Dharmashalas of Delhi. After a stay of 6 months in the Dharmashalas, I stayed with Mahant Gangadas Ji of Chawari Bazar for 8 months, at Ladakh Buddha Vihar, Bela Road, Delhi-6 for 1 year and 8 months against the arrangements made by Rev. Kushak Bakula, at P-10, Hauj Khas with Mrs. Prem Vati Thapar for 1 year and 8 months, with Ch. Sher Singh Ji of Begampur for 4 years. The registration papers of the association were filed very late in the year 1973 as I went in 1970 to Morena M.P. after the sad demise of my father, Pandit Shri Satoshilal Ji Pathak, to organise the old family Math of Vedanta at Kuntipur, and shaped the same in the form of a Yogic Mission. The work there was pursued by me for a constant period of 2 years and 3 months, and after registering its office at Bhopal, I could organise the same in whole of India, but the debauchery of Maharani Vijaya Raje Scindhia of Gwalior with standing atrocities against me through her bloody goondas [hired thugs] who had shot several persons, I could not succeed in pursuing the work there. She got attacked my village Kuntipur by 25-30 goondas in the month of July 1972 where I was stricken by lathis [heavy sticks used as cudgels], and was going to be put to death in case 6-7 persons, who were present at the place, did not save me. Maharani Vijaya Raje Scindhia was ordering her goonda from her aeroplane asking him to kill me at the spot by striking lathis in my head. The goonda did accordingly, but I saved my skull by my hands which got fractured. The goonda was pointing towards the aeroplane stating that she is ordering me to put you to death from the aeroplane, you can listen very well. Considering the bloody atrocities of the Mission in M.P. and after coming back to Delhi, I resumed the work of Buddhist Youth International in 1973.

     Since Gen. P. N. Thapar had come to Delhi from Chandigarh, there was no place left with Smt. Premvati Thapar at P-10, Hauj Khas. Thus I contacted our new life member Ch. Sher Singh Ji of Begampur Village, who very gladly conceded to shelter the office of the Buddhist Youth International in his Baithak and immediately invited me to work out and function the office from his village.

     The first and foremost thing was to register the association. By then several hundreds of life members of the association were enrolled. Thus taking half of the members for the Committee from Delhi, I had been to Calcutta to take the rest from the Maha Bodhi Society of India. The registration papers were filed with the Registrar of Societies in the month of November 1973 and the Registrar of the Societies refused to register it. He said the nature of the association being complex it involved the permission of the Central Government. Thus the papers were forwarded by him to the Ministry of Home, Government of India, and they gave the clearance in the month of January 1975, when the association was registered by the Registrar.

     After the registration of the association I became busy with the preparations to hold International Youth Festival of the same, but the son of Maharani Vijaya Raje Scindhia Prince Madhav Rao Scindhia day and night used to abuse and disturb me from his aeroplane on megaphone. This was a big team operating in Delhi and at other places behind me from the atmosphere posing to be the pilots of the Govt. of India, who posed to safeguard the Capital day and night, flying in the atmosphere. Thus I trusted them since 1963 to be my worthy comrades, who could help me in every affair by surveying the zig zag land of Kutub for my office and suggesting things to me from the atmosphere. They became a party to my programme and sympathised with me for the atrocities committed by Maharani Scindhia by getting me attacked by her same goonda at Calcutta at the Holi Festival of 1962. Thus talking with me from the sky they became my friend, in response I used to raise my hand to them. Their purpose was to make me Suggestive. They wanted to utilise me for sex. They were not the pilots of the Government but were the members of the family of Birlas, Jalans, Doodhavewalas and Scindhias. The attack in Calcutta was made by them on me to create an emotional situation on the basis of which they could capture my mind and attach me to their megaphone. They became a party with me from the atmosphere who gave every detail of several happenings of my life, stating that all this was given to them by Home. Their megaphone was fitted behind the Home Department Block in the Central Secretariat in Vijay Chowk, New Delhi, where every announcement from the atmosphere was relayed on that megaphone horn. Some Secretaries of Government of India from Home Department also used to speak & announce on the same. Same sort of announcement was being made from the Kothi of the Collector of Morena (MP) when I was there working for my family mission of Vedanta, meaning there by, that every communication from the atmosphere from these aeroplanes was relayed on that megaphone. Since they used to talk with me from the atmosphere and used to take my response every minute by raised hand, they made me Overwhelmingly Suggestive.

     In the year 1973, they opened their identity in New Delhi and said, We were behind you to make you Suggestive in the guise of the pilots of the Government but that was false, that was done simply so that you develop faith in us & do not distrust us and asked me to have sex with their girls. They said that we made you Suggestive for the purpose, so they could control every function of my body and mind and could utilise me for heightened sex, controlling the secretion of the fluids and discharging them according to their desire, thus delaying the orgasm even up to half an hour or an hour according to their choice. I could not concede to their demand. Thus Madhav Rao Scindhia started troubling me by harassing and passing painful and Destructive Suggestive Cautions to my Subconscious stating that you are our Guru and you were left for the sex of my mother, when she becomes a widow. He was running his Chair on megaphone. He said that it was just to connect you to our megaphone, that we got you beaten so that we could capture your mind and your emotions. S. B. Jalan of Calcutta was the main announcer who used to announce day and night from his aeroplane and is still coming doing since then, but in a low tone now. They were all running the Chair of Birlas in Delhi in Feelings, that means on megaphone where every communication was used to be announced on the horn fitted behind the Central Secretariat. Their day to day atrocities forced us to report the matter from Begampur to Thana Hauj Khas, which conducted an inquiry and the whole village spoke in favour of the same. Applications were made against these culprits from Shapur Jat also when I shifted to this place in 1974. It was difficult even for Thana Hauj Khas to sleep in the night due to their constant vociferation. They also wrote and spoke to Magistrate Shri Harit of Parliament Street. I met him, who asked me to file a suit against them which I said was not possible till they were arrested. Police had no kite so I had already met Sardar Swaran Singh the Defense Minister of India, who agreed to pass the same in case the Home Department demanded. Magistrate Shri Navin Chawla also witnessed the crime and spoke to Mr. P. V. Jayakrishnan the Dy. Secretary of Home. Mr. Jayakrishnan instituted an inquiry in the case and Magistrate Shri P. Ghosh wrote to the Central Government to shoot down the aeroplanes in the month of August/September 1975.

     Mr. Jayakrishnan told me that the kites of the culprits were being shot by Defence Forces of India. I being the religious son of late Ven. Anagarika Dharmapal Ji did not like the idea of getting them shot, and requested him that instead of being shot they be arrested. For the purpose I met the President of India (Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed) in Rashtrapti Bhavan, on 13th November 1975 and requested him that the culprits have made me overwhelmingly suggestive and are coming torturing me in various ways. They have snatched the longevity and strength of my systems and are coming destroying & damaging my system for the last several years. They are prevailing Free Sex and have made me overwhelmingly Suggestive for the purpose. The President of India agreed to my request and said that they will not be shot and will be arrested immediately. To my surprise they were not arrested by Home for one year, and I remained writing to the President of India about the day to day 24 hours, tortures being inflicted by the culprit on me.

     Madhav Rao Scindhia used to cut and burn the parts of my body, used to tear the veins and arteries, the muscles or the vital complex systems, used to narrow down the apertures of my heart, used to create palpitation, used to apply razors to my brain with a suggestive caution to tear out the mass of the brain but not to cut, used to tear the vertebrae, the complex nervous system, used to apply ordinary or electric razors to my lungs, used to control the function of liver etc., used to pollute my semen day and night, used to destroy and break the blood cells in millions, used to make me gutted and falter at public occasions while delivering lectures, used to pass my semen unknowingly with urine, so that the vitality of my body was completely over and I became old before time and lose the strength and life of my system. Madhav Rao Scindhia always asked me to have sex with his mother and with his sisters. This torture was pursued by him along with the House wives, the girls of Birla, Doodhavewala and Jalan families. They announced “we are Free Sex and do not marry at all, as we do not want to leave our homes,” thus insisted for sex. I always debased them for their dirty habits and character and asked them not to do any thing otherwise with me and not to destroy my system, but they never obliged and pursued their dirty inhuman crime day and night for 24 hours.

     Since the culprits are very much prevailing having their friends in every Govt. Department, some Secretary of Home Department manipulated the affair and asked Thana Chanakyapuri to get me blocked in jail. Thus I was invited to Thana Tuglak Road against the action of Thana Chanakyapuri and produced before the S.D.M. of Chanakyapuri and forwarded to Mental Ward of Tihar of Jail on the plea that I was abnormal as heard voices from the sky. I was blocked there for 6 months. I was given electric shocks against my desire, though I stated that I was Suggestive and not abnormal. Due to the heat of electric shocks, I lost my two teeth. In my absence the culprits got placed their men on rent in the adjacent home to my hut and got committed theft of the basic records and office papers of Buddhist Youth International, which are with Maharani Vijaya Raje Scindhia and which were not given to me even after my standing pursuance.

     On 3rd May 1978 an All Party Public Meeting was held at Shahpur Jat and proposals were passed to arrest the culprits without any delay. If it was difficult to chase them by kite they could be arrested by reading their numbers from the base by binoculars or telescopes and their Ultra-Sonic-Wave-Generators snatched. But no action was taken by the Central Government, hence a memorandum was submitted by me on 20th April 1979 with the help of Bhartiya Naujawan Sabha W.F.D.Y. (Budapest) but no arrest was made. In 1979-80 questions were submitted by me to the Parliament but the method of the Parliament in this regard being faulty they could not come on the list.

     The Medical Science failed to give me any relief and the Ear-Inserts developed by the A.I.I.M.S. and the Ear-Muffs recommended by them to be availed from the U.K. and U.S.A., all failed to give me any relief. The helmet section of the Indian Air Force asked me to avail the Anti-Ultra-Sonic-Wave-Deflective-Helmet, prepared and possessed by NASA for which Dr. B. Shankaran, the Director General of the Health Services of India cabled to Mr. Jimmy Carter President of U.S.A. but no response was received even after his reminder.

     In the month of March 1980 Maharani Vijaya Raje Scindhia, Madhav Rao Scindhia and his sister Usha and Padma Raje Scindhia got attacked my maternal uncle’s home at Village Khas Khera, Distt. Morena M.P. in the night, about which they were announcing for the last several months. The attack was being relayed on the megaphone and I was hearing the attack here in the mid-night. My maternal brother was attacked who fought with the men of Maharani Scindhia and to save his life fell down in the well situated before his home. To put him to death the culprits pelted very heavy stones from above and shot him by bullets but luckily he saved.

     After that announcements are coming being made by Maharani Vijaya Raje Scindhia by Madhav Rao Scindhia & by her sisters that Shri Chandan Singh Sharma my maternal uncle will be shot or his head will be chopped off by sword. Along with 24 hours bodily tortures & damages, they threat me to fail my heart or put me to death by creating cerebral haemorrhage or taking recourse to other types of damages so that it appears a natural death in postmortem.

     Thus I appeal through the preface of this volume to the President of India, the Vice President of India, the Prime Minister of India, the Indian Parliament, the Buddhist World and H. H. Maharaja Virendra Vikram Shah of Nepal (as Madhav Rao Scindhia & his sister Padma Raje Scindhia, the standing atrocities have their Father-In-Law’s Homes at Kathmandoo & want to hide in Nepal after putting me to death and under-ground.

1. That Mr. Jimmy Carter, the President of U.S.A. be contacted on trunk to sanction a pair of the Anti-Ultra-Sonic-Wave-Deflective-Helmet, for me from NASA and the Indian Ambassador at Washington be asked to take it personally from him and get it flown to the Prime Minister of India. A provision be made along with, so that I may get a pair of the same always when the former is worn out.
2. The the culprits be arrested immediately. Their Megaphones, Ultra-Sonic Wave Generators and the Kites be snatched, without any delay.
3. That my salary be immediately paid to me from the beginning of the project as approved and sanctioned by Pandit Nehru.
4. That the office of the Buddhist Youth International be immediately set up at Kutub Minar according to the desires of Pandit Nehru and a recurring annual grant be sanctioned to be given as assistance to the International.
5. That a bill be introduced in the Parliament banning the personal use of Megaphones, Photo Chemical, Ultra-Sonic or Super-Sonic-Wave-Generators and Wireless-Sets and enacted immediately.
6. That a proper compensation be paid to me and to my Societies which have suffered due to my arrest.
7. That a seat be always maintained for the Buddhist Youth International by all parties in Rajya Sabha as the association was accepted & got set up by Pandit Nehru as the 3rd International of Youth, founded by India on its Foreign Policy of Panch Sheel, with a President’s nomination to Rajya Sabha. Thus to make the office prevailing this is to be observed by all parties so that a seat is always maintained for it in the Rajya Sabha.

     In the muddle of this whole affair when my project was lying unadjusted, I had free time to devote my energies to the Missionary Work of the Maha Bodhi Society of India. Thus along with the normal work of the Society, I was connected by Ven. Ariyawansa Nayaka Mahathera to my old friends of Anand Kuti, Swayambhoo Hill, Kathmandoo, Nepal by putting forth before me the volume of Maha-China Yatra originally written by Bhante Dharmaloka Mahasthavir in Newari [a language of Nepal] and translated into Hindi by Bhante Aniruddha Mahasthavir, Vice President of Dharmodaya Sabha, Lumbini Nepal, asking me to translate the same into English. The book is a factual description of the Mahasthavir’s journey to Great China and to other places, which has been written by him on the basis of his diaries maintained by him in his pilgrimage. The book actually suffers as regard the constitution and flow of language, as it is a mere description of the events, accidents or incidents, rather a presentation of the facts in colloquial language. Thus it does not constitute a piece of literature or a work pleasing the scholarly mind. Never-the-less even being a mere description of pilgrimage, it is helpful to those who want to have knowledge of these lands pertaining to various aspects of life or want to visit them, and want to enjoy the adventurous journey, which was so daringly undertaken by the Venerable, facing utmost difficulties of the brutal course of Nature. Thus it becomes a pleasant reading rich with valuable information.

     The translation in English is an actual representation of the thought of the Venerable in very simple language without caring for the richness of its form. And I was asked by the Ven. Aniruddha Mahasthavir to give his Hindi text an English form which could be followed even by a layman, desirous of visiting these lands; so from the beginning to the end I have just photographed the Hindi Text giving it a simple English form.

     Since the text at several places is full of dialogues and talks, the rules of Direct and Indirect Narration have not been followed strictly, to put punctuation marks of inverted commas, to reduce the labour of the compositor and to have an equivalent shape and form of its Hindi origin. By rendering the Maha China Yatra into English, I have really purified my pen by photographing the Hindi Text of the absolutely pious and daring journey of the most Venerable to the ulterior parts of the globe, with a standing Religious Mission.

Yogashrama

Dhyan Yoga Peetha

Siri Fort Area

Asvini Poornima

23rd October, 1980

Shrinivas Pathak

General Secretary

Buddhist Youth International

116, Shahpur Jat,

New Delhi-16

Manjushri, Bodhisattva and God of Wisdom