— ✍️Dr. Alka Raj (Dhoke)

"From time to time, people begin to question the beliefs and ideas that they have inherited from the past.

They compare these old beliefs with their present experiences and new knowledge. They try to find a way of thinking that is logical, satisfies the mind and heart, and gives them confidence to face the future.

Today, many people are studying religion more seriously than before.

This is happening for several reasons:

Science has progressed rapidly. New discoveries have changed the way people understand the world.

As a result, many traditional religious beliefs are being questioned.

People have become more thoughtful and intellectually curious. They want to understand religion through reason, evidence, and careful thinking, instead of accepting beliefs blindly.

Across the world, there is a strong desire to reform religion.

Many people want to remove superstition and irrational beliefs. Some even feel that religion should be replaced by a philosophy that is more rational, scientific, and beneficial to humanity.

Major social, political, and international events have also influenced religion. Wars, injustice, inequality, and social movements have forced people to think again about the role and value of religion in society.

Whenever people begin to question whether something is morally right or wrong, they also begin to question religion itself.

In times of great social change or personal crisis, people naturally ask some fundamental questions:

What is justice?

What is the purpose of human life?

Is there a God?

What is the nature of the universe?

How should we live?

These questions also lead people to examine whether their beliefs are true, how we gain knowledge, and what is real".

This is the background in which Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote "The Buddha and His Dhamma'.

He believed that religion should not be based on blind faith, miracles, rituals, or superstition.

It should be based on reason, morality, compassion, equality, and human welfare.

Therefore, he presented the Buddha's Dhamma as a rational and scientific way of life that helps human beings solve the problems of suffering and build a just society.

This is the reason why Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar chose Buddhism.

Before introducing the Buddha's teachings, he explained that the modern world needs a religion that can stand the test of reason, science, morality, and social justice.

That is why Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar considered the Buddha's Dhamma to be the only religion suitable for the modern age.

- Dr. Alka Raj (Dhoke) is a Mumbai based MBBS, MD (Obst. & Gynae) physician and a passionate student of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s philosophy, dedicated to making his profound teachings accessible to all through simple, clear language.