The Twenty-two vows or twenty-two pledges are the 22 Buddhist vows administered by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the revivalist of Buddhism in India, to his followers. On converting to

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, Ambedkar made 22 vows, and asked his 400,000 supporters to do the same. After receiving lay ordination, Ambedkar gave ''

dhamma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold'' or ''to support' ...

diksha'' to his followers. This ceremony organised on 14 October 1956 in

Nagpur Nagpur (; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Nāgapura'') is the second capital and third-largest city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is called the heart of India because of its central geographical location. It is the largest and most populated city i ...

included 22 vows administered to all new converts after

Three Jewels In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Its object is typically the Three Jewels (also known as the Triple ...

and Five Precepts. On 16 October 1956, Ambedkar performed another mass religious conversion ceremony at Chandrapur. It is believed by Ambedkarite Buddhists that these vows are the guidelines of the social revolution that motivates human instincts. These vows demonstrate both the

social movement A social movement is either a loosely or carefully organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a Social issue, social or Political movement, political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to re ...

aspect of Navayana Buddhism, and demonstrate its core deviation from earlier sects of Buddhism. In India, these vows are taken as an oath by individuals or groups of people when they convert to Buddhism.

Vows

The following are the 22 vows administered by Ambedkar to his followers: # I shall have no faith in

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

and Maheshwara, and I shall not worship them. # I shall have no faith in

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

and

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

, who are believed to be incarnation of God, and I shall not worship them. # I shall have no faith in Gauri, Ganapati and other gods and goddesses of Hindus, and I shall not worship them. # I do not believe in the incarnation of God. # I do not and shall not believe that Lord Buddha was the incarnation of Vishnu. I believe this to be sheer madness and false propaganda. # I shall not perform

Shraddha Shraddha may refer to: In religion * Śrāddha, a Hindu ritual performed for one's deceased ancestors * Śraddhā, the Sanskrit term used to refer to faith in Buddhism In Buddhism, faith (, ) refers to a serene commitment to the prac ...

and I shall not give pind. # I shall not act in a manner violating the principles and teachings of the Buddha. # I shall not allow ceremonies to be performed by Brahmins. # I shall believe in the equality of man. # I shall endeavour to establish equality. # I shall follow the

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path () or Eight Right Paths () is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana. The Eightfold Path consists of eight pra ...

of Buddha. # I shall follow the ten '' paramitas'' prescribed by the Buddha. # I shall have compassion and loving-kindness for all living beings and protect them. # I shall not steal. # I will not commit adultery. # I will not speak lie. # I shall not take intoxicants like

liquor Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...

drugs A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestio ...

, etc. #: (The previous five proscriptive vows 13–17are from the Five Precepts.) # I shall endeavour to follow the

and practice

compassion Compassion is a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based ...

and loving-kindness in everyday life. # I renounce Hinduism which is harmful to humanity and impedes the advancement and development of humanity, and adopt Buddhism as my religion. # I firmly believe the Dhamma of the Buddha is the only true religion. # I believe that I am having a re-birth. # I solemnly declare and affirm that I shall hereafter lead my life according to the principles and teachings of the Buddha and his Dhamma. Considering the historical significance of these twenty-two vows, the then president of "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Deekshabhoomi Memorial Committee", and former Governor of Bihar and Kerala R. S. Gavai and Sadanand Fulzele, the secretary of the organization, have carved these 22 vows on a wide marble stone at the Deekshabhoomi ground and placed the pillar at the first sight of the stupa. At a Buddha Vihara at Wardha, under M. L. Kasare's leadership, a similar grand pillar has been erected.

References

Bibliography

* * {{Buddhism topics B. R. Ambedkar Buddhist ethics Buddhist belief and doctrine Buddhism and society Buddhist oaths Buddhism in India