Kumar Kashyap Mahasthavir
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Kumar Kashyap (1927 - 26 February 2012) was a Nepalese Buddhist monk who was banished by the Rana regime for promoting Theravada Buddhism and writing in Nepal Bhasa.[1]
He was also the only Nepalese monk to receive the title of Tripitakacharya (Tripitaka Master).[2]
Early life
Kumar Kashyap (alternative name: Kumar Bhante) was born in Tansen, Palpa, a district in western Nepal. He was known as Asta Man Shakya before he became a novice monk in 1942. Kumar Bhante moved to Kathmandu where he joined the small number of monks and worked to promote Theravada Buddhism.[3]
Into exile
The government was suspicious of the activities of the Buddhist monks as they were becoming increasingly popular. In 1944, the monks including Kumar Bhante were called before the prime minister and ordered to stop preaching Buddhism and writing in Nepal Bhasa which the regime disapproved of equally. They refused and were ordered out of the country.
The eight monks went to Kushinagar, India and then to Sarnath where they founded a Buddhist association named Dharmodaya Sabha (Society for the Rise of the Teaching). Kumar Bhante moved to Kalimpong briefly and then to Sri Lanka.
Return to Nepal
In 1946, the monks were allowed to return after a Sri Lankan goodwill mission visited Kathmandu and urged the government to withdraw the expulsion order.[4]
Kumar Bhante returned to Kathmandu and became a writer and teacher at Ananda Kuti Vidyapeeth in Swayambhu. He was subsequently named abbot of Ananda Kuti Vihar. He held the post of Deputy Chief Monk when he passed away.[5]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister DM Jayaratne expressed grief at the demise of Kumar Bhante.[6]
References
- ^ "Theravada Buddhism in Modern Nepal". Lumbini Nepalese Buddha Dharma Society (UK). Retrieved 4 May 2012.
- ^ "Monk Kumar Kashyap Mahasthabir no more". The Himalayan Times. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
- ^ Tuladhar, Kamal Ratna (7 April 2012). "The monks in yellow robes". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
- ^ Dietrich, Angela (1996). "Buddhist Monks and Rana Rulers: A History of Persecution". Buddhist Himalaya: A Journal of Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
- ^ Tuladhar, Kamal Ratna (7 April 2012). "The monks in yellow robes". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
- ^ "Sri Lankan Prez, PM express grief over Kasyap's death". ekantipur.com. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.