Buddhism, Migration, and the Quest for Social Equality: Ambedkarite Indians in East Asia

The Dalit (“Untouchable”) leader Bhimrao Ambedkar converted with some 400,000 followers to Buddhism in 1956 as way of protesting untouchability and the caste system. Ambedkar’s rationalist vision of Buddhism focused on social transformation and promoting equality, and his eight million followers today carry on that legacy. Through transnational collaborations and migration in the past thirty years, Ambedkarites have interacted increasingly with Buddhists in Japan and Taiwan. Dr. Keune will share observations from his ongoing research on these developments and discuss how these diverse groups manage their many vast differences as they work together and pursue their own distinct goals.