석가족 불교부흥운동의 현황과 과제

Abstract

This paper covers the historical background and foundation that began a new revival of Buddhism, which had declined over a long period of time in India, by the Sakyas in the modern and current periods. After the fall of Sakya kingdom, the Sakyas have spread around India and they still have a considerable population. This article examines the initial and current status of Sakya Buddhist Revivalism by studying the regions where these people with Buddha's surname live. Furthermore, it suggests future directions of Sakya Buddhist revivalist movement, which began after 1900s, by studying its current problems. Activities for Sakya Buddhist Revivalism have been active, especially since 2000 and they include peace marches, religious conversion ceremonies, temple construction, and welfare efforts such as building schools. This article focuses on the activities of Sakyas living in little known U.P. (Utter Pradesh) district, and examines the shortcomings and issues, based on the author's experiences. Sakya Buddhist revivalist movement should aim for honest Buddhism, easy Buddhism, and natural Buddhism. Moreover, religious conversion movement should only be carried out in the principle of peace under Buddha’s teachings, not in conflicts within communities. These principles will help suggest the right directions for Buddhist revival movement in India, beyond Sakya movement.