Ambedkar's Buddhist Path: Rethinking Śrāddha and Ancestral Rituals

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, upon converting to Buddhism, questioned the practice of śrāddha—the Hindu ritual honoring ancestors. This reflection explores why Ambedkar sought to move away from this tradition within Buddhist practice.

The śrāddha ritual centers on concepts of karma, ancestral debt, and patrilineal inheritance that shape how families relate to their forebears. Ambedkar's rejection of the practice was tied to his broader critique of how such rituals reinforce social hierarchies and inherited obligations.

A contemporary Buddhist practitioner examines how abandoning this ritual affects personal practice and family relationships, questioning the deeper assumptions about ancestry, duty, and spiritual progress embedded in these traditions.