Buddhist Re-search in Education Awareness and Development (BREAD)

Buddhist Re-search in Education Awareness and Development (BREAD) is an institute located at Patna, Bihar, India. It was promoted by Kautilya Institute of Development Studies and Society for Indian Thought & Action (SITA) in the year 1998. After destruction of Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan and development of civilizational clashes since 11th September 2001 (9/11 attack on World Trade Centre in USA), the activities of BREAD got appreciation from the lovers of peace and civilizational harmony. Now BREAD is engaged in the comparative study of civilizations from the Buddhist perspective in its own modest way. This is a low profile organization which is struggling to promote Buddhist Re-search in Education Awareness and Development for a harmonious global village. The promoters of BREAD believe that civilizatianl dialogue is needed to promote ecologically sustainable, morally responsible, multicultural, holistic developmental models within an integrated civilizational ethos premised on the Buddhist framework of cosmic order.
BREAD is also trying to solicit help from the like minded groups, companies and individuals to resurrect the old Buddhist university of Nalanda in the contemporary network society. The modern universities of Europe and its colonial progenies in America, Asia and Africa are the product of European Renaissance (13th century) and European Enlightenment (18th century). European Enlightenment was based on the imbalanced and incomplete understanding of the life, the world and the cosmos. It regarded “man” (the European notion of man as the autonomous individual) as the measure of the everything else. It exaggerated the rationality of human being and denied the ecological limits of the worldly existence. It also denied the divinity of life and cosmos. As a result moral ambivalence and nihilism got wider acceptance and self interest in the limited pragmatic sense became popular. This led to the culture of doubt and distrust in the name of rationality and scientific temper. From Rene Descartes to Thomas Kuhn Instrumental reason reigned supreme. In the field of science and technology there was unprecedented growth and development. The quality of life and relationship, however, could not improve for the majority of living beings.
            The Buddha emphasized the importance of reason and rationality. He said that every being should become their own light but he also emphasized the ecological limits and mutual dependence of Jivas. His middle path and his moral teachings about compassion is the most appropriate method of integrated development and management of natural and human beings in every ecological region. He also developed appropriate techniques to help Jivas become self-aware. Asanga and Nagarjuna developed Mahayana techniques into systems of Buddhist Mantras and Tantras. Mantras are Buddhist theories of sound energy. Tantras are Buddhist techniques of Energy creation. It is known as Vajrayana. Vajrayana has done enormous researches in the preservation, transformation and distribution of renewable energy sources and energy fields. Mogaliputta Tisya developed Buddhist theory of management and governance. It was put to good use by Buddhist emperors like Ashoka, the great. From the time of Buddha to the destruction of Nalanda University and Buddha Viharas by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193-97 AD Buddhist method of awareness were most popular instruments of holistic development. BREAD is determined to revive the spirit, theories, methods, techniques, professional ethic and work culture of Buddhism for the welfare of the contemporary global village.