Navayāna, or Ambedkarite Buddhism, reshapes the Buddhist path by placing social equality and justice at its very center. Whereas traditional Buddhist schools orient themselves primarily toward individual liberation from saṃsāra, Navayāna treats the Dhamma as a vehicle for collective emancipation from caste oppression and structural injustice. Suffering is interpreted above all as social, economic, and political degradation, especially that produced by caste hierarchy, and the Buddhist path becomes a program of social transformation grounded in liberty, equality, and fraternity. In this vision, conversion itself is understood as an act of social and political resistance, a reclaiming of dignity and an assertion of an egalitarian identity.

This reorientation leads to a marked reinterpretation or rejection of several classical doctrines. Karma and rebirth, central to traditional Buddhist cosmology and ethics, are downplayed or dismissed, particularly where they have been used to rationalize caste-based suffering. The Four Noble Truths are not treated as a call to accept suffering as an unalterable feature of existence, but are recast in terms of confronting and overcoming socially produced dukkha. Likewise, the traditional emphasis on individual nirvāṇa is de-emphasized in favor of collective liberation and the building of a just social order in this world rather than a focus on transcendental goals.

Navayāna also adopts a distinctive stance toward Buddhist scripture, practice, and community. It selectively draws on early teachings that affirm equality and criticizes or sets aside elements seen as supporting hierarchy, superstition, or excessive ritualism. Monasticism and elaborate ritual are simplified, and religious life is framed in rational, ethical, and often “scientific” terms, accessible to laypersons of all backgrounds. The saṅgha is envisioned less as a separate monastic elite and more as a socially engaged community of equals, with a strong emphasis on moral conduct, wisdom, and compassion in everyday life.

Within this framework, the Buddha is portrayed foremost as a social reformer and moral teacher who challenged Brahmanical authority and caste distinctions. Buddhism itself is narrated as an originally egalitarian tradition that later became compromised by hierarchical influences, and turning to Navayāna is presented as a return to that egalitarian impulse. Traditional Buddhism, while not inherently endorsing caste, has often coexisted with social hierarchies; Navayāna makes their annihilation its explicit and central mission. In this way, the Dhamma is reimagined less as a solitary inward quest and more as a shared ethical project to remake society on the foundations of justice and human dignity.