The Founders of the Theosophical Society 25 May 1880 Blavatsky and Olcott embraced Buddhism: they publicly took in
Galle the
Refuges and
Pancasila from a prominent
Sinhalese bhikkhu. Olcott and Blavatsky (she received US citizenship previously) were the first Americans who were converted to Buddhism in the traditional sense. In
Buddhology there is an idea that the "Theosophical Buddhists" were the forerunners of all subsequent Western, or, as they were called, "white" Buddhists. In addition, they attempted to rationalize Buddhism, to cleanse the doctrine, removing from it elements of "folk superstition". They also tried to identify Buddhism with
esoteric doctrine, recognizing the
Lord Buddha as the "Master-Adept." And finally, they considered it their duty to provide assistance and political support to the oppressed Sinhalese Buddhists. ; Theosophical revival of Buddhism In 1880 Olcott began to build up the Buddhist Educational Movement in
Ceylon. In 1880 there were only two schools in Ceylon managed by the Buddhists. Due to the efforts of Olcott the number rose to 205 schools and four colleges in 1907 (
Ananda College in Colombo,
Mahinda College in
Galle,
Dharmaraja College in
Kandy and
Maliyadeva College in
Kurunegala). Thus began the great Buddhist revival in Ceylon. Olcott also represented the Buddhist cause to the British government, and found redress for the restrictions imposed against Buddhists, such as the prohibition of processions, Buddhist schools, the improved financial administration of temple properties, and so on. Olcott "united the sects of Ceylon in the Buddhist Section of the Theosophical Society (1880); the 12 sects of Japan into a Joint Committee for the promotion of Buddhism (1889); Burma, Siam, and Ceylon into a Convention of Southern Buddhists (1891); and finally Northern and Southern Buddhism through joint signatures to his
Fourteen Propositions of Buddhism (1891)."
Anagarika Dharmapala An important part of Olcott's work in Ceylon became the patronage of young Buddhist Don David Hewavitharana, who took himself later name
Anagarika Dharmapala. Dharmapala, a founder the
Maha Bodhi Society, Sri Lanka's national hero, was one of the major figures in the movement for the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon during the British colonial rule. In December 1884 Blavatsky, accompanied by
Leadbeater and the marrieds Cooper-Oakley came to Ceylon. Leadbeater, following the example of the leaders of the Theosophical Society, has officially become a Buddhist, without renouncing Christianity (he was an Anglican priest). David joined the Blavatsky's team to go to India. Upon arrival in India Dharmapala as a member of the Theosophical Society worked with Blavatsky and Olcott. They advised him to devote himself to the service of "the benefit of mankind," and begin to study
Pali and the Buddhist philosophy.
Sangharakshita wrote that at the age of 20 years Dharmapala was equally fascinated by both Buddhism and theosophy. After returning from India, Dharmapala worked in Colombo as general secretary of the Buddhist section of the Theosophical Society, and as director of the Buddhist press. In 1886, he was a translator, when together with Olcott and Leadbeater made a lecture tour of the island. He helped Olcott in a work on the organization of Buddhist schools. When Olcott instructed Leadbeater to prepare a shortened version of the
Buddhist Catechism, Dharmapala undertook to translate it to Sinhala. Work of Dharmapala and theosophists contributed to the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and other countries of the Southern Buddhism. Leadbeater has initiated the organization in various parts of Colombo a large number of Buddhist Sunday schools. He also founded an English school, which later became known as Ananda College (one of the most famous schools of Ceylon). Among the pupils of this school was a young Buddhist
Jinarajadasa, who later worked as the fourth President of the
Theosophical Society Adyar. In 1893, Dharmapala went to the West, first to England and then to the
Chicago, where he represented Buddhism at the
World Parliament of Religions. Although he was only 29 years old, he was the most famous representative of Buddhism in parliament. At the conference, he made several appearances on three main themes. Firstly, he said that Buddhism is a religion, which perfectly consistent with modern science, because the Buddhist teachings are completely compatible with the doctrine of evolution. He outlined the Buddhist idea that the cosmos is a sequential process of deployment in accordance with the laws of nature. Secondly, Dharmapala said that in the ethics of Buddhism is much more love and compassion than in the sermons of Christian missionaries working in Ceylon. By a third paragraph of his performances was the assertion that Buddhism is a religion of optimism and activity, but in any case not of pessimism and inactivity.
Christmas Humphreys In 1924 in London
Humphreys founded the Buddhist Lodge of the Theosophical Society. According to Humphreys, conceptually the Theosophy and Buddhism are identical: the single life after many incarnations returns to the Unmanifest; all the individual consciousness are unreal compared to the "Self", which is a reflection of the
Absolute;
karma and
reincarnation are a basic laws. Path lays through
self-fulfillment with
Nirvana in the end. Thus, wrote Humphreys, the difference between the Theosophy and Buddhism is only in emphasis. Thanks to the missionary efforts of Dharmapala, in 1926 the British Buddhists established their branch Maha Bodhi Society. At the same time the Buddhist Lodge was transformed into the British
Buddhist Society, whose president become Humphreys. Humphreys was a tireless lay Buddhist as a lecturer, journalist, writer and organizer. He was the author and/or the editor of
The Buddhist Lodge Monthly Bulletin, Buddhism in England, The Middle Way, and
The Theosophical Review. Watts and Conze British philosopher and Buddhist author
Alan Watts became a member of the Buddhist Lodge of the Theosophical Society in London at the age of 15. His first book,
The Spirit of Zen came out when he was 19 years old. Another active member of the Theosophical Society was
Edward Conze, who later became a famous buddhologist.
D. Suzuki and B. Suzuki The famous Buddhist philosopher and popularizer of
Zen D. T. Suzuki and his wife Beatrice Suzuki became members of the Theosophical Society in
Tokyo in 1920; their names appear on the list of Theosophical Society members sent to Adyar on 12 May 1920. After moving to
Kyoto in 1924, the Suzukis formed a new branch of the Theosophical Society called the
Mahayana Lodge. Most of the Lodge members were university professors. In 1937 Jinarajadasa, future president of the Theosophical Society, read two lectures in Tokyo which were translated into Japanese by D. T. Suzuki. == Analysis of the theosophical texts==