The Buddhist catechism by H.Olcott

[SarathW]

Colonel Henry Steel Olcott [1832-1907] was the first western Buddhist convert, probably since antiquity.
Hope this may help you.


http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tbc/

[dhammafriend]

Really cool, thanks SarathW. What he did affected Buddhism on a global scale.

[tiltbillings]

Colonel Henry Steel Olcott [1832-1907] was

Just as a matter of Buddhist history, it is worth spending a couple minutes reading this about him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Steel_Olcott

[chownah]

An excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Olcott:

"Olcott believed himself to be Asia's savior, the outsider hero who would sweep in at the end of the drama to save a disenchanted subcontinent from spiritual death.[16]"

chownah

[dhammafriend]

"Olcott believed himself to be Asia's savior, the outsider hero who would sweep in at the end of the drama to save a disenchanted subcontinent from spiritual death.[16]"

Real salt-of-the earth type of guy then! . But seriously, Theravada-wise, we owe him a great debt.

Dhammafriend

[zamotcr]

He was a Theosophist. Even when he accepted Buddhism, he wasn't a Buddhist. He believed in a lot weird stuff.

[cooran]

Hello zamotcr,

Please give references and links to support your remarks.

With metta,
Chris

[Viscid]

Obeyesekere has a lecture on Olcott's influence in creating the modern 'Intellectual' Buddhism seen in Sri Lanka today.

[cooran]

Hello zamotcr,

What is "the weird stuff" you claim H. Olcott believed in?

With, metta,
Chris

[SarathW]

He was a Theosophist. Even when he accepted Buddhism, he wasn't a Buddhist. He believed in a lot weird stuff.

Anyone who take the refuge of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and accept five precepts is a Buddhist.
There are many types of Buddhist in different stages of development.

Please see "Are you a Buddhist?"

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18611

[zamotcr]

Hello zamotcr,

What is "the weird stuff" you claim H. Olcott believed in?

With, metta,
Chris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Stee ... _theosophy
http://www.theosophical.org/henry-s-olcott
http://www.blavatsky.net/theosophy/judg ... rs-hso.htm

He believed in a so-called Mahatmas, he was part of, and helped to create an occultism movement called Theosophy. He was the first president of such organization. You can even check the revisions of Buddhist catechism, and see the differences in footnotes.

He wrote a diary where he wrote about his experience in spiritism with Helena Blavatsky, about that mahatmas, root-races, etc, etc.

Of course he did a lot of good things. In part thanks to him, Theravada Buddhism didn't vanish in hands of missionaries. But his beliefs are something different and changed over time.

Apart from taking precepts, his beliefs were very different. I was member of Theosophical Society many years, so there are a lot of documents about him.

He took precepts with Helena Blavatsky, another "Buddhist", but again she was far far from believing in Buddhism. Do your homework, and search about the Secret Doctrine, a book Olcott, Blavatsky and others helped to write. A book full of racism and other ugly things.

[zamotcr]

He was a Theosophist. Even when he accepted Buddhism, he wasn't a Buddhist. He believed in a lot weird stuff.

Anyone who take the refuge of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and accept five precepts is a Buddhist.
There are many types of Buddhist in different stages of development.

Please see "Are you a Buddhist?"

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18611

Yes, but they only accepted the five precepts one time. So if I took five precepts, and leave Buddhism and follow another religion, I'm still Buddhist?
They took precepts, but they didn't keep with Buddhism, they founded their religion and society, far apart from Buddhist. So, they were Buddhist, but they leave Buddhism.

[pulga]

He took precepts with Helena Blavatsky, another "Buddhist", but again she was far far from believing in Buddhism. Do your homework, and search about the Secret Doctrine, a book Olcott, Blavatsky and others helped to write. A book full of racism and other ugly things.

For the darker side of Protestant Buddhism I'd recommend The Work of Kings by H.L. Senaviratne:

The Work of Kings is a stunning new look at the turbulent modern history and sociology of the Sri Lankan Buddhist Monkhood and its effects upon contemporary society. Using never-before translated Sinhalese documents and extensive interviews with monks, Sri Lankan anthropologist H.L. Seneviratne unravels the inner workings of this New Buddhism and the ideology on which it is based.

Beginning with Anagarika Dharmapala's "rationalization" of Buddhism in the early twentieth century, which called for monks to take on a more activist role in the community, Seneviratne shows how the monks have gradually revised their role to include involvement in political and economic spheres. The altruistic, morally pure monks of Dharamapala's dreams have become, Seneviratne trenchantly argues, self-centered and arrogant, concealing self-aggrandizement behind a façade of "social service."

A compelling call for reform and a forceful analysis, The Work of Kings is essential to anthropologists, historians of religion, and those interested in colonialism, nationalism, and postcolonial politics.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ypjyd2 ... sm&f=false

Keep in mind that Anagarika Dharmapala -- a close confidant of Blavatsky and Olcott -- is a national hero to the Sinhala with a life story replete with miraculous wonders. (Used copies of this book sell for about a dollar on Amazon)

More difficult to come by -- but quite excellent -- is Buddhism in Sinhalese Society, 1750-1900 by Kitsiri Malalgoda.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Bud ... Tqdb-gvDkC

[SarathW]

He was a Theosophist. Even when he accepted Buddhism, he wasn't a Buddhist. He believed in a lot weird stuff.

Anyone who take the refuge of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and accept five precepts is a Buddhist.
There are many types of Buddhist in different stages of development.

Please see "Are you a Buddhist?"

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18611

Yes, but they only accepted the five precepts one time. So if I took five precepts, and leave Buddhism and follow another religion, I'm still Buddhist?
They took precepts, but they didn't keep with Buddhism, they founded their religion and society, far apart from Buddhist. So, they were Buddhist, but they leave Buddhism.

Ok, I would say, that a person is a Buddhist for the period from the time he accept five precepts to the time he accept another religion.
So I think he did all his work while he was a Buddhist.

[vishuroshan]

please rememebr about 7 percepts.(not 5). buddhism is a religion of the MIND. you are correct, even a christian can become buddhist by going refuge on TRIPLE GEM and developing on eightfold path. but the main thing is SAMMA DHITTI(4 noble truths). this should be in a buddhist.