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Difference between revisions of "Henry Steel Olcott"

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Colonel''' Henry Steele Olcott''' (Sinhala: කර්නල් හෙන්රි ස්ටීල් ඔල්කට්) (August 2, 1832 – February 17, 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society.
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Colonel''' Henry Steele Olcott''' ([[Sinhala]]: කර්නල් හෙන්රි ස්ටීල් ඔල්කට්) (August 2, 1832 – February 17, 1907) was an American {{Wiki|military}} officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the [[Theosophical Society]].
  
Olcott was the first well-known American of European ancestry to make a formal conversion to Buddhism. His subsequent actions as president of the Theosophical Society helped create a renaissance in the study of Buddhism. Olcott is considered a Buddhist modernist for his efforts in interpreting Buddhism through a Westernized lens.
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Olcott was the first well-known American of {{Wiki|European}} ancestry to make a formal [[conversion]] to [[Buddhism]]. His subsequent [[actions]] as president of the [[Theosophical Society]] helped create a {{Wiki|renaissance}} in the study of [[Buddhism]]. Olcott is considered a [[Buddhist]] modernist for his efforts in interpreting [[Buddhism]] through a Westernized lens.
  
Olcott was a major revivalist of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and he is still honored in Sri Lanka for these efforts. Olcott has been called by Sri Lankans "one of the heroes in the struggle of our independence and a pioneer of the present religious, national and cultural revival".
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Olcott was a major revivalist of [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka]] and he is still honored in [[Sri Lanka]] for these efforts. Olcott has been called by Sri Lankans "one of the heroes in the struggle of our {{Wiki|independence}} and a pioneer of the {{Wiki|present}} [[religious]], national and {{Wiki|cultural}} revival".
  
 
==Biographical overview==
 
==Biographical overview==
Olcott was born in 1832 in Orange, New Jersey, the oldest of six children, to Presbyterian businessman Henry Wyckoff Olcott and Emily Steele Olcott. As a child, Olcott lived on his father's New Jersey farm.
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Olcott was born in 1832 in Orange, {{Wiki|New Jersey}}, the oldest of six children, to Presbyterian businessman Henry Wyckoff Olcott and Emily Steele Olcott. As a child, Olcott lived on his father's {{Wiki|New Jersey}} farm.
  
During his teens he attended first the College of the City of New York and later Columbia University, where he joined the St. Anthony Hall fraternity, a milieu of well-known people. In 1851 his father's business failed and he had to leave the university.
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During his teens he attended first the {{Wiki|College}} of the City of {{Wiki|New York}} and later {{Wiki|Columbia University}}, where he joined the St. Anthony Hall fraternity, a {{Wiki|milieu}} of well-known [[people]]. In 1851 his father's business failed and he had to leave the {{Wiki|university}}.
  
From 1858 to 1860 Olcott was the agricultural correspondent for the New York Tribune and the Mark Lane Express, but occasionally submitted articles on other subjects. He also published a genealogy of his family extending back to Thomas Olcott, one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1636.
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From 1858 to 1860 Olcott was the agricultural correspondent for the {{Wiki|New York}} Tribune and the Mark Lane Express, but occasionally submitted articles on other [[subjects]]. He also published a genealogy of his family extending back to Thomas Olcott, one of the founders of Hartford, {{Wiki|Connecticut}}, in 1636.
  
In 1860 Olcott married Mary Epplee Morgan, daughter of the rector of Trinity parish, New Rochelle, New York. They had four children, two of whom died in infancy.
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In 1860 Olcott [[married]] Mary Epplee Morgan, daughter of the rector of {{Wiki|Trinity}} parish, {{Wiki|New Rochelle, New York}}. They had four children, two of whom [[died]] in infancy.
  
He served in the US Army during the American Civil War and afterward was admitted as the Special Commissioner of the War Department in New York. He was later promoted to the rank of colonel and transferred to the Department of the Navy in Washington, DC. He was well respected, and in 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assisted in the investigation of the assassination.
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He served in the US {{Wiki|Army}} during the American Civil [[War]] and afterward was admitted as the Special Commissioner of the [[War]] Department in {{Wiki|New York}}. He was later promoted to the rank of colonel and transferred to the Department of the Navy in {{Wiki|Washington}}, DC. He was well respected, and in 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assisted in the [[investigation]] of the assassination.
  
In 1868 he became a lawyer specializing in insurance, revenue, and fraud.
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In 1868 he became a lawyer specializing in insurance, revenue, and {{Wiki|fraud}}.
  
In 1874 he became aware of the séances of the Eddy Brothers of Chittenden, Vermont. His interest aroused, Olcott wrote an article for the New York Sun, in which he investigated Eddy Farms. His article was popular enough that other papers, such as the New York Daily Graphic, republished it. His 1874 publication People from the Other World began with his early articles concerning the Spiritualist movement.
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In 1874 he became {{Wiki|aware}} of the séances of the Eddy Brothers of Chittenden, Vermont. His [[interest]] aroused, Olcott wrote an article for the {{Wiki|New York}} {{Wiki|Sun}}, in which he investigated Eddy Farms. His article was popular enough that other papers, such as the {{Wiki|New York}} Daily Graphic, republished it. His 1874 publication [[People]] from the Other [[World]] began with his early articles concerning the Spiritualist {{Wiki|movement}}.
  
Also in 1874, Olcott met Helena Blavatsky while both were visiting the Eddy farm. His foundational interest in the Spiritualist movement and his budding relationship with Blavatsky helped foster his development of spiritual philosophy.
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Also in 1874, Olcott met {{Wiki|Helena Blavatsky}} while both were visiting the Eddy farm. His foundational [[interest]] in the Spiritualist {{Wiki|movement}} and his budding relationship with {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} helped foster his [[development]] of [[spiritual]] [[philosophy]].
  
Olcott continued to act as a lawyer during the first few years of the establishment of the Theosophical Society, in addition to being a financial supporter of the new religious movement. In early 1875 Olcott was asked by prominent Spiritualists to investigate an accusation of fraud against the mediums Jenny and Nelson Holmes, who had claimed to materialize the famous "spirit control" Katie King (Doyle 1926: volume 1, 269-277).
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Olcott continued to act as a lawyer during the first few years of the establishment of the [[Theosophical Society]], in addition to being a financial supporter of the new [[religious]] {{Wiki|movement}}. In early 1875 Olcott was asked by prominent Spiritualists to investigate an accusation of {{Wiki|fraud}} against the mediums Jenny and Nelson Holmes, who had claimed to materialize the famous "[[spirit]] control" Katie [[King]] (Doyle 1926: volume 1, 269-277).
  
Olcott and Blavatsky publicly converted to Buddhism on May 25, 1880. Their conversion is considered the first among American and European Buddhists. Olcott once described his adult faith as "pure, primitive Buddhism," but his was a unique sort of Buddhism.
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Olcott and {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} publicly converted to [[Buddhism]] on May 25, 1880. Their [[conversion]] is considered the first among American and {{Wiki|European}} [[Buddhists]]. Olcott once described his adult [[faith]] as "[[pure]], primitive [[Buddhism]]," but his was a unique sort of [[Buddhism]].
  
==Theosophical Society==
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==[[Theosophical Society]]==
 
[[File:Blavatsky_Olcott_Mavalankar.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
 
[[File:Blavatsky_Olcott_Mavalankar.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
  
From 1874 on, Olcott's spiritual growth and development with Blavatsky and other spiritual leaders would lead to the founding of the Theosophical Society. In 1875, Olcott, Blavatsky, and others, notably William Quan Judge, formed the Theosophical Society in New York City, USA. Olcott financially supported the earliest years of the Theosophical Society and was acting President while Blavatsky served as the Society's Secretary.
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From 1874 on, Olcott's [[spiritual]] growth and [[development]] with {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} and other [[spiritual]] leaders would lead to the founding of the [[Theosophical Society]]. In 1875, Olcott, {{Wiki|Blavatsky}}, and others, notably William Quan Judge, formed the [[Theosophical Society]] in {{Wiki|New York City}}, {{Wiki|USA}}. Olcott financially supported the earliest years of the [[Theosophical Society]] and was acting President while {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} served as the Society's Secretary.
  
In December 1878 they left New York in order to move the headquarters of the Society to India. They landed at Bombay on February 16, 1879. Olcott set out to experience the native country of his spiritual leader, the Buddha. The headquarters of the Society were established at Adyar, Chennai as the Theosophical Society Adyar, starting also the Adyar Library and Research Centre within the headquarters.
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In December 1878 they left {{Wiki|New York}} in order to move the headquarters of the {{Wiki|Society}} to [[India]]. They landed at {{Wiki|Bombay}} on February 16, 1879. Olcott set out to [[experience]] the native country of his [[spiritual]] leader, the [[Buddha]]. The headquarters of the {{Wiki|Society}} were established at Adyar, [[Chennai]] as the [[Theosophical Society]] Adyar, starting also the Adyar Library and Research Centre within the headquarters.
  
While in India, Olcott strove to receive the translations of sacred oriental texts which were becoming available as a result of western researches. His intent was to avoid the Westernized interpretations often encountered in America, and to discover the pure message of texts from the Buddhist, Hindu, and Zoroastrian religions, in order properly to educate Westerners.
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While in [[India]], Olcott strove to receive the translations of [[sacred]] {{Wiki|oriental}} texts which were becoming available as a result of {{Wiki|western}} researches. His intent was to avoid the Westernized interpretations often encountered in {{Wiki|America}}, and to discover the [[pure]] message of texts from the [[Buddhist]], [[Hindu]], and {{Wiki|Zoroastrian}} [[religions]], in order properly to educate Westerners.
Olcott's main religious interest was Buddhism, and he is commonly known for his work in Sri Lanka. He and Blavatsky arrived in the then capital Colombo on May 16, 1880. Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steele Olcott took Five Precepts at the Wijayananda Viharaya located at Weliwatta in Galle on May 19, 1880. On that day Olcott and Blavatsky were formally acknowledged as Buddhists, although Olcott noted that they had previously declared themselves Buddhists, while still living in America.
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Olcott's main [[religious]] [[interest]] was [[Buddhism]], and he is commonly known for his work in [[Sri Lanka]]. He and {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} arrived in the then capital {{Wiki|Colombo}} on May 16, 1880. {{Wiki|Helena Blavatsky}} and Henry Steele Olcott took [[Five Precepts]] at the Wijayananda Viharaya located at Weliwatta in {{Wiki|Galle}} on May 19, 1880. On that day Olcott and {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} were formally [[acknowledged]] as [[Buddhists]], although Olcott noted that they had previously declared themselves [[Buddhists]], while still living in {{Wiki|America}}.
  
During his time in Sri Lanka Olcott strove to revive Buddhism within the region, while compiling the tenets of Buddhism for the education of Westerners. It was during this period that he wrote the Buddhist Catechism (1881), which is still used today.
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During his [[time]] in [[Sri Lanka]] Olcott strove to revive [[Buddhism]] within the region, while compiling the {{Wiki|tenets}} of [[Buddhism]] for the [[education]] of Westerners. It was during this period that he wrote the [[Buddhist]] Catechism (1881), which is still used today.
  
The Theosophical Society built several Buddhist schools in Ceylon, most notably Ananda College in Colombo, Mahinda College in Galle, Dharmaraja College in Kandy and Maliyadeva College in Kurunegala. Olcott also acted as an adviser to the committee appointed to design a Buddhist flag in 1885. The Buddhist flag designed with the assistance of Olcott was later adopted as a symbol by the World Fellowship of Buddhists andl as the universal flag of all Buddhist traditions.
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The [[Theosophical Society]] built several [[Buddhist]] schools in [[Ceylon]], most notably [[Ananda]] {{Wiki|College}} in {{Wiki|Colombo}}, [[Mahinda]] {{Wiki|College}} in {{Wiki|Galle}}, {{Wiki|Dharmaraja College}} in {{Wiki|Kandy}} and Maliyadeva {{Wiki|College}} in Kurunegala. Olcott also acted as an adviser to the committee appointed to design a [[Buddhist flag]] in 1885. The [[Buddhist flag]] designed with the assistance of Olcott was later adopted as a [[symbol]] by the {{Wiki|World Fellowship of Buddhists}} andl as the [[universal]] [[flag]] of all [[Buddhist traditions]].
  
Helena Blavatsky eventually went to live in London, where she died in 1891, but Olcott stayed in India and pursued the work of the Theosophical Society there. Olcott’s role in the Theosophical Society would still be as President, but the induction of Annie Besant sparked a new era of the movement. Upon his death, the Theosophical Society elected her to take over as President and leader of the movement.
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{{Wiki|Helena Blavatsky}} eventually went to live in {{Wiki|London}}, where she [[died]] in 1891, but Olcott stayed in [[India]] and pursued the work of the [[Theosophical Society]] there. Olcott’s role in the [[Theosophical Society]] would still be as President, but the induction of [[Annie Besant]] sparked a new {{Wiki|era}} of the {{Wiki|movement}}. Upon his [[death]], the [[Theosophical Society]] elected her to take over as President and leader of the {{Wiki|movement}}.
  
==Buddhist Catechism==
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==[[Buddhist]] Catechism==
  
==== The Text of the Buddhist Catechism ====
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==== The Text of the [[Buddhist]] Catechism ====
  
The Buddhist Catechism, composed by Olcott in 1881, is one of his most enduring contributions to the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, and remains in use there today. The text outlines what Olcott saw to be the basic doctrines of Buddhism, including the life of the Buddha, the message of the Dharma, the role of the Sangha. The text also treats how the Buddha’s message correlates with contemporary society. Olcott was considered by South Asians and others as a Buddhist revivalist.
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The [[Buddhist]] Catechism, composed by Olcott in 1881, is one of his most enduring contributions to the revival of [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka]], and remains in use there today. The text outlines what Olcott saw to be the basic [[doctrines]] of [[Buddhism]], including the [[life of the Buddha]], the message of the [[Dharma]], the role of the [[Sangha]]. The text also treats how the [[Buddha’s]] message correlates with contemporary {{Wiki|society}}. Olcott was considered by [[South]] Asians and others as a [[Buddhist]] revivalist.
  
Olcott's Buddhist Catechism is presented in the same format of question and answer used in some Christian catechisms. Here are a few examples from that text:
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Olcott's [[Buddhist]] Catechism is presented in the same format of question and answer used in some {{Wiki|Christian}} catechisms. Here are a few examples from that text:
  
::Q. Would you call a person a Buddhist who has merely been born of Buddhist parents?
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::Q. Would you call a [[person]] a [[Buddhist]] who has merely been born of [[Buddhist]] [[parents]]?
::A. Certainly not. A Buddhist is one who not only professes belief in the Buddha as the noblest of Teachers, in the ::Doctrine preached by Him, and in the brotherhood of Arhats, but practices his Precepts in daily life.
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::A. Certainly not. A [[Buddhist]] is one who not only professes [[belief]] in the [[Buddha]] as the noblest of [[Teachers]], in the ::[[Doctrine]] [[preached]] by Him, and in the brotherhood of [[Arhats]], but practices his [[Precepts]] in daily [[life]].
  
::Q. What is Karma?
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::Q. What is [[Karma]]?
::A. A causation operating on the moral, as well as physical and other planes. Buddhists say there is no miracle in human ::affairs: what a man sows that he must still reap.
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::A. A [[causation]] operating on the [[moral]], as well as [[physical]] and other planes. [[Buddhists]] say there is no [[miracle]] in [[human]] ::affairs: what a man sows that he must still reap.
  
::Q. What other good words have been used to express the essence of Buddhism?
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::Q. What other good words have been used to express the [[essence]] of [[Buddhism]]?
::A. Self-culture and universal love.
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::A. Self-culture and [[universal]] [[love]].
  
::Concerning the Four sights and how they impacted the Buddha:
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::Concerning the [[Four sights]] and how they impacted the [[Buddha]]:
::26. Q: Why should these sights, so familiar to everybody, have caused him to go into the jungle?
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::26. Q: Why should these sights, so familiar to everybody, have [[caused]] him to go into the jungle?
::A. We often see such signs. He had not; and they made a deep impression on his mind.
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::A. We often see such [[signs]]. He had not; and they made a deep [[impression]] on his [[mind]].
 
::27. Q: Why had he not also seen them?
 
::27. Q: Why had he not also seen them?
::A: The astrologers had foretold at his birth that he would one day resign his kingdom and become a Buddha. The King, his ::father, not wishing to lose his son, had carefully prevented his seeing any sights that might suggest to him human misery ::and death. No one was allowed even to speak of such things to the Prince. He was almost like a prisoner in his lovely ::palaces and flower gardens. They were surrounded with high walls; and inside everything was made as beautiful as possible, ::so that he might not want to go and see the sorrow and distress that are in the world.
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::A: The [[astrologers]] had foretold at his [[birth]] that he would one day resign his {{Wiki|kingdom}} and become a [[Buddha]]. The [[King]], his ::father, not wishing to lose his son, had carefully prevented his [[seeing]] any sights that might suggest to him [[human]] [[misery]] ::and [[death]]. No one was allowed even to speak of such things to the {{Wiki|Prince}}. He was almost like a prisoner in his lovely ::{{Wiki|palaces}} and [[flower]] [[gardens]]. They were surrounded with high walls; and inside everything was made as beautiful as possible, ::so that he might not want to go and see the [[sorrow]] and {{Wiki|distress}} that are in the [[world]].
::28. Q: Was he so kind-hearted that his father feared he might really want to sacrifice himself for the world’s sake?
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::28. Q: Was he so kind-hearted that his father feared he might really want to {{Wiki|sacrifice}} himself for the world’s sake?
::A: Yes; he seems to have felt for all being so strong a pity and love as that.
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::A: Yes; he seems to have felt for all being so strong a [[pity]] and [[love]] as that.
  
::55. Q. Why does ignorance cause suffering?
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::55. Q. Why does [[ignorance]] [[cause]] [[suffering]]?
::A. Because it makes us prize what is not worth prizing, grieve for that we should not grieve for, consider real what is ::not real but only illusory, and pass our lives in the pursuit of worthless objects, neglecting what is in reality most ::valuable.
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::A. Because it makes us prize what is not worth prizing, grieve for that we should not grieve for, consider real what is ::not real but only [[illusory]], and pass our [[lives]] in the pursuit of worthless [[objects]], neglecting what is in [[reality]] most ::valuable.
 
::56. Q. And what is that which is most valuable?
 
::56. Q. And what is that which is most valuable?
::A. To know the whole secret of man’s existence and destiny, so that we may estimate at no more than their actual value and ::this life and its relations; so that we may live in a way to insure the greatest happiness and the least suffering for our ::fellow-men and ourselves  
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::A. To know the whole secret of man’s [[existence]] and [[destiny]], so that we may estimate at no more than their actual value and ::this [[life]] and its relations; so that we may live in a way to insure the greatest [[happiness]] and the least [[suffering]] for our ::fellow-men and ourselves  
  
Olcott’s Catechism reflects a new, Protestant Christian interpretation of traditional Buddhist tenets. As David McMahan stated, “[Olcott] allied Buddhism with scientific rationalism in implicit criticism of orthodox {{Wiki|Christianity}}, but went well beyond the tenets of conventional science in extrapolating from the Romantic- and Transcendentalist-influenced ‘occult sciences’ of the nineteenth century.”
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Olcott’s Catechism reflects a new, {{Wiki|Protestant Christian}} interpretation of [[traditional]] [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|tenets}}. As David McMahan stated, “[Olcott] allied [[Buddhism]] with [[scientific]] [[rationalism]] in implicit [[criticism]] of {{Wiki|orthodox}} {{Wiki|Christianity}}, but went well beyond the {{Wiki|tenets}} of [[Wikipedia:Convention (norm)|conventional]] [[science]] in extrapolating from the Romantic- and Transcendentalist-influenced ‘[[occult]] {{Wiki|sciences}}’ of the nineteenth century.”
  
==== Olcott's Science and Theosophy ====
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==== Olcott's [[Science]] and [[Theosophy]] ====
  
The Theosophists combination of spiritualism and science to investigate the supernatural reflected the society’s desire to combine of religion and reason and to produce a rationally spiritual movement. This “occult science” within the Theosophical Society was used to find the “truth” behind all of the world's major religions. Through their research, Olcott and Blavatsky concluded that Buddhism best embodied elements of what they found significant in all religions.
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The [[Wikipedia:Theosophy|Theosophists]] combination of [[spiritualism]] and [[science]] to investigate the [[supernatural]] reflected the society’s [[desire]] to combine of [[religion]] and [[reason]] and to produce a {{Wiki|rationally}} [[spiritual]] {{Wiki|movement}}. This “[[occult]] [[science]]” within the [[Theosophical Society]] was used to find the “[[truth]]” behind all of the world's major [[religions]]. Through their research, Olcott and {{Wiki|Blavatsky}} concluded that [[Buddhism]] best [[embodied]] [[elements]] of what they found significant in all [[religions]].
  
Olcott utilized Western scientific reasoning in his synthesis and presentation of Buddhism. This is clearly seen in a chapter of the Buddhist Catechism, entitled "Buddhism and Science". Notably, his efforts represent one of the earliest attempts to combine the scientific understanding and reasoning of the West with the Buddhist religion of the East. The interrelationship he saw between Buddhism and Science paralleled his Theosophical approach to show the scientific bases for supernatural phenomena such as auras, hypnosis, and Buddhist "miracles".
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Olcott utilized {{Wiki|Western}} [[scientific]] {{Wiki|reasoning}} in his {{Wiki|synthesis}} and presentation of [[Buddhism]]. This is clearly seen in a [[chapter]] of the [[Buddhist]] Catechism, entitled "[[Buddhism and Science]]". Notably, his efforts represent one of the earliest attempts to combine the [[scientific]] [[understanding]] and {{Wiki|reasoning}} of the [[West]] with the [[Buddhist]] [[religion]] of the [[East]]. The interrelationship he saw between [[Buddhism and Science]] paralleled his [[Theosophical]] approach to show the [[scientific]] bases for [[supernatural]] [[phenomena]] such as auras, {{Wiki|hypnosis}}, and [[Buddhist]] "[[miracles]]".
  
==Death and legacy==
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==[[Death]] and legacy==
  
Olcott was President of the Theosophical Society until his death on February 17, 1907.
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Olcott was President of the [[Theosophical Society]] until his [[death]] on February 17, 1907.
  
Two major streets in Colombo and Galle have been named Olcott Mawatha, to commemorate him. A statue of him has been built in front of Colombo Fort Railway Station. Many other schools that he helped to found or were founded in memory of him have commemorative statues in honor of his contribution to Buddhist education. He is still remembered fondly by many Sri Lankans today.
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Two major streets in {{Wiki|Colombo}} and {{Wiki|Galle}} have been named Olcott Mawatha, to commemorate him. A statue of him has been built in front of {{Wiki|Colombo}} Fort Railway Station. Many other schools that he helped to found or were founded in [[memory]] of him have commemorative [[statues]] in [[honor]] of his contribution to [[Buddhist education]]. He is still remembered fondly by many Sri Lankans today.
  
The date of his death is often remembered by Buddhist centers and Sunday schools in present-day Sri Lanka, as well as in Theosophical communities around the globe. 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.
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The date of his [[death]] is often remembered by [[Buddhist]] centers and Sunday schools in present-day [[Sri Lanka]], as well as in [[Theosophical]] communities around the {{Wiki|globe}}. Olcott believed himself to be Asia's savior, the outsider [[hero]] who would sweep in at the end of the {{Wiki|drama}} to save a disenchanted subcontinent from [[spiritual]] [[death]].
  
The effort to revitalize Buddhism within Sri Lanka was successful and influenced many native Buddhist intellectuals. Sri Lanka was dominated by British colonial power and influence at the time, and many Buddhists heard Olcott’s interpretation of the Buddha's message as socially motivating and supportive of efforts to overturn colonialist efforts to ignore Buddhism and Buddhist tradition. As David McMahan wrote, “Henry Steel Olcott saw the Buddha as a figure much like the ideal liberal freethinker – someone full of ‘benevolence,’ ‘gratitude,’ and ‘tolerance,’ who promoted ‘brotherhood among all men’ as well as ‘lessons in manly self-reliance”. His view of Buddha influenced Sri Lankan leaders, such as Anagarika Dharmapala.
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The [[effort]] to revitalize [[Buddhism]] within [[Sri Lanka]] was successful and influenced many native [[Buddhist]] intellectuals. [[Sri Lanka]] was dominated by {{Wiki|British}} colonial power and influence at the [[time]], and many [[Buddhists]] heard Olcott’s interpretation of the [[Buddha's]] message as socially motivating and supportive of efforts to overturn colonialist efforts to ignore [[Buddhism]] and [[Buddhist tradition]]. As David McMahan wrote, “[[Henry Steel Olcott]] saw the [[Buddha]] as a figure much like the {{Wiki|ideal}} liberal freethinker – someone full of ‘[[benevolence]],’ ‘[[gratitude]],’ and ‘[[tolerance]],’ who promoted ‘brotherhood among all men’ as well as ‘lessons in manly [[self-reliance]]”. His [[view]] of [[Buddha]] influenced [[Sri Lankan]] leaders, such as [[Anagarika Dharmapala]].
  
Olcott and Anagarika Dharmapala were associates, which reflects both men’s awareness of the divide between East and West—as seen in their presentation of Buddhism to the West. Olcott helped financially support the Buddhist presence at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 1893. The inclusion of Buddhists in the Parliament allowed for the expansion of Buddhism within the West in general and in America specifically, leading to other Buddhist Modernist movements.
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Olcott and [[Anagarika Dharmapala]] were associates, which reflects both men’s [[awareness]] of the divide between [[East]] and West—as seen in their presentation of [[Buddhism]] to the [[West]]. Olcott helped financially support the [[Buddhist]] presence at the [[World]] Parliament of [[Religions]] in {{Wiki|Chicago}}, 1893. The inclusion of [[Buddhists]] in the Parliament allowed for the expansion of [[Buddhism]] within the [[West]] in general and in {{Wiki|America}} specifically, leading to other [[Buddhist]] Modernist movements.
  
 
As Stephen Prothero wrote,
 
As Stephen Prothero wrote,
::It was Olcott who most eloquently articulated and most obviously embodied the diverse religious and cultural traditions that shaped Protestant Buddhism, who gave the revival movement both its organizational shape and its emphasis on education-as-character-building. The most Protestant of all early Protestant Buddhists, Olcott was the liminoid figure, the griot who because of his awkward standing betwixt and between the American Protestant grammars of his youth and the Asian Buddhist lexicon of his adulthood was able to conjure traditional Sinhalese Buddhism, Protestant modernism, metropolitan gentility, and academic Orientalism into a decidedly new creole tradition. This creole tradition Olcott then passed on to a whole generation of Sinhalese students educated in his schools.
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::It was Olcott who most eloquently articulated and most obviously [[embodied]] the diverse [[religious]] and {{Wiki|cultural}} [[traditions]] that shaped [[Protestant Buddhism]], who gave the revival {{Wiki|movement}} both its organizational shape and its {{Wiki|emphasis}} on education-as-character-building. The most {{Wiki|Protestant}} of all early {{Wiki|Protestant}} [[Buddhists]], Olcott was the liminoid figure, the griot who because of his awkward [[standing]] betwixt and between the American {{Wiki|Protestant}} grammars of his youth and the {{Wiki|Asian}} [[Buddhist]] {{Wiki|lexicon}} of his adulthood was able to conjure [[traditional]] {{Wiki|Sinhalese}} [[Buddhism]], {{Wiki|Protestant}} {{Wiki|modernism}}, metropolitan gentility, and {{Wiki|academic}} {{Wiki|Orientalism}} into a decidedly new creole [[tradition]]. This creole [[tradition]] Olcott then passed on to a whole generation of {{Wiki|Sinhalese}} students educated in his schools.
  
Olcott is probably the only major contributor to the nineteenth-century Sinhalese Buddhist revival who was actually born and raised in the Protestant Christian fold. As such, he can be credited with influencing the start of Protestant Buddhism.
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Olcott is probably the only major contributor to the nineteenth-century {{Wiki|Sinhalese}} [[Buddhist]] revival who was actually born and raised in the {{Wiki|Protestant Christian}} fold. As such, he can be credited with influencing the start of [[Protestant Buddhism]].
  
 
==Works==
 
==Works==
  
::*Sorgho and Imphee, the Chinese and African sugar canes; A. O. Moore, New York 1857
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::*Sorgho and Imphee, the {{Wiki|Chinese}} and African sugar canes; A. O. Moore, {{Wiki|New York}} 1857
::*Outlines of the first course of Yale agricultural lectures; C. M. Saxton, Barker & Co., New York 1860
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::*Outlines of the first course of Yale agricultural lectures; C. M. Saxton, Barker & Co., {{Wiki|New York}} 1860
 
::*Descendents of Thomas Olcott, 1872
 
::*Descendents of Thomas Olcott, 1872
::*Human Spirits and Elementaries; 1875
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::*[[Human]] [[Spirits]] and Elementaries; 1875
::*People from the other world; American Publishing Co., Hartford 1875
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::*[[People]] from the other [[world]]; American Publishing Co., Hartford 1875
::*A Buddhist catechism; Madras 1881
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::*A [[Buddhist]] catechism; Madras 1881
::*Theosophy, Religion, and Occult Science; New York 1885
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::*[[Theosophy]], [[Religion]], and [[Occult]] [[Science]]; {{Wiki|New York}} 1885
 
::*Old Diary Leaves (6 volumes)
 
::*Old Diary Leaves (6 volumes)
::*The Hindu Dwaita Catechism; 1886
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::*The [[Hindu]] Dwaita Catechism; 1886
::*The Golden Rules of Buddhism; 1887
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::*The Golden Rules of [[Buddhism]]; 1887
::*The kinship between Hinduism and Buddhism; The Maha-Bodhi society, Calcutta 1893
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::*The kinship between [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]]; The Maha-Bodhi {{Wiki|society}}, [[Calcutta]] 1893
 
::*The Poor Pariah; Addison & Co., Madras 1902
 
::*The Poor Pariah; Addison & Co., Madras 1902
::*The Life of the Buddha and its Lessons; 1912
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::*The [[Life]] of the [[Buddha]] and its Lessons; 1912
::*Old diary leaves, Inside the occult, the true story of Madame H. P. Blavatsky; Running Press, Philadelphia 1975 ::(reprint); ISBN 0-914294-31-8
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::*Old diary leaves, Inside the [[occult]], the true story of Madame {{Wiki|H. P. Blavatsky}}; Running Press, Philadelphia 1975 ::(reprint); ISBN 0-914294-31-8
 
{{W}}
 
{{W}}
 
[[Category:Theravada Buddhism writers]]
 
[[Category:Theravada Buddhism writers]]

Revision as of 09:35, 26 August 2014

H.S. Olcott-portrait-300.jpg

Colonel Henry Steele Olcott (Sinhala: කර්නල් හෙන්රි ස්ටීල් ඔල්කට්) (August 2, 1832 – February 17, 1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society.

Olcott was the first well-known American of European ancestry to make a formal conversion to Buddhism. His subsequent actions as president of the Theosophical Society helped create a renaissance in the study of Buddhism. Olcott is considered a Buddhist modernist for his efforts in interpreting Buddhism through a Westernized lens.

Olcott was a major revivalist of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and he is still honored in Sri Lanka for these efforts. Olcott has been called by Sri Lankans "one of the heroes in the struggle of our independence and a pioneer of the present religious, national and cultural revival".

Biographical overview

Olcott was born in 1832 in Orange, New Jersey, the oldest of six children, to Presbyterian businessman Henry Wyckoff Olcott and Emily Steele Olcott. As a child, Olcott lived on his father's New Jersey farm.

During his teens he attended first the College of the City of New York and later Columbia University, where he joined the St. Anthony Hall fraternity, a milieu of well-known people. In 1851 his father's business failed and he had to leave the university.

From 1858 to 1860 Olcott was the agricultural correspondent for the New York Tribune and the Mark Lane Express, but occasionally submitted articles on other subjects. He also published a genealogy of his family extending back to Thomas Olcott, one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1636.

In 1860 Olcott married Mary Epplee Morgan, daughter of the rector of Trinity parish, New Rochelle, New York. They had four children, two of whom died in infancy.

He served in the US Army during the American Civil War and afterward was admitted as the Special Commissioner of the War Department in New York. He was later promoted to the rank of colonel and transferred to the Department of the Navy in Washington, DC. He was well respected, and in 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assisted in the investigation of the assassination.

In 1868 he became a lawyer specializing in insurance, revenue, and fraud.

In 1874 he became aware of the séances of the Eddy Brothers of Chittenden, Vermont. His interest aroused, Olcott wrote an article for the New York Sun, in which he investigated Eddy Farms. His article was popular enough that other papers, such as the New York Daily Graphic, republished it. His 1874 publication People from the Other World began with his early articles concerning the Spiritualist movement.

Also in 1874, Olcott met Helena Blavatsky while both were visiting the Eddy farm. His foundational interest in the Spiritualist movement and his budding relationship with Blavatsky helped foster his development of spiritual philosophy.

Olcott continued to act as a lawyer during the first few years of the establishment of the Theosophical Society, in addition to being a financial supporter of the new religious movement. In early 1875 Olcott was asked by prominent Spiritualists to investigate an accusation of fraud against the mediums Jenny and Nelson Holmes, who had claimed to materialize the famous "spirit control" Katie King (Doyle 1926: volume 1, 269-277).

Olcott and Blavatsky publicly converted to Buddhism on May 25, 1880. Their conversion is considered the first among American and European Buddhists. Olcott once described his adult faith as "pure, primitive Buddhism," but his was a unique sort of Buddhism.

Theosophical Society

Blavatsky Olcott Mavalankar.jpg

From 1874 on, Olcott's spiritual growth and development with Blavatsky and other spiritual leaders would lead to the founding of the Theosophical Society. In 1875, Olcott, Blavatsky, and others, notably William Quan Judge, formed the Theosophical Society in New York City, USA. Olcott financially supported the earliest years of the Theosophical Society and was acting President while Blavatsky served as the Society's Secretary.

In December 1878 they left New York in order to move the headquarters of the Society to India. They landed at Bombay on February 16, 1879. Olcott set out to experience the native country of his spiritual leader, the Buddha. The headquarters of the Society were established at Adyar, Chennai as the Theosophical Society Adyar, starting also the Adyar Library and Research Centre within the headquarters.

While in India, Olcott strove to receive the translations of sacred oriental texts which were becoming available as a result of western researches. His intent was to avoid the Westernized interpretations often encountered in America, and to discover the pure message of texts from the Buddhist, Hindu, and Zoroastrian religions, in order properly to educate Westerners. Olcott's main religious interest was Buddhism, and he is commonly known for his work in Sri Lanka. He and Blavatsky arrived in the then capital Colombo on May 16, 1880. Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steele Olcott took Five Precepts at the Wijayananda Viharaya located at Weliwatta in Galle on May 19, 1880. On that day Olcott and Blavatsky were formally acknowledged as Buddhists, although Olcott noted that they had previously declared themselves Buddhists, while still living in America.

During his time in Sri Lanka Olcott strove to revive Buddhism within the region, while compiling the tenets of Buddhism for the education of Westerners. It was during this period that he wrote the Buddhist Catechism (1881), which is still used today.

The Theosophical Society built several Buddhist schools in Ceylon, most notably Ananda College in Colombo, Mahinda College in Galle, Dharmaraja College in Kandy and Maliyadeva College in Kurunegala. Olcott also acted as an adviser to the committee appointed to design a Buddhist flag in 1885. The Buddhist flag designed with the assistance of Olcott was later adopted as a symbol by the World Fellowship of Buddhists andl as the universal flag of all Buddhist traditions.

Helena Blavatsky eventually went to live in London, where she died in 1891, but Olcott stayed in India and pursued the work of the Theosophical Society there. Olcott’s role in the Theosophical Society would still be as President, but the induction of Annie Besant sparked a new era of the movement. Upon his death, the Theosophical Society elected her to take over as President and leader of the movement.

Buddhist Catechism

The Text of the Buddhist Catechism

The Buddhist Catechism, composed by Olcott in 1881, is one of his most enduring contributions to the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, and remains in use there today. The text outlines what Olcott saw to be the basic doctrines of Buddhism, including the life of the Buddha, the message of the Dharma, the role of the Sangha. The text also treats how the Buddha’s message correlates with contemporary society. Olcott was considered by South Asians and others as a Buddhist revivalist.

Olcott's Buddhist Catechism is presented in the same format of question and answer used in some Christian catechisms. Here are a few examples from that text:

Q. Would you call a person a Buddhist who has merely been born of Buddhist parents?
A. Certainly not. A Buddhist is one who not only professes belief in the Buddha as the noblest of Teachers, in the ::Doctrine preached by Him, and in the brotherhood of Arhats, but practices his Precepts in daily life.
Q. What is Karma?
A. A causation operating on the moral, as well as physical and other planes. Buddhists say there is no miracle in human ::affairs: what a man sows that he must still reap.
Q. What other good words have been used to express the essence of Buddhism?
A. Self-culture and universal love.
Concerning the Four sights and how they impacted the Buddha:
26. Q: Why should these sights, so familiar to everybody, have caused him to go into the jungle?
A. We often see such signs. He had not; and they made a deep impression on his mind.
27. Q: Why had he not also seen them?
A: The astrologers had foretold at his birth that he would one day resign his kingdom and become a Buddha. The King, his ::father, not wishing to lose his son, had carefully prevented his seeing any sights that might suggest to him human misery ::and death. No one was allowed even to speak of such things to the Prince. He was almost like a prisoner in his lovely ::palaces and flower gardens. They were surrounded with high walls; and inside everything was made as beautiful as possible, ::so that he might not want to go and see the sorrow and distress that are in the world.
28. Q: Was he so kind-hearted that his father feared he might really want to sacrifice himself for the world’s sake?
A: Yes; he seems to have felt for all being so strong a pity and love as that.
55. Q. Why does ignorance cause suffering?
A. Because it makes us prize what is not worth prizing, grieve for that we should not grieve for, consider real what is ::not real but only illusory, and pass our lives in the pursuit of worthless objects, neglecting what is in reality most ::valuable.
56. Q. And what is that which is most valuable?
A. To know the whole secret of man’s existence and destiny, so that we may estimate at no more than their actual value and ::this life and its relations; so that we may live in a way to insure the greatest happiness and the least suffering for our ::fellow-men and ourselves

Olcott’s Catechism reflects a new, Protestant Christian interpretation of traditional Buddhist tenets. As David McMahan stated, “[Olcott] allied Buddhism with scientific rationalism in implicit criticism of orthodox Christianity, but went well beyond the tenets of conventional science in extrapolating from the Romantic- and Transcendentalist-influenced ‘occult sciences’ of the nineteenth century.”

Olcott's Science and Theosophy

The Theosophists combination of spiritualism and science to investigate the supernatural reflected the society’s desire to combine of religion and reason and to produce a rationally spiritual movement. This “occult science” within the Theosophical Society was used to find the “truth” behind all of the world's major religions. Through their research, Olcott and Blavatsky concluded that Buddhism best embodied elements of what they found significant in all religions.

Olcott utilized Western scientific reasoning in his synthesis and presentation of Buddhism. This is clearly seen in a chapter of the Buddhist Catechism, entitled "Buddhism and Science". Notably, his efforts represent one of the earliest attempts to combine the scientific understanding and reasoning of the West with the Buddhist religion of the East. The interrelationship he saw between Buddhism and Science paralleled his Theosophical approach to show the scientific bases for supernatural phenomena such as auras, hypnosis, and Buddhist "miracles".

Death and legacy

Olcott was President of the Theosophical Society until his death on February 17, 1907.

Two major streets in Colombo and Galle have been named Olcott Mawatha, to commemorate him. A statue of him has been built in front of Colombo Fort Railway Station. Many other schools that he helped to found or were founded in memory of him have commemorative statues in honor of his contribution to Buddhist education. He is still remembered fondly by many Sri Lankans today.

The date of his death is often remembered by Buddhist centers and Sunday schools in present-day Sri Lanka, as well as in Theosophical communities around the globe. 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.

The effort to revitalize Buddhism within Sri Lanka was successful and influenced many native Buddhist intellectuals. Sri Lanka was dominated by British colonial power and influence at the time, and many Buddhists heard Olcott’s interpretation of the Buddha's message as socially motivating and supportive of efforts to overturn colonialist efforts to ignore Buddhism and Buddhist tradition. As David McMahan wrote, “Henry Steel Olcott saw the Buddha as a figure much like the ideal liberal freethinker – someone full of ‘benevolence,’ ‘gratitude,’ and ‘tolerance,’ who promoted ‘brotherhood among all men’ as well as ‘lessons in manly self-reliance”. His view of Buddha influenced Sri Lankan leaders, such as Anagarika Dharmapala.

Olcott and Anagarika Dharmapala were associates, which reflects both men’s awareness of the divide between East and West—as seen in their presentation of Buddhism to the West. Olcott helped financially support the Buddhist presence at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 1893. The inclusion of Buddhists in the Parliament allowed for the expansion of Buddhism within the West in general and in America specifically, leading to other Buddhist Modernist movements.

As Stephen Prothero wrote,

It was Olcott who most eloquently articulated and most obviously embodied the diverse religious and cultural traditions that shaped Protestant Buddhism, who gave the revival movement both its organizational shape and its emphasis on education-as-character-building. The most Protestant of all early Protestant Buddhists, Olcott was the liminoid figure, the griot who because of his awkward standing betwixt and between the American Protestant grammars of his youth and the Asian Buddhist lexicon of his adulthood was able to conjure traditional Sinhalese Buddhism, Protestant modernism, metropolitan gentility, and academic Orientalism into a decidedly new creole tradition. This creole tradition Olcott then passed on to a whole generation of Sinhalese students educated in his schools.

Olcott is probably the only major contributor to the nineteenth-century Sinhalese Buddhist revival who was actually born and raised in the Protestant Christian fold. As such, he can be credited with influencing the start of Protestant Buddhism.

Works

Source

Wikipedia:Henry Steel Olcott