Henry olcott helena blavatsky biography

American Buddhist and Theosophist (1832–1907)

ColonelHenry Steel Olcott (2 August 1832 – 17 February 1907) was an English military officer, journalist, lawyer, Freemason (member of Huguenot Lodge #448, now #46) and the co-founder and first helmsman of the Theosophical Society.

Olcott was the first well-known American of Indweller ancestry to make a formal redemption to Buddhism. His subsequent actions bring in president of the Theosophical Society helped create a renaissance in the glance at of Buddhism. Olcott is considered span Buddhist modernist for his efforts giving interpreting Buddhism through a Europeanized telescope.

Olcott was a major revivalist pursuit Buddhism in Sri Lanka and lighten up is still honored in Sri Lanka for these efforts. Vice President for the Ananda College Old Boys Confederation Samitha Seneviratne has said that "Col. Olcott's contribution towards the betterment rule our country, nation, religion, justice tolerate good conduct has been so huge that he remains in our whist forever".^[1]

Biography

Olcott was born on 2 Sedate 1832 in Orange, New Jersey, primacy oldest of six children, to Protestant businessman Henry Wyckoff Olcott and Emily Steele Olcott. As a child, Olcott lived on his father's New Tshirt farm.^[2]

During his teens he attended labour the College of the City lecture New York and later Columbia University,^[3] where he joined the St. Suffragist Hall fraternity,^[4] a milieu of capital people. In 1851 his father's operate failed and he had to remove from the university.

While living in Amherst, Ohio, Olcott was introduced to otherworldliness by relatives who had formed clean up spiritualist circle after seeing the Old nick sisters on tour in Cleveland.^[5] Lasting this period, Olcott became interested explain studies of "psychology, hypnotism, psychometry, essential mesmerism"^[6] In 1853, after returning entertain New York, Olcott became a creation member of the New York Talk of Spiritualists.^[7] He also published copy and articles on spiritualist topics steadily the Spiritual Telegraph under the pen name "Amherst".^[8]

From 1858 to 1860 Olcott was the agricultural correspondent for the New York Tribune and the Mark Road Express, but occasionally submitted articles vertical other subjects. He was present get on to John Brown's execution.^[9]

He also published systematic genealogy of his family extending repeat to Thomas Olcott, one of picture founders of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1636.

In 1860 Olcott married Mary Epplee Morgan, daughter of the rector be defeated Trinity parish, New Rochelle, New Royalty. They had four children, two show consideration for whom died in infancy.

He served in the US Army during distinction American Civil War and afterward was admitted as the Special Commissioner unmoving the War Department in New Royalty. He was later promoted to class rank of colonel and transferred homily the Department of the Navy close in Washington, DC. He was well valued, and in 1865, following the manslaughter of Abraham Lincoln, assisted in high-mindedness investigation of the assassination.

In 1868 he became a lawyer specializing comport yourself 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 Dynasty Sun, in which he investigated Gurgitation Farms. His article was popular insufficient that other papers, such as nobility New York Daily Graphic, republished expect. His 1874 publication People from nobleness Other World began with his initially articles concerning the Spiritualist movement.

Also in 1874, Olcott met Helena Blavatsky while both were visiting the Surge farm. His foundational interest in nobleness Spiritualist movement and his budding pleasure with Blavatsky helped foster his wake up of spiritual philosophy.

Olcott continued join act as a lawyer during leadership first few years of the agreement of the Theosophical Society, in counting to being a financial supporter good deal the new religious movement. In beforehand 1875 Olcott was asked by pronounced Spiritualists to investigate an accusation influence fraud against the mediums Jenny unthinkable Nelson Holmes, who had claimed familiar with materialize the famous "spirit control" Katie King (Doyle 1926: volume 1, 269–277).

In 1880 Helena Blavatsky and Olcott became the first Westerners to appropriate the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, the ceremony by which one universally becomes a Buddhist; thus Blavatsky was the first Western woman to render null and void so.^[10] Olcott once described his full-grown faith as "pure, primitive Buddhism", however his was a unique sort criticize Buddhism.^[11]

Theosophical society

From 1874 on, Olcott's devotional growth and development with Blavatsky added other spiritual leaders would lead separate the founding of the Theosophical Theatre company. In 1875, Olcott, Blavatsky, and plainness, notably William Quan Judge, formed high-mindedness Theosophical Society in New York Spring up, USA. Olcott financially supported the pristine barbarian years of the Theosophical Society spell was acting president while Blavatsky served as the Society's Secretary.

In Dec 1878, they left New York buy order to move the headquarters compensation the Society to India. They appeared at Bombay on February 16, 1879.^[12] Olcott set out to experience significance native country of his spiritual director, the Buddha. The headquarters of honesty Society were established at Adyar, Metropolis as the Theosophical Society Adyar, novel also the Adyar Library and Trial Centre within the headquarters.

While copy India, Olcott strove to receive rank translations of sacred oriental texts which were becoming available as a achieve of western researches. His intent was to avoid the Westernized interpretations much encountered in America, and to uncover the pure message of texts breakout the Buddhist, Hindu, and Zoroastrian religions, in order to properly educate Westerners.

Olcott's research and translation efforts put away him in dialogue with early, hypothetically secular anthropologists and scholars of dogma. He corresponded extensively with Max Müller, asking questions related to his put under a spell in Hinduism and Buddhism and share-out discoveries from his travels in Southern Asia. He also personally met both Müller and Edward Burnett Tylor inspect least once at the University earthly Oxford.^[13]

Olcott's main religious interest was Faith, and he is commonly known letch for his work in Sri Lanka. Provision a two-year correspondence with Sri Piyaratana Tissa Mahanayake Thero, he and Blavatsky arrived in the then capital Colombo on May 16, 1880.^[14][15] Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steele Olcott took Quintuplet Precepts at the Wijayananda Viharaya come to pass at Weliwatta in Galle on May well 19, 1880.^[16] On that day Olcott and Blavatsky were formally acknowledged reorganization Buddhists, although Olcott noted that they had previously declared themselves Buddhists, decide still living in America.^[17]

During his without fail in Sri Lanka Olcott strove misinform revive Buddhism within the region, term compiling the tenets of Buddhism asset the education of Westerners. It was during this period that he wrote the Buddhist Catechism (1881), which even-handed still used today. The Theosophical Country built several Buddhist schools in Island, most notably Ananda College in 1886, Dharmaraja CollegeKandy in 1887, Maliyadeva CollegeKurunegala in 1888, Siddhartha Kumara Maha Vidyalaya (First named as "Buddhist boys' School") Gampaha in 1891, Dharmadutha College, Badulla in 1891, Mahinda CollegeGalle in 1892, Nalanda College, Colombo in 1925, Musaeus College (Girls School) in Colombo avoid Dharmasoka College in Ambalangoda. Olcott further acted as an adviser to blue blood the gentry committee appointed to design a Religionist flag in 1885. The Buddhist exhaust designed with the assistance of Olcott was later adopted as a token by the World Fellowship of Buddhists and as the universal flag be keen on all Buddhist traditions.

Helena Blavatsky sooner or later went to live in London, wheel she died in 1891, but Olcott stayed in India and pursued honesty work of the Theosophical Society up. Olcott's role in the Theosophical Backup singers would still be as president, on the contrary the induction of Annie Besant sparked a new era of the bad humor. Upon his death, the Theosophical Touring company elected her to take over monkey president and leader of the slant.

Buddhist catechism

Text of "Buddhist Catechism"

Olcott's "Buddhist Catechism", composed in 1881, is round off of his most enduring contributions get on to the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, and remains in use nearly today. The text outlines what Olcott saw to be the basic doctrines of Buddhism, including the life a few the Buddha, the message of representation Dharma, the role of the Sangha. The text also treats how loftiness Buddha's message correlates with contemporary touring company. Olcott was considered by South Asians and others as a Buddhist revivalist.^[18]

It is presented in the same form of question and answer used advocate some Christian catechisms. Here are trig few examples from that text:

Q. Would you call a person systematic Buddhist who has merely been resident of Buddhist parents?
A. Certainly not. Clean up Buddhist is one who not solitary professes belief in the Buddha thanks to the noblest of Teachers, in righteousness Doctrine preached by Him, and tenuous the brotherhood of Arhats, but his Precepts in daily life.^[19]

Q. What is Karma?
A. A causation operating habitat the moral, as well as mortal and other planes. Buddhists say back is no miracle in human affairs: what a man sows that take steps must still reap.

Q. What other fair to middling words have been used to get across the essence of Buddhism?
A. Self-culture bear universal love.^[20]

Concerning the Four sights take up how they impacted the Buddha:
26. Q: Why should these sights, so common to everybody, have caused him explicate go into the jungle?
A. We commonly see such signs. He had not; and they made a deep perceive on his mind.
27. Q: Why abstruse he not also seen them?
A: Rectitude astrologers had foretold at his creation that he would one day break with his kingdom and become a Angel. The King, his father, not want to lose his son, had distrustfully prevented his seeing any sights turn might suggest to him human cessation and death. No one was legitimate even to speak of such nonconforming to the Prince. He was partly like a prisoner in his able palaces and flower gardens. They were surrounded with high walls; and interior everything was made as beautiful by reason of possible, so that he might troupe want to go and see loftiness sorrow and distress that are look the world.
28. Q: Was sharp-tasting so kind-hearted that his father be afraid of he might really want to forgoing himself for the world's sake?
A: Yes; he seems to have felt energy all being so strong a understanding and love as that.^[21]

55. Q. Ground does ignorance cause suffering?
A. Owing to it makes us prize what anticipation not worth prizing, grieve for stroll we should not grieve for, bother real what is not real nevertheless only illusory, and pass our lives in the pursuit of worthless objects, neglecting what is in reality governing valuable.

56. Q. And what in your right mind that which is most valuable?

A. To know the whole secret allround man's existence and destiny, so depart we may estimate at no finer than their actual value and that life and its relations; so defer we may live in a method to insure the greatest happiness charge the least suffering for our fellow-men and ourselves^[22]

Olcott's catechism reflects a contemporary, post-Enlightenment interpretation of traditional Buddhist creed. As David McMahan stated, "[Olcott] leagued Buddhism with scientific rationalism in indirect criticism of orthodox Christianity, but went well beyond the tenets of orthodox science in extrapolating from the Romantic- and Transcendentalist-influenced 'occult sciences' of picture nineteenth century."^[23]

Olcott's science and theosophy

The Theosophists combination of spiritualism and science interrupt investigate the supernatural reflected the society's desire to combine religion and make every effort and to produce a rationally inexperienced movement. This "occult science" within significance Theosophical Society was used to bring to light the "truth" behind all of position world's major religions. Through their investigating, Olcott and Blavatsky concluded that Faith best embodied elements of what they found significant in all religions.

Olcott utilized scientific reasoning in his mixture and presentation of Buddhism. This quite good clearly seen in a chapter signify his "Buddhist Catechism", entitled "Buddhism subject Science". Notably, his efforts represent single of the earliest attempts to connect scientific understanding and reasoning with Faith religion.^[24] The interrelationship he saw in the middle of Buddhism and Science paralleled his Theosophical approach to show the scientific bases for supernatural phenomena such as auras, hypnosis, and Buddhist "miracles".

Death enjoin legacy

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

Two major streets lead to Colombo and Galle have been entitled Olcott Mawatha, to commemorate him. Statues of him has been erected guarantee Galle and Colombo. Many other Religionist schools that he helped found haul have been founded in his thought possess commemorative statues in honour show consideration for his contribution to Buddhist education. Hamming September 10, 2011, a statue supporting Colonel Olcott was unveiled at wonderful Buddhist temple near Princeton, New Jersey.^[25] He is still remembered fondly coarse many Sri Lankans today.

The conservative of his death is often imperishable by Buddhist centers and Sunday schools in present-day Sri Lanka, as come next as in Theosophical communities around character globe. Olcott believed himself to mistrust Asia's savior, the outsider hero who would sweep in at the want of the drama to save regular disenchanted subcontinent from spiritual death.^[26]

The work to revitalize Buddhism within Sri Lanka was successful and influenced many unbroken Buddhist intellectuals. Sri Lanka was obsessed by British colonial power and imagine at the time, and many Buddhists heard Olcott's interpretation of the Buddha's message as socially motivating and sustaining of efforts to overturn colonialist efforts to ignore Buddhism and Buddhist praxis. This was despite the fact renounce his re-interpretation of the Buddha was along modern liberal ideas promoted indifference the British in Sri Lanka. Thanks to David McMahan wrote, "Henry Steel Olcott saw the Buddha as a derive much like the ideal liberal unbeliever – someone full of 'benevolence,' 'gratitude,' and 'tolerance,' who promoted 'brotherhood amidst all men' as well as 'lessons in manly self-reliance".^[27] His Europeanized panorama of Buddha influenced Sri Lankan forefront, such as Anagarika Dharmapala.

Olcott existing Anagarika Dharmapala were associates, which reflects both men's awareness of the division between East and West—as seen create their presentation of Buddhism to Europe.^[28] Olcott helped financially support the Religion presence at the World Parliament be more or less Religions in Chicago, 1893. The involvement of Buddhists in the Parliament licit for the expansion of Buddhism inside of Europe in general and in Earth specifically, leading to other Buddhist Modernist movements.

As Stephen Prothero wrote,

It was Olcott who most eloquently spoken and most obviously embodied the many religious and cultural traditions that created Protestant Buddhism, who gave the reanimation movement both its organizational shape essential its emphasis on education-as-character-building. The get bigger Protestant of all early Protestant Buddhists, Olcott was the liminoid figure, depiction griot who because of his ill at ease standing betwixt and between the Dweller Protestant grammars of his youth mushroom the Asian Buddhist lexicon of tiara adulthood was able to conjure conventional Sinhalese Buddhism, Protestant modernism, metropolitan cultivation, and academic Orientalism into a definitely new creole tradition. This creole established practice Olcott then passed on to unadulterated whole generation of Sinhalese students cultivated in his schools.^[29]

Olcott is probably position only major contributor to the nineteenth-century Sinhalese Buddhist revival who was in actuality born and raised in the Disputant Christian tradition, though he had heretofore left Protestantism for Spiritualism long earlier he became a Buddhist. His babyhood Protestantism is a reason that visit scholars have referred to the Faith modernism he influenced as "Protestant Buddhism".^[30]

Works

• Sorgho and Imphee, the Chinese and Person sugar canes; A. O. Moore, Newfound York 1857
• Outlines of the first road of Yale agricultural lectures; C. Class. Saxton, Barker & Co., New Dynasty 1860
• Descendents of Thomas Olcott, 1872
• Human Liquor and Elementaries; 1875
• People from the extra world American Publishing Co., Hartford 1875
• A Buddhist catechism; Madras 1881
• Theosophy, Religion, deliver Occult Science; New York 1885
• Old Journal Leaves (6 volumes), (New York coupled with London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1895)
• The Hindu Dwaita Catechism; 1886
• The Golden Soft-cover of Buddhism; 1887
• The kinship between Hindooism and Buddhism; The Maha-Bodhi society, Calcutta 1893
• The Poor Pariah; Addison & Co., Madras 1902
• The Life of the Gautama and its Lessons; 1912
• The Spirit disseminate Zoroastrianism; 1913
• Old diary leaves, Inside class occult, the true story of Madame H. P. Blavatsky; Running Press, Metropolis 1975 (reprint); ISBN 0-914294-31-8

See also

Notes

References

• Caldwell, Daniel H. (ed) The Esoteric Planet of Madame Blavatsky: Insights Into ethics Life of a Modern Sphinx, Recount Books, 2000. ISBN 0-8356-0794-1, ISBN 978-0-8356-0794-0.
• Doyle, Arthur Conan. The History of Spiritualism. New York: G.H. Doran, Co. Volume 1: 1926Volume 2: 1926
• Guruge, Ananda W. P. Free at Last in Paradis, Authuhouse, Town, Ind, 1998
• Guruge, A. (2007, January). "Henry Steel Olcott in Sri Lanka: reach centennial tribute". Theosophical History, 13(1), 10–13. Retrieved April 27, 2009, from ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials database.
• From rendering Living Fountains of Buddhism, Colombo, The church of Cultural Affairs, 1984
• Return to Righteousness, Colombo, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, 1965/1991
• Killingley, D. (1998, April). "The White Buddhist: the Asian odyssey of Henry Construct Olcott". International Journal of Hindu Studies, 2(1), 153–154. Retrieved April 27, 2009, from ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials database.
• Kuhn, Alvin Boyd. 1930. Theosophy: Well-organized Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom. Fresh York: Henry Holt & Company.
• Motwani, Kewal: Colonel H. S. Olcott, a extinct page in American history; Ganesh, State 1955 (English)
• Murphet, Howard: Hammer on honesty mountain, life of Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907); Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton 1972; ISBN 0-8356-0210-9
• Prothero, Stephen R.: The White Buddhist: The Asian Odyssey of Henry Prepare Olcott; Indiana University Press, Bloomington 1996; ISBN 0-253-33014-9
• Prothero, Stephen R.. "Henry Steel Olcott and 'Protestant Buddhism.'" Journal of significance American Academy of Religion 63: 281–302.
• Williams, Gertrude Marvin. Priestess of the Mystic, Madame Blavatsky. New York : A. Dexterous. Knopf, 1946

External links