Reviews

1904. His remarkable life is detailed in a new book from the Buddhist Publication Society. The Life of Thera begins with a short essay on the early his- tory of in Germany—itself an interesting historical document—written by Walter Persian in 1931. The largest section of the book is Nyanatiloka’s auto- biography. Unfortunately, this breaks off in 1926, but the next section, researched and written by Nyanatusita and Hellmuth Hecker, covers the remainder of Nyanatiloka’s life to his death in 1957. The book also contains three valuable appendices: a brief biography of his dis- ciple , by ; a bibliographical essay detailing From a Simple Bowl the writings and translations of Nyanatil- oka in German and English; and a listing of Porridge of Nyanatiloka’s disciples, which provides a good overview of this . The book The Life of Nyanatiloka Thera is supported by thorough and informative The Biography of a Buddhist Pioneer endnotes. Taken as a whole, the book is not only a fascinating historical narrative, By Bhikkhu Nyanatusita and Hellmuth Hecker but a worthy example of the fine tradition Buddhist Publication Society, 2009 of Western Buddhist scholarship begun $8.00; 274 pages (paperback) by Nyanatiloka himself. The young man who was to become Reviewed by Punnadhammo Nyanatiloka Bhikkhu, Anton Walter Florus Gueth, grew up in a dynamic milieu. Germany in the 1880s and ’90s was a prosperous, progressive society. The nation at that time was among the he dhamma clearly has become well by perusing the articles and advertise- world leaders industrially, scientifically, established in the West. Buddhist ments in this magazine it’s possible to and intellectually. It was also a leader books, including reliable translations get a feel for the diversity and increasing T in the importation of Eastern and Bud- of the scriptures, are readily available, maturity of Western Buddhism. dhist thought. The influence of Buddhism in many cases just a mouse-click away. It is easy to forget how recent this on German philosopher Schopenhauer, Most large cities have temples, medita- is. Few Buddhist institutions in America and through him, on German philosophy tion centers, and sitting circles, usually and Europe predate the 1970s. We would generally, is well known. Persian’s essay students a choice of different do well to remember with gratitude the demonstrates other strands of Buddhist schools and traditions. It is even pos- brave struggles of the pioneers who influence—on Nietzsche and Wagner sible to take full ordination in several made it possible for us to receive these for instance—that are perhaps more Western countries. teachings. surprising. We should be careful not to exagger- One of the most important of the early The Buddhism known in Germany at ate Buddhism’s reach in North America Buddhists from the West was the Vener- the turn of the twentieth century was, and Europe—after all, it remains very able Nyanatiloka Thera, the first German however, hardly orthodox. Much of it much a minority religion. However, just bhikkhu, who was ordained in Burma in was mixed up with the craze for occult- ism, and with Theosophy in particular. Ajahn Punnadhammo, born Michael Dominskyj, is the resident bhikkhu at the Arrow River Forest The popular presentation of Buddhist Hermitage, a Theravadan Buddhist monastery and center in northern Ontario. He began doctrine was confused with Upanishadic practicing Buddhism in 1979 and was ordained in Thailand in the forest tradition of in 1990. ideas as well.

81 winter 2009 buddhadharma: the practitioner’s quarterly Reviews Reviews Reviews

The young Anton Gueth first encoun- account, he was happy and productive. literary work, including his influential tered Buddhism while listening to a However, the history of the greater world Buddhist Dictionary, which is still a stan- Theosophical lecture at a vegetarian res- was to intrude on his austere but peaceful dard reference. The Life of Nyanatiloka taurant. “Paradoxically as it may sound,” retreat. As a German national living in a Thera includes a long extract from a book he recalled, “the reason for … my conver- British colony, Nyanatiloka was interned by Walther Eidlitz that describes life in sion to Buddhism … was my love for oat in both world wars. The conditions of Dehra Dun. This is a fascinating glimpse porridge.” One of the themes that run internment during the First World War into a chapter of history that deserves to through the book is the mature Nyana- were particularly harsh. Nyanatiloka be better known—a microcosm of cultural tiloka’s steady efforts to encourage and and his small group of German disciples interchange and political intrigue in the propagate a more scholarly rigorous, were eventually shipped to Australia. The shadows of the Himalayas during a time scripturally based, and traditional form of book includes an historic photograph of of global conflict. Buddhism than had existed in the West up the first time set foot on that After the war Nyanatiloka returned to until then. He required all his students to continent, walking under armed guard Ceylon, where he spent most of the rest learn , and many of our best-known down the plank of a British prison ship. of his life. In 1951 he moved upcoun- translations in both German and English Several of the monks abandoned their yel- try to the new Forest Hermitage, which are the work of monks in his lineage. Nya- low robes under these stress conditions, had a healthier climate. By the end of natiloka himself translated, among other but Nyanatiloka held to his faith. As he his life Nyanatiloka was known and texts, the Vissudhimagga into German, says, “I was never much concerned about respected internationally, and his funeral and his student Nyanamoli rendered the my physical comfort.” in 1957 was a national event in same important text into English. Bhik- Before the war ended, the British policy attended by many dignitaries. khu Bodhi, a contemporary monk in this changed and German prisoners deemed This brief synopsis certainly can’t tradition, has published what are now the harmless were released. They were sup- capture the full scope of Nyanatiloka’s standard translations of the Majjhima posed to return to Germany via the neu- heroic life. His struggles included not and Samyutta Nikayas, building on the tral United States, but Nyanatiloka’s only only imprisonment, illness, long wander- unfinished work of Nyanamoli. thought was to get back to a Buddhist ings, earthquakes, and hunger, but—for All this would be impressive enough country. The British sent him to Honolulu, a long time at least—a lack of under- had Nyanatiloka and his disciples been where he got on a ship bound for China standing in Germany. During his lifetime, able to work peacefully and comfortably. with the intention of traveling overland his attempts to establish a monastery in However, this story is also one of heroic to the Shan States bordering Burma. His Europe met with frustration. Neverthe- struggles. After Gueth had decided to journey across China accompanied by less, in the autobiographical section of journey to the East to find the original another monk was yet another series of the book his tone always remains calm, teachings, he faced years of difficulty hardships and misadventures, including humble, and even cheerful. If it were not making his way there. Long journeys at a further period of imprisonment. for Bhikkhu Nyanatusita’s excellent end- the time were by sea, and very expensive. In was not until 1926 that he was notes we would not appreciate how dif- Gueth was an accomplished musician, able to return to Ceylon, and only after ficult things were for Nyanatiloka. and he parlayed his talent into musical many more travels and difficulties, It would be difficult to overstate how jobs, working his way east in stages via including being caught in the crossfire important Nyanatolika’s legacy has been Greece, Egypt, and India. He eventually of the 1919 revolution in Germany and for the development of Buddhism in the made it to Burma, where he sought out finding himself in the midst of the Great West. The tradition he established empha- a Westerner who had preceded him, the Japanese Earthquake of 1923. After all sized careful, precise, scholarly work, and Scotsman Ananda Metteya. (When Britain this, he returned to his “beloved Lanka” has been prolific both in translation and is included, Nyanatiloka was the fourth to find his hermitage in ruins. Neverthe- original works. The publisher of this European bhikkhu.) Nyanatiloka took less, through all this he maintained his book, the Buddhist Publication Society, ordination in Burma, though for most steady devotion to the dhamma and even was founded by his disciple Nyanaponika of his life his monastic home was Ceylon proceeded with his literary work. and continues to produce a regular stream (now Sri Lanka). The Second World War internment was of books and pamphlets. It is not an exag- As it turned out, Nyanatiloka’s strug- longer but the conditions were less severe. geration to say that the existence of the gles were far from over. In the early years This time the German internees were sent traditional teachings in the of the he founded in to the Dehra Dun camp in northern India. West today owes more to Nyanatiloka Ceylon, conditions were primitive, the cli- Here also were several of his disciples, than to any other person. mate hard on northern constitutions, and including Nyanaponika. During his time It seems that quite a lot can come from the food often inadequate. Yet, by his own in the camp, Nyanatiloka completed much a simple bowl of porridge. buddhadharma: the practitioner’s quarterly winter 2009 82