Shabd Braham E ISSN 2320 – 0871

International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 December 2019 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal

Anagarika Dharmapala: The Early Revivalist of Modern

Poonam Bhartiya (Researcher) Gautam Buddha University Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract “ was a prominent Buddhist revivalist of modern India. He was born in and completed his life journey in India as a Buddhist monk and activist. He was influenced with movement in Ceylon and joined Theosophical Society. He read to ’s ‘Light of Asia’ and decided to go to . When he saw the ruined condition of Buddhist sites at then he had to decide to revive Buddhist sites. He established Maha Bodhi Society as the main official institution of Buddhists. He collected resources and support for the Bodh Gaya temple and to encourage different Asian countries to make a representation of Buddhists. He traveled to different places of India to aware people about and also to help poor villagers. In this paper I used historical research methodology which is based on collection of data from secondary sources. Keywords - Theosophicals, Mahabodhi Society, Maha Bodhi temple, Renewal of Indian Buddhist places.

Introduction After the foundation of Theosophical Society Anagarika Dharmapala was born at 17th in New York in 1875, H. S. Olcott and H. P. September, 1864 in Ceylon or Sri Lanka. He Blavatsky they were embraced in Buddhism was the hero of Sinhalese Buddhists in May, 1880 in Galle. Anagarika movement. His childhood name was Don Dharmapala became Theosophist at early David Hewavitarne. His name Dharmapala age and very much influenced with Mime. means the ‘Protector of the Dhamma’ or Blavatsky. After some time Dharmapala ‘Defender of the Faith’ and ‘Anagarika came to Adyar (Madras) with the intention of means ‘the innovation’; in it means studying of Occultism, and then Meme. ‘homeless’. Dharmapala was a real Blavatsky motivated him to study of Pali for of modern period. His ancestors the good of humanity, and she gave him her 2 were belongs to Gogama1 community. He blessings . He returned to and was influenced by the struggle of Sri Lankan began faithfully carrying out his oath and Buddhists with those rules which were after some time he leaves his home to created by British government for superiority become a Brahmachari. of Christianity in all over the island. The Journey to revival of Buddhism people of Ceylon were afraid to show Anagarika Dharmapala took oath for re- themselves as Buddhist due to European establishing and promoting Buddhism as a imperialism dictatorship. In Ceylon Buddhist world religion. The question of Maha Bodhi reform of Theravada tradition was started in Temple was a religious matter and the 19th century. Lots of Buddhists from different British Indian government was always countries undertook Buddhist education in avoiding such kind of issues after mutiny of Sri Lanka and devoted their life to promoting 1857. Dharmapala was very much concern Buddhist revival movement. He traveled and about imperialistic thoughts and their worked for Buddhism and spends his life as intentions. So he wanted to collect sympathy homeless wanderer and finally took and attention of World on this matter. He Pabbajja or lower ordination at 13th July also wanted to secure financially for legal 1931 from Ven. Boruggamuwe Rewatha issues. He wanted to unite Buddhist world Thero and received the name Bhikkhu as for revival of most sacred place of Buddhists Devamitta Dhammapala. at Bodhgaya. He conducted his journey to Japan, Koria, China were with the objectives

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International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 December 2019 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal of collection of finance and support for Dhamma and revival of Bodhgaya temple6. Bodhgaya temple and other Buddhist sacred He also has a problem that he did not want sites. to be a sectarian and Japanese Buddhism America and European countries divided in to particular eight . So he Anagarika Dharmapala visited America to have faced quite difficulty. During his last participate World Religious Congress as a visit to Japan he called for delivering lecture representative of Buddhists. He returned to on Anti-Westernization. He was master on Colombo via Europe. He also went to that. After this he became famous in Japan. London and met to Edwin Arnold and His last visit to Japan in 1913 was less established Pali Text Society in London. influenced with religious aspect but for 7 Japan society oppressed by colonial power . He traveled to Japan and appreciated great Japanese author Kazushige Yamakawa 8 diversity of Japanese Buddhism and self presents detail account of his visit to Japan . developing nature of Japan as a model of Revival of Buddhism in India Asian civilization. The objective was to take In 1887 Anagarika read articles written by his attention toward Bodhgaya matter. His Edwin Arnold which were published in visit to japan in different years (1889, 1893, Telegraph newspaper of London, explain 1902 and 1913) has systematic objectives about the miserable condition of Maha Bodhi and challenges also. Richard Jaffe gives Shrine. He also read ‘The Light of Asia detail description of Japanese who traveled (1889)’ written by Edwin Arnold on Buddha’s during this period and by the efforts of life as an epic poem. It was translated into Anagarika Dharmapala3. In 1889 he visited Japanese with the name ‘The Sun Rises’ or 9 to Japan with Theophist C. Olcott as a ‘Sun Rises comes’ also . He had decided to Theosophist but in this journey he was go to Bodhgaya. Anagarika Dharmapala’s hospitalized and could not do anything. family followed Buddhism very intensely and During his second visit (1893) he tried to he found the same seeds. His visit to raise fund traveled by train one place to America and meet with Mme. Marry Foster another place in Japan delivered lectures in Honolulu. The meeting was very and meetings to peoples. He wanted to rewarding. He found a big fund (10 lacks) for spread awareness of sacred Buddhists revival of Buddhism because he helped her Places in India and their poor conditions. He husband to go out from depression by the tried again and again and also take a treatment of . Later Bodhgaya status with him to Japan for their Anagarika Dharmapala visited Indian realization that India is not a Mythical place Buddhist place with a Japanese priest nd (as they understand) and it deserved to be Kozen Guṇaratana. On 22 January 1891, treated all Buddhist as sacred4. During his he reached at Bodhgaya. Babu visit to Japan he also criticized to different Upendranath Basu drove him over to habits of the Japanese monks. He also , where the Lord Buddha had explained about the Japanese monks who preached his First Sermon and very took liquor. He was impressed with disappointed to see that there was no one to 10 Japanese progress and their religious preserve Buddhist sacred place . After prosperity but he frittered over the way the entering in Maha Bodhi temple he feels Japanese practiced Buddhism. He says, divine. He explains the condition of Maha “They have made Buddhism to suit their own Bodhi Temple with a lot of emotions and taste and convenience”5 takes oath to take care of sacred place. After During his third visit to Japan in 1902 He seeing of sacred site he had to decide to planned to business with in Japan and start work for revival of Buddhism and its Ceylon and urge to his father for it for sites in India. Early period he went to earning of sufficient money to propagate Calcutta and started his work here. He

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International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 December 2019 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal associated with Sharat Chandra Das, who institution enriching the cultural life of the was famous for his travels in Tibet, and for Banglalese and its founder justly deserved his knowledge of the language and religious the gratitude and esteem of the whole literature of that country. During this visit he province”14. Later period the Mahabodhi met to Narendra Nath Sen. Who was the Society organized a world Buddhist editor of the Indian Mirror and also a Congress at Calcutta University on 15th and Theosophist. Narendra Nath Sen was 16th January, 1949. sympathetic with Buddhism his Indian Mirror The establishment of ‘The Maha Bodhi worked as a vehicle to popularization of Society and an United Buddhist World’ and Buddhism with the concept of fusion of an English news paper in 1911 were for and Buddhism. There was not a drawing Buddhists in to a pan-Asian large number of Buddhists in Calcutta that community linked to the supporter of time except of few Arakanese and from European and American Buddhists. Anagarika Dharmapala delivered Countries. The Maha Bodhi Society was his first lecture at Albert Hall Calcutta titled also celebrated Buddha festivals like ‘Buddhism in its relations with Hinduism’ Dhammacakka festival or the Anniversary of under the presidency of Narendra Nath Sen. the “Turning of the Wheel of Law" at Sarnath He says that, by religion, race, traditions, on the full moon day of July. According to literature Sinhalese are the related to the Steven Kemper, “To make United Buddhist Aryans of Gangetic valley. He says that “our World he was connected with western Buddha was born in India and future Buddha civilization like British imperium, Theosophy Maitreya is expected to take birth not in and Christianity”15. He also says that London but in Banaras”11. He advised to Anagarika Dharmapala’s religious Sinhalese to attend the Indian national movement was influenced by Western congress12. He also connected to Sinhalese thinker and he learns a lot from the texts of with Indians economically also. On 28th of western thinker’s like Ernest Eitel, Edwin June 1916 the Anagarika Dharmapala was Arnold etc before World Religious ordered of imprisonment and he was not Conference16. Dharmapala used his journal allowed to leave Calcutta. During later for shaping of Buddhism in India and period he lived in Sarnath and traveled to worldwide. Other western scholars were also different places for revival of Buddhism. connected with his journals and it was as a The Mahabodhi Society vehicle of his Dhamma preaching and also Anagarika Dharmapala started his struggle for putting the weight of the World Buddhists for revival of Buddhism and founded Maha behind recovering Bodhgaya the Buddha’s 17 Bodhi Society in Colombo on May 31st attainment place . He also established ‘The 1891, presided by Ven Hikkaduwe International Buddhist University Sumaṅgala Nayaka Maha Thero, for the Association’. The objectives of the University purpose of restoration of Buddhist sacred Association is to trained young men for sites and collection of supports. The doing research work in Buddhism with good Mahabodhi Society was the first official linguistic equipment of Sinhalese, Burmese, Buddhist Society to be established in Chinese and Tibetan Language classes. modern India13. The Mahabodhi journal was Anagarika Dharmapala and his Mahabodhi started in 1892, October under Maha Bodhi Society did many efforts for the revival and Society. The efforts of Anagarika were really popularity of Buddhism. Following are few appreciated by the intellectuals. Benoy other important works done by Anagarika Kumar Sarkar emphasis Anagarika Dharmapala and Maha Bodhi Society in Dharmapala (Devamitta Dhammapala) as India- the ‘maker of young Asia’ and also says, Three holy places of Buddhist , “The Maha Bodhi Society was a great Viz., Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kusinara

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International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 December 2019 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal

In 1900 the Mahabodhi Society appealed The Mahabodhi society also established the the District Board of Gaya to sanction Buddha Society of Bombay in 1922. construction of a Rest House of Bodhgaya Re-construction of Mulagandha Kuti-Vihara for the Buddhist pilgrims. This proposal was (Sarnath) built as Buddha’s residence. At accepted by Magistrate and other board another place the same places called members Gandh-kuti or Shanti. But at Sarnath it’s Anagarika Dharmapala went to the Buddhist called Mulagandha Kuti because it was the countries to collect the funds for the place where the Buddha spent his first construction of building varshavas (rainy season). A plot of land was purchased by the The Mahabodhi Society also established the Mahabodhi Society at Sarnath in 1901 with Mahabodhi School, Degree College and the cooperation of the Anagarika Dharmapala’s Library named Mulagandha Kuti Vihara mother Srimati Mallika Hewavitarne Library at Sarnath20. Anagarika Dharmpala and his Mahabodhi In 1939 Mahabodhi Society founded a society founded the Benaras (Banaras) Buddha vihara in New Delhi. school of Arts and Agriculture in the New Chethiyagiri Vihara in was also Dhammasala (non-sectarian school, for the constructed by Mahabodhi Society in the training of young children in such a way as memory of Sariputta and Maha Moggallana, to develop their latent individuality by means the great disciples of the Buddha. The relics of natural education). Its maintenance were discovered by Alexander Cunningham charges were born by Mrs. Foster (an in 1851. The relics were returned from American lady whose husband practiced Britain and enshrined in this Vihara in 1952. Meditation from Dharmapala and cure his 21 depression). After the project of renewable and One Dharamsala was erected at Kusinara rehabilitation project of Nava Nalanda under the supervision of Bhikkhu Mahavira Mahavihara started by Bihar and Indian and one degree college also was started by Government in 1956 Mahabodhi Society has Dharmapala at Kusinara. taken the responsibility of publication and He also established a newspaper in 1906 translation of Buddhist sculpture into Indian ‘Sinhala Bauddhaya’. language. Dharmarajika Chaitya Vihara was founded Anagarika Dharmapala and Protestant by Maha Bodhi Society in Calcutta (1918- Buddhism 20), but the original first vihara which was Anagarika Dharmapala worked with built by the Mahabodhi Society of India Theosophists for long period and was much when Mahabodhi society got permission closed with H.S. Olcott and H.P.Blavatsky. from British government for relics of Buddha He influenced with Theosophists with the which discovered from Taxila and reference of Ven.Gunananda. He showed Bhattiprolu on the agreement that society respect for the Buddhist relics-remains of the will build Viharas in Calcutta, Sarnath, and Buddha’s body and also live a religious life Taxila for their enshrinement. On the with meditation and other Buddhist rituals. opening procession there were many He took Buddhists vow in 1881. When he Burmese, Sinhalese, Chinese, Japanese visited to villages of Sri Lanka with C.Olcott and Siamese Buddhist monks and a and C.W. Lead beater for rising the religious thousand Hindu and Buddhist men. After fund then he met to Buddhist monks lived in 18 that relics were enshrined in the stupa . The different places of Sri Lanka. During this tour vihara was head quarter of the M. B. S. has he understood problems with traditional over a number of years become of symbol of sangha order. After some time he began the 19 the Buddhist revival movement in India . process that modernized Buddhism, creating what Obeyesekere has called ‘Protestant

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International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 December 2019 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal

Buddhism’ a new way of practicing, an 1 Goigama is historically a cultivator class of previous religion marked by this-worldly Cylon asceticism, a code of ethics for lay people 2 Anagarika Dharmapala, A Biographical Sketch and an emphasis on the doctrine coupled by Bhikkhu , Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Ceylon, p with contempt for the intercession of gods 22 3 Kemper,118-19 and demons . He was a great Nationalist 4 Diary November 22,1893 who also attacked on British culture and 5 Diary November 16,1893 greeds for resources of Colonies. He said to 6 Diary May 13, 1902 Sinhalese that the long term solution is for 7 Kemper,117 the British to return to their own island; the 8 Kazushige Yamakawa, Dharmapala and short term solution is for Sinhala’s to return Japan: His first and Second Visit, Journal of Pali to their own religion. According to him the and Buddhist studies,14(2000) remedy was to increase public baths, 9 Judith Snodgrass ‘Performing Modernity: The Lumbini Project, Tokyo 1925, “Journal of dagobas (Sinhala: relic mounds) establish Religious History,33 no.2(2009),p.133-48. more libraries, monasteries, rest houses, 10 Bhikkhu Sangharakshita, Anagarika hospitals for man and animal, schools, Dharmapala A Biographical Sketch ,Buddhist tanks, seven-storied mansions, water works Publication Society, Kandy Ceylon,p.21 and beautifying the city of Anuradhapura. He 11 Sangharikshita, A Biographical Sketch, says that “Sinhala’s does not have the Anagarika Dhammapala, Mahabodhi Society, intelligence to give the English anything Calcutta, 1956, p.86 worldly. The only wealth the Sinhala does 12 Anand Guruge, Angarika Dhammapala can give the English is the noble dhamma23” Return to Righteousness, Govt. of Sri Lanka Publication, 1965, p. 518. The only challenged in front him was 13 Bhikkhu Sangh Rakshita, Anagarika nationalism vs. universalism. His new form Dharmapala, a Biographical Sketch. Buddhist of religion follows both ideals with the Publication Society, Kandy (Ceylon), 1983, p. 50 practical need of Modern Sinhalese. 14 The Maha Bodhi Journal …may 1938, p241- Conclusion 42…see…. Anagarika Dharmapala was a person who 15 Ibid Kemper, p.9 came as a big revivalist for Buddhism in 16 Ibid, Kemper,12-13 India especially for the renovation of the 17 Steven Kemper, ‘Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World Buddhist sacred site and to established The University of Press,p.8 institutional base for Indian Buddhists 18 M. B. J. 1931, p. 527 community. Buddhism is not only as the 19 Sangharakshita, The Thousand Petalled religion of a particular population but it Lotus, William Heinemann Ltd., London, 1976, represents a big part of Indian cultural p.20 history. After Pala dynasty of 20 M. B. J. Vol. 73, 1965 Buddhism misplaced from the centre of the 21 D.C. Ahir, Buddhist Shrines in India, B.R, state religion. It disperse to different areas of Publishing Delhi, 1986, p. 84 the countryside like Kashmir and Ladakh, 22 G. Obeyesehkere, “Religious Symbolism and Political Change in Ceylon,” in Two Wheels of Bengal, Tibet, and Nepal and other Asian Dhamma, ed. Bardwell Smith, Chambersburg, countries. In British India peoples forgot the Pa: A.A.R. Monograph No. 3, 1972, pp. 58-78 name of the Buddha and many Buddhist 23 Ananda Guruge(ed.); Dhammapala Lipin sites were ruined and many were converted (Sinhala), Colombo, Government Press, 1991, as the pilgrimage of other religions. p.186 Dharmapala was worked hard for Buddhism and collected international support on the matter of Bodh Gaya temple. References

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