Remembering a National Hero

The Island Features Friday 23rd September, 2011 13 “With black curly locks thrown from learning about this debate that the world, considering the diehard intransi- based on creationism was violently shak- were like those used by an angry father to his broad brow, his clean, clear eyes fixed Theosophist Colonel Henry Steel Olcott of gency of the fanatical Hindu majority pol- en by the scientific theory of biological his children in the privacy of their home. upon the audience, his long, brown fin- America came to the island in 1880). The itics that prevents them from recognizing evolution. Since the Buddhist teaching They should not be taken out of context, gers emphasising the utterances of his Hewavitharanas were pious Buddhists the legitimacy of the Buddhists’ demand. does not include any blind belief in a cre- and false meanings attributed to them. vibrant voice he looked the very image of known for their generosity. Don David’s Two Westerners who influenced ator god, this being irrelevant to the Words uttered at least some 80, 90, or 100 a propagandist, and one trembled to know mother Mallika Hewavitharana’s exem- Anagarika Dharmapala at the beginning achievement of its ultimate goal, years ago should not be interpreted as if that such a figure stood at the head of the plary personal conduct induced the young more directly than the author of ‘Light of Buddhism does not have to confront sci- they were uttered yesterday. movement to consolidate all the disciples boy to pursue the Buddhist way of life. Asia’ were the Theosophists Madame ence on this count. But the idea of evolu- In any case honouring the memory of of Buddha and to spread the light of Asia It was a time when a newfound inter- Helena Blavatsky and Colonel Steel Olcott tion, with its implicit causality principle, Anagarika Dharmapala does not mean throughout the world.” est in traditional Eastern philosophies who were Americans. (Naturally, these strikes a chord with Buddhists’ under- that his actual words and activities Those are the words that a journalist of and culture was sweeping across the are scoffed at by ignorant Western critics standing of how we came to be what we should be taken as a blueprint for us to the American journal St. Louis Observer West. Sir Edwin Arnold’s “Light of Asia” for their sympathy towards an Eastern are, the Paticcasamuppada (Dependent fashion our future; what is important is used to describe the impression that published in 1879 made a profound contri- religion. The mysticism they used to be Origination). Though most probably the the essence of his message, not its Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) creat- bution to the growing popularity of associated with is not a part of Anagarika had no clear understanding of ephemeral details that his words and ed on his distinguished audience when he Buddhism in the West. Having visited Buddhism, though.) They arrived in the the science of biological evolution, it was doings represented in a changing social addressed the World’s Parliament of Bodh Gaya (or Buddhagaya as we call it island in 1880, and embraced Buddhism natural for him as a missionary to high- context. His message was for national Religions in Chicago in 1893. His dis- in Sri Lanka) in 1885 Sir Arnold under- under an erudite Sinhalese Buddhist light his belief that this thing that threat- unity, independence, and cultural resusci- course on Buddhism so impressed Mr C.T. stood its significance for Buddhists, and monk. A youth of 16 then, David ened religion generally had no impact on tation, though this was articulated in the Strauss of New York, a scholar of philoso- started talking about the need to renovate Hewavitharana toured the country with his religion. Besides, religion was still so language of the time. phy and comparative religion, that he the sacred site and restore its mainte- Colonel Olcott helping him as his transla- anti-science then that an ability to claim decided to become a Buddhist. Later at a nance to Buddhists. The British govern- tor. He also learned Theosophy from the compatibility with modern scientific simple ceremony, with the Anagarika pre- ment of India initiated the restoration of Americans. ‘facts’ for Buddhism to establish its verac- siding, Strauss became the first American the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya Colonel Olcott took a keen interest in ity before the world was an opportunity to embrace Buddhism on home soil. After under the direction of Sir Alexander Buddhist education in the country. He not to be missed by a Buddhist missionary (in the then prevalent intellectual atmosphere ). To disseminate the Buddha Dhamma throughout the world he began the English monthly Maha Bodhi under his own editorship. Though he hated the British colonialists for belittling Remembering a Buddhism and Buddhist culture and their English speaking Westernised native lackeys for joining them, he did not despise the English language. It is obvi- ous that he knew that English was neces- sary for taking Buddhism to the world. National Hero There is evidence that he used English with great aplomb both in speaking and in writing. No doubt he desired a good (The 147th birth anniversary of Anagarika Buddhist education for the youth of the country including English and science. The scholar monks who taught him Dharmapala Thuma fell on 17th September 2011.) Buddhism and the monks who participat- ed in his work benefited from their knowledge of English. Ven. Migettuwatte his successful Chicago tour, Anagarika Cunningham. The young Don David Gunananda Thera, one of his early teach- Dharmapala was invited back to America might have drawn inspiration from ers as mentioned above, who delivered in 1896 and again in 1902-04 by Paul this to go and see the situation at such a humiliating defeat on his Carus. During these tours he travelled Bodh Gaya for himself. He, as Christian challengers at the famous widely around the country to lecture on Anagarika Dharmapala, while on a Panadura Debate (1873) had had a thor- Buddhism. pilgrimage there in 1891, deter- ough Christian education before he No Lankan before or since has so mined to wrest control of the place became a Buddhist monk at the age of 20. enhanced the image of the religion he from its incumbent Saivite trustees Of course, the anagarika was not a for Buddhists. To this end he cherished and that of the people he loved popular figure with the lackeys, which he in the eyes of the world as he has. At age launched a campaign to raise could have attached no importance to. 29 Anagarika Dharmapala was already an awareness of the matter among Naturally, most of his critics came from international figure, and a colossus Buddhists, particularly among among them. Some individuals who do among the champions of Theravada Sinhalese Buddhists. He also found- not sympathise with what he stood up for Buddhism, Sinhalese Buddhist cultural ed the Mahabodhi Society in feel justified in describing him as a heritage, and anti-imperialist social Colombo in 1891, but moved its ‘Sinhala chauvinist’; The Anagarika reform. And unique among them, he was headquarters to Calcutta (present spoke his mind about what he perceived prodigiously active pursuing his cause in Kolkata), the to be wrong with the Sinhalese without three continents of the world – Asia, capital city of mincing his words; he spoke fearlessly North America, and Europe. One aspect India at that against the British colonialists. But it was of his nobility lies in the fact that though time, the fol- not the 21st century yet with its mod- he was born into a rich Colombo family, a lowing year. came back to the island ernist political values; in fact, he spent natural heir to the wealth, privilege, and No doubt, he in1886 with C.W. more than half of his life in the 19th cen- prestige that its elite status implied, he felt that as Leadbeater. They inau- tury. Had he been living today he’d have renounced all that, and became an ana- India was the gurated a fund called spoken a different idiom. garika (a person who has voluntarily birth place of the Buddhist Who would have condemned him for become homeless to be free from the Buddhism he Educational Fund. The asking Sinhalese parents to make scare- engagements and encumbrances of nor- had to operate young Don David trav- crows out of banana tree trunks and have mal secular life) to fully devote himself to from there. BY ROHANA R. WASALA elled across the island their children beat them with sticks and the service of humanity. He was not a When with Colonel Olcott on kick them pretending them to be Whites? religious fanatic as his intolerant detrac- Anagarika a campaign for the He meant to instil a sense of just defiance tors maliciously and baselessly assert Dharmapala visited India in 1891, he establishment of Buddhist schools. in the young towards the occupying race. quoting him out of context and misinter- found that Buddhism had completely dis- Ananda, Nalanda, and Visaka Colleges in What’s wrong in his talking about the preting his actions, but an intrepid popu- appeared from the land of its origin. He Colombo, Dharmaraja College in Kandy, past glory of the Sinhalese or their for- lariser of the ‘dharma’ which he was con- was appalled by the way the most hal- Mahinda College in Galle, and mer greatness as a race? All self respect- vinced was the way to make all lowed places for the Buddhists such as Maliyadeva College in Kurunegala are ing races would do similar things, espe- humankind happy in this world and in Saranath, Kushinagar, and Lumbini some of the most prominent ones among cially when they feel that they are being the hereafter.

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