The white Buddhist : the Asian odyssey of Henry Steel Olcott

The New York Times denounced him as an "unmitigated rascal". Others described him as a reincarnation of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka or perhaps Gautama Buddha himself. He was Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832 - 1907), friend to Madame Blavatsky and president-founder of the Theosophical Society. This book tells the fascinating story of his spiritual odyssey. Raised a Presbyterian in nineteenth century New York, Olcott embraced spiritualism and then theosophy before becoming the first American of European descent to make a formal conversion to Buddhism. Despite his repudiation of Christianity, Olcott's life was an extension of both the "errand to the wilderness" of his Puritan ancestors and the "errand to the world" of American Protestant missionaries. Olcott viewed himself as a defender of Asian religions against the missionaries, but his actions mirrored theirs. He wrote and distributed tracts and catechisms, promoted the translation of scriptures into vernacular languages, established Sunday schools, founded voluntary associations, and conducted revivals. And he too labored to "uplift" his Asian acquaintances, urging them to embrace social reforms such as temperance and women's rights. However one views his work, his legacy was a lasting one, and today he is revered in Sri Lanka as a leader of the Sinhalese Buddhist Revival and in India as a key contributor to the Indian Renaissance. The White Buddhist Contents Preface Introduction One Universal Reformer Universal Reform From Presbyterianism to Spiritualism "The Spiritualist's Faith" Agricultural Reform and Cultivating Character The Tribune The Civil War and Civil Service Reform Reforming the Law and Public Morals Two From Spiritualism to Theosophy People from the Other World Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Reforming Spiritualism The Theosophical Society First Presidential Address Two Theosophies A Theosophical Rite Unveiling Isis A Visit from the Masters Three An Errand to Asia East-West Correspondence Resisting Olcott's Heterodoxy Preparing the Way Rite of Passage On Sacred Soil "The Theosophical Society and Its Aims" The Theosophical Society and the Arya Samaj Business Matters The Theosophist Four The Sinhalese Buddhist Revival Buddhist Converts Spreading the Faith Second Ceylon Tour Buddhist Catechism Saraswati and the Arya Samaj Mesmeric Healings and Messianic Expectations Kotahena Riot and Buddhist Rights A London Mission Five A United Buddhist World Burma, Buddhism, and Blavatsky Japan Buddhist Platform Helena Blavatsky's Death Six The Indian Renaissance Caste and the Education of Untouchables Dravidian Buddhist Society Aryavarta and Academic Orientalism Instilling Character: The Hindu Boys' Association Adyar Library Opening The Unity of All Religions Revitalizing Zoroastrianism and Islam Evaluations Seven Things Fall Apart The Maha Bodhi Society Maha Bodhi Society Resignation Religious Unity Rebuffed A Declaration of Independence The Fall Last Rites Conclusion Abbreviations Notes Introduction 1. Universal Reformer 2. From Spiritualism to Theosophy 3. An Errand to Asia 4. The Sinhalese Buddhist Revival 5. A United Buddhist World 6. The Indian Renaissance 7. Things Fall Apart Conclusion Selected Bibliography Bibliographic Notes Primary Sources Newspapers and Periodicals Publications by Henry Steel Olcott Works Edited, Translated and Co-Authored by Henry Steel Olcott Other Primary Sources Secondary Sources Spiritualism, Theosophy and Buddhism in the West American Religion and Culture Buddhism and Hinduism in Asia Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z