Podcasts about anagarika dharmapala

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Latest podcast episodes about anagarika dharmapala

Transfigured
Does Moral Therapeutic Deism still exist?

Transfigured

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 84:17


This two-part video series provides a deep historical analysis of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD), tracing its ingredients from 19th-century New England intellectual and social revolutions to its status as America's de facto civic religion. We argue that MTD collapsed when the sexual and moral revolutions forced a devastating fracture between its Christian heritage and its core principles of self-actualization and benevolence, leading to the polarized political landscape of today.Moralist Therapeutic Deism Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eHYMzanOvs&t=4679s @triggerpod   @InterestingTimesNYT   @JonathanPageau   @PaulVanderKlay 00:00:00 - Introduction and Recap00:10:07 - MTD, Chicago, and Obama00:13:00 - Cornell as Microcosm00:25:15 - Tim Keller on programatic secularism00:35:55 - Mainline Christianity00:37:45 - Wokeness and MTD00:47:05 - MTD and Partisanship00:49:20 - Arena vs Agent00:51:00 - Donald Trump 00:56:15 - Nationalism vs Globalism01:03:40 - Who killed MTD?01:05:55 - Competing Arenas01:08:25 - The future of Christian NationalismIn this video I mention:Aaron Renn, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Baker, Alfred, Allen C. Guelzo, Amos, Andrew Jackson Davis, Ann Lee, Anagarika Dharmapala, Arthur Conan Doyle, Athanasius, Barack Obama, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Graham, Black Lives Matter, Bud, Buddha, Calvin, Cathleen Falsani, Catherine Fox, Charles B. Rosna, Charles Carroll Bonney, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Charlie Kirk, Christian Smith, Christopher Pearse Cranch, Clement of Alexandria, Conrad Grebel, Constantine, David Bentley Hart, Deepak Chopra, Donahoe, Donald Trump, Eddie Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elijah Muhammad, Eliott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Elizabeth Keckley, Ellen Todd, Emilie Todd Helm, Emanuel Swedenborg, Epictetus, Erica Kirk, Ernst Troeltsch, Ezra Klein, Fanny Hayes Platt, Faustus Socinus, Finney, Fox Sisters, Franz Anton Mesmer, Fred Shuttlesworth, Frederick the Wise, Friedrich Nietzsche, Galen, George Barna, George Fox, George W. Bush, Gregory of Nyssa, Henry Clay, Henry David Thoreau, Henry James, H. P. Blavatsky, H. Richard Niebuhr, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harold Ockenga, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Helen Schucman, Hosea Ballou, J. Gresham Machen, Jacob Blake, James, James Comey, James Lindsay, James Russell Lowell, Jared Sparks, Jean H. Baker, Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Jesus Christ, Jim Lindsay, John, John Adams, John Bunyan, John D. Rockefeller, John Henry Barrows, John Locke, John Milton, John Murray, John Stott, Jonathan Edwards, Jordan Peterson, Joseph Priestly, Joseph Smith, Judith Skutch, Julius Dresser, Kant, Karl Menninger, Karlstadt, Kate Fox, Kenneth Minkema, Koot Hoomi, Kyle Rittenhouse, Lelio Socinus, Leonard Zusne, Lou Malnatis, Luke Thompson (  @WhiteStoneName  ), Lyman Beecher, Madame Blavatsky, Margaretta Fox, Marianne Williamson, Mark Parker (  @MarkDParker  ) , Mark Twain, Mary Baker Eddy, Mary Todd Lincoln, Matt Herman, Meister Eckhart, Melinda Lundquist Denton, Mesmer, Micah, Michael Bronky, Michael Servetus, Monophysite, Morya, Moses, Nancy Pelosi, Napoleon Bonaparte, Nettie Colburn Maynard, Newton, Niccolò Machiavelli, Nicholas of Cusa, Norman Vincent Peale, Oprah, Origen, Paul, Paul Tillich, Paul Vanderlay, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, Plotinus, Proclus, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ramakrishna, Rick Warren, Robert Schuller, Robin D'Angelo, Rod Dreher, Ronald Reagan, Ross Douthat, Rowan Williams, Rudolf Steiner, Samuel Johnson, Septimus J. Hanna, Shailer Mathews, Shakers, Shadrach, Socrates, Soyen Shaku, Swami Vivekananda, Tad Lincoln, Tertullian, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Starr King, Tracy Herman, Virchand Gandhi, Victoria Woodhull, Warren Felt Evans, William Ellery Channing, William James, William Lloyd Garrison, William Newton Clarke, Willie Lincoln, Winthrop, Zwingli.

america jesus christ donald trump chicago barack obama black lives matter oprah winfrey wise new england moral exist arena newton buddha nancy pelosi abraham lincoln charlie kirk george w bush cornell jordan peterson ronald reagan kyle rittenhouse mark twain deepak chopra socrates therapeutic thomas jefferson benjamin franklin bud nationalism kant origen james comey marianne williamson clement billy graham john adams wokeness shadrach galen tim keller thomas aquinas friedrich nietzsche ralph waldo emerson joseph smith henry david thoreau eleanor roosevelt jonathan edwards napoleon bonaparte arthur conan doyle shakers rick warren john locke finney william james epictetus henry james john d rockefeller ezra klein athanasius john milton winthrop rudolf steiner john bunyan cusa james lindsay christian smith samuel johnson john murray john stott tertullian rod dreher norman vincent peale ross douthat eliott meister eckhart swami vivekananda harriet beecher stowe george barna ramakrishna fox sisters rowan williams zwingli deism elizabeth cady stanton mary todd lincoln blavatsky henry clay mesmer elijah muhammad paul tillich mtd madame blavatsky aaron renn plotinus ann lee george fox david bentley hart victoria woodhull emanuel swedenborg charles haddon spurgeon kate fox mary baker eddy william lloyd garrison robert schuller helen schucman franz anton mesmer karlstadt proclus catherine fox james russell lowell elizabeth keckley allen c guelzo jim lindsay michael servetus william ellery channing joseph priestly cathleen falsani morya conrad grebel jean h baker anagarika dharmapala
the buddhist other
Ep. 1: The Great White Buddhist Col. Henry Steel Olcott

the buddhist other

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 81:37


There is no question that modern Buddhist practice, especially in Sri Lanka and the United States, was heavily influenced by the work of Theosophy’s co-founder Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. Who was this Civil War era Renaissance Man and how did he influence modern Buddhism? We hope that by shedding light on his impact it may help open the conversation about Buddhist esotericism, mysticism and magic that seem to be muted in the practices and study of modern Buddhism, especially from the viewpoint of Western Scientific Materialism. Let’s make Dharma magic again! The Three Tenets of Zen Peacemakers What is Protestant Buddhism? Oxford definition https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/a-protestant-buddhism/ The White Buddhist: The Asian Odyssey of Henry Steel Olcott by Stephen Prothero Spiritualism The evolution of funeral practices in the United States: Henry Olcott and cremation in America People from the Other World by Henry Steel Olcott Olcott’s book regarding events at the Eddy Farm. The Garibaldini- Italian Redshirts Explanation of Theosophy’s “Masters” Olcott’s descriptions of his meetings with Master Morya The death of Arthur Conan Doyle’s son and Spriitualism: It is often put forward that Arthur Conan Doyle’s interest in Spiritualism was due to the death of his son Kingsley in 1918. ACD had a lifelong interest in the mystical and paranormal. In fact his interest in Spiritualism can be dated as early as 1887 when he published an article in the journal of the London Spiritualistic Alliance. In 1883 he joined the thriving Society for Psychical Research. But Kingsley’s death from a long convalescence following a wound acquired at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 did appear to strengthen his belief in spirit communication and life after death. He believed that Spiritualism was a New Revelation sent by God to bring solace to so many who were experiencing loss. He began lecturing on Spiritualism in 1916 and wrote The New Revelation in 1918 on this theme. The Trickster and the Paranormal by George P. Hansen Anagarika Dharmapala http://www.anagarikadharmapala.org/life_2_our-teachers.php Maha Bodhi Society founded by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1891 1893’s World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago’s World’s Fair Wiki article on Olcott’s The Buddhist Catechism https://theosophy.wiki/en/The_Buddhist_Catechism_(book) Swami Vivekenanda’s speech at the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions Jiddu Krishnamurti’ split with Theosophy: While HPB did state that a goal of Theosophy was to prepare for the coming of Lord Maitreya, it was actually her successors Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater who found Krishnamurti and proclaimed him to be the next Maitreaya. While he originally embraced this role, Krishnamurti rejected this call in 1929 and stated, "I do not want followers. My only concern is to set men absolutely, unconditionally free,” a stunning announcement by today’s standards for influencers and religious leaders. Free copy of Olcott’s The Buddhist Catechism Thudong practice Dipa Ma’s website The Buddha’s Wizards: Magic, Protection and Healing in Burmese Buddhism by Thomas Nathan Patton Ordaining the trees in Thailand Metta Sutta (with tree spirits!) This was our first episode and we’ve left in some of our inaccuracies, and our um’s and actuallies. Below are not only links for what we don’t cover in depth, but also some corrections where we weren’t 100% accurate. Thanks for your understanding as we learn to be better presenters! We hope you enjoyed our discussion as much as we enjoyed making the episode.

The Windhorse Publications Podcast
'Teachers of Enlightenment' and going for refuge as part of a global sangha - a conversation with Vajratara

The Windhorse Publications Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 35:27


The Dharma is a universal teaching and an array of practices for liberation. In history, it is embodied by teachers who respond to the particular forms of suffering and bondage that they are born into, human and social.  In its spread between India and what could broadly be called the West, the Triratna Buddhist movement and order is rather unique in contemporary convert Buddhism.  In this episode, Dhammamegha is in conversation with Vajratara about the recent developments in the Refuge Tree of the Triratna Buddhist community and order, and the release of a new edition of the book Teachers of Enlightenment by Kulananda. They speak about the inclusion of Dr. Ambedkar from India and Anagarika Dharmapala from Sri Lanka as engaged teachers whom Sangharakshita found inspiring.   Links:  Order Teachers of Enlightenment online from your nearest independent bookshop or:  Buy Teachers of Enlightenment (Europe) Buy Teachers of Enlightenment (US & Canada)   Find out more about Sangharakshita and the founding of the Triratna Buddhist movement in Nagabodhi's recently published Sangharakshita: The Boy, The Man, The Monk.   The Anagarika Dharmapala biography and other writings are included in Volume 8 of the Complete Works of Sangharakshita, Beating the Dharma Drum: India Writings II   FutureDharma Fund Follow Windhorse Publications on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. Subscribe to our newsletter.

New Books in South Asian Studies
Steven E. Kemper, “Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World” (U of Chicago Press, 2015)

New Books in South Asian Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2015 70:28


In his recent book, Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Steven E. Kemper examines the Sinhala layman Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) and argues that this figure has been misunderstood by both Sinhala nationalists, who have appropriated him for their own political ends, and scholars, who have portrayed Dharmapala primarily as a social reformer and a Sinhala chauvinist. Making extensive use of theJournal of the Mahabodhi Society,effectively a forum for the expression of Dharmapala’s own opinions, and the entirety of Dharmapala’s meticulous diaries, which cover a forty-year period, Kemper asserts that Dharmapala was above all a religious seeker–a world renouncer who at times sought to emulate the life of the Buddha. Central to Kemper’s study of Dharmapala are the diametrically opposed themes of universalism and nationalism.While Dharmapala was realistic in so far as he understood that the various Buddhist sects and orders could not be united due to sectarian, ethnic, and caste and class-related divisions, his Buddhist identity was in no way based on his own Sinhala identity, and his life was organized around three universalisms: an Asian Buddhist universalism, the universalism of Theosophy, and the universalism of the British imperium.He spent most of his adult life living outside of Sri Lanka and at various times imagined and hoped to be reborn in India, Japan, Switzerland, and England. Dharmapala devoted much of his life to establishing Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, which had been the legal property of a Saivite monastic order since the early eighteenth century and had since come to be thoroughly incorporated into a Hindu pilgrimage route. His interest in the temple was in part a result of his own efforts to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, but was also his attempt to establish a geographical point of focus for Buddhists–a Buddhist Mecca, if you will–around which Buddhists could rally and come together. He looked to many sources of potential support, including the Bengali elite, Japan, the Thai royal family, and British government officials in India, but in the end failed to achieve his aim. In contrast to previous depictions of Dharmapala as a Protestant Buddhist who encouraged the laicization of Buddhism, Kemper shows that Dharmapala was if anything an ascetic at heart who believed celibacy was a prerequisite for soteriological progress and participation in Buddhist work (sasana), who emphasized meditation, and whose spiritual aspirations are visible from a very early age.Kemper also shows that the influence of Theosophy on Dharmapala’s interpretation of Buddhism and thought more broadly did not end with his formal break with the American Colonel Olcott and the Theosophical Society in 1905, but continued to the end of his life, a fact obscured by Sinhala nationalistic portrayals of him. At some 500 pages,Rescued from the Nationincludes detailed discussions of many contemporaneous figures, movements, and trends. These include Japanese institutional interest in India, Japanese nationalism, and the struggles of Japanese Buddhism in the aftermath of the Meiji restoration; the World Parliament of Religions that took place in Chicago in 1893 and the emergence of the category of “world religion”; the Bengali Renaissance and associated figures such as Swami Vivekananda; Western interest in Buddhism and Indian religion; and South Asian resistance to British colonial governance. In this way, this book will be of great value to those interested in Asian religions and modernity, Buddhist and Hindu revival movements, Asian nationalisms, and Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

chicago england japan british religion japanese western indian asian switzerland buddhist buddhism buddha sri lanka thai hindu rescued south asian bengali chicago press kemper theosophy meiji swami vivekananda theosophical society bodh gaya sinhala japanese buddhism thejournal world parliament buddhist world mahabodhi temple asian buddhist dharmapala saivite anagarika dharmapala bengali renaissance steven e kemper nation anagarika dharmapala mahabodhi society buddhist mecca protestant buddhist american colonel olcott nationincludes
New Books in History
Steven E. Kemper, “Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World” (U of Chicago Press, 2015)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2015 70:28


In his recent book, Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Steven E. Kemper examines the Sinhala layman Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) and argues that this figure has been misunderstood by both Sinhala nationalists, who have appropriated him for their own political ends, and scholars, who have portrayed Dharmapala primarily as a social reformer and a Sinhala chauvinist. Making extensive use of theJournal of the Mahabodhi Society,effectively a forum for the expression of Dharmapala’s own opinions, and the entirety of Dharmapala’s meticulous diaries, which cover a forty-year period, Kemper asserts that Dharmapala was above all a religious seeker–a world renouncer who at times sought to emulate the life of the Buddha. Central to Kemper’s study of Dharmapala are the diametrically opposed themes of universalism and nationalism.While Dharmapala was realistic in so far as he understood that the various Buddhist sects and orders could not be united due to sectarian, ethnic, and caste and class-related divisions, his Buddhist identity was in no way based on his own Sinhala identity, and his life was organized around three universalisms: an Asian Buddhist universalism, the universalism of Theosophy, and the universalism of the British imperium.He spent most of his adult life living outside of Sri Lanka and at various times imagined and hoped to be reborn in India, Japan, Switzerland, and England. Dharmapala devoted much of his life to establishing Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, which had been the legal property of a Saivite monastic order since the early eighteenth century and had since come to be thoroughly incorporated into a Hindu pilgrimage route. His interest in the temple was in part a result of his own efforts to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, but was also his attempt to establish a geographical point of focus for Buddhists–a Buddhist Mecca, if you will–around which Buddhists could rally and come together. He looked to many sources of potential support, including the Bengali elite, Japan, the Thai royal family, and British government officials in India, but in the end failed to achieve his aim. In contrast to previous depictions of Dharmapala as a Protestant Buddhist who encouraged the laicization of Buddhism, Kemper shows that Dharmapala was if anything an ascetic at heart who believed celibacy was a prerequisite for soteriological progress and participation in Buddhist work (sasana), who emphasized meditation, and whose spiritual aspirations are visible from a very early age.Kemper also shows that the influence of Theosophy on Dharmapala’s interpretation of Buddhism and thought more broadly did not end with his formal break with the American Colonel Olcott and the Theosophical Society in 1905, but continued to the end of his life, a fact obscured by Sinhala nationalistic portrayals of him. At some 500 pages,Rescued from the Nationincludes detailed discussions of many contemporaneous figures, movements, and trends. These include Japanese institutional interest in India, Japanese nationalism, and the struggles of Japanese Buddhism in the aftermath of the Meiji restoration; the World Parliament of Religions that took place in Chicago in 1893 and the emergence of the category of “world religion”; the Bengali Renaissance and associated figures such as Swami Vivekananda; Western interest in Buddhism and Indian religion; and South Asian resistance to British colonial governance. In this way, this book will be of great value to those interested in Asian religions and modernity, Buddhist and Hindu revival movements, Asian nationalisms, and Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

chicago england japan british religion japanese western indian asian switzerland buddhist buddhism buddha sri lanka thai hindu rescued south asian bengali chicago press kemper theosophy meiji swami vivekananda theosophical society bodh gaya sinhala japanese buddhism thejournal world parliament buddhist world mahabodhi temple asian buddhist dharmapala saivite anagarika dharmapala bengali renaissance steven e kemper nation anagarika dharmapala mahabodhi society buddhist mecca protestant buddhist american colonel olcott nationincludes
New Books in East Asian Studies
Steven E. Kemper, “Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World” (U of Chicago Press, 2015)

New Books in East Asian Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2015 70:28


In his recent book, Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Steven E. Kemper examines the Sinhala layman Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) and argues that this figure has been misunderstood by both Sinhala nationalists, who have appropriated him for their own political ends,... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

rescued chicago press kemper sinhala buddhist world anagarika dharmapala nation anagarika dharmapala steven e kemper
New Books in Religion
Steven E. Kemper, “Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World” (U of Chicago Press, 2015)

New Books in Religion

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2015 70:28


In his recent book, Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Steven E. Kemper examines the Sinhala layman Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) and argues that this figure has been misunderstood by both Sinhala nationalists, who have appropriated him for their own political ends, and scholars, who have portrayed Dharmapala primarily as a social reformer and a Sinhala chauvinist. Making extensive use of theJournal of the Mahabodhi Society,effectively a forum for the expression of Dharmapala’s own opinions, and the entirety of Dharmapala’s meticulous diaries, which cover a forty-year period, Kemper asserts that Dharmapala was above all a religious seeker–a world renouncer who at times sought to emulate the life of the Buddha. Central to Kemper’s study of Dharmapala are the diametrically opposed themes of universalism and nationalism.While Dharmapala was realistic in so far as he understood that the various Buddhist sects and orders could not be united due to sectarian, ethnic, and caste and class-related divisions, his Buddhist identity was in no way based on his own Sinhala identity, and his life was organized around three universalisms: an Asian Buddhist universalism, the universalism of Theosophy, and the universalism of the British imperium.He spent most of his adult life living outside of Sri Lanka and at various times imagined and hoped to be reborn in India, Japan, Switzerland, and England. Dharmapala devoted much of his life to establishing Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, which had been the legal property of a Saivite monastic order since the early eighteenth century and had since come to be thoroughly incorporated into a Hindu pilgrimage route. His interest in the temple was in part a result of his own efforts to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, but was also his attempt to establish a geographical point of focus for Buddhists–a Buddhist Mecca, if you will–around which Buddhists could rally and come together. He looked to many sources of potential support, including the Bengali elite, Japan, the Thai royal family, and British government officials in India, but in the end failed to achieve his aim. In contrast to previous depictions of Dharmapala as a Protestant Buddhist who encouraged the laicization of Buddhism, Kemper shows that Dharmapala was if anything an ascetic at heart who believed celibacy was a prerequisite for soteriological progress and participation in Buddhist work (sasana), who emphasized meditation, and whose spiritual aspirations are visible from a very early age.Kemper also shows that the influence of Theosophy on Dharmapala’s interpretation of Buddhism and thought more broadly did not end with his formal break with the American Colonel Olcott and the Theosophical Society in 1905, but continued to the end of his life, a fact obscured by Sinhala nationalistic portrayals of him. At some 500 pages,Rescued from the Nationincludes detailed discussions of many contemporaneous figures, movements, and trends. These include Japanese institutional interest in India, Japanese nationalism, and the struggles of Japanese Buddhism in the aftermath of the Meiji restoration; the World Parliament of Religions that took place in Chicago in 1893 and the emergence of the category of “world religion”; the Bengali Renaissance and associated figures such as Swami Vivekananda; Western interest in Buddhism and Indian religion; and South Asian resistance to British colonial governance. In this way, this book will be of great value to those interested in Asian religions and modernity, Buddhist and Hindu revival movements, Asian nationalisms, and Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

chicago england japan british religion japanese western indian asian switzerland buddhist buddhism buddha sri lanka thai hindu rescued south asian bengali chicago press kemper theosophy meiji swami vivekananda theosophical society bodh gaya sinhala japanese buddhism thejournal world parliament buddhist world mahabodhi temple asian buddhist dharmapala saivite anagarika dharmapala bengali renaissance steven e kemper nation anagarika dharmapala mahabodhi society buddhist mecca protestant buddhist american colonel olcott nationincludes
New Books in Buddhist Studies
Steven E. Kemper, “Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World” (U of Chicago Press, 2015)

New Books in Buddhist Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2015 70:28


In his recent book, Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Steven E. Kemper examines the Sinhala layman Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) and argues that this figure has been misunderstood by both Sinhala nationalists, who have appropriated him for their own political ends, and scholars, who have portrayed Dharmapala primarily as a social reformer and a Sinhala chauvinist. Making extensive use of theJournal of the Mahabodhi Society,effectively a forum for the expression of Dharmapala’s own opinions, and the entirety of Dharmapala’s meticulous diaries, which cover a forty-year period, Kemper asserts that Dharmapala was above all a religious seeker–a world renouncer who at times sought to emulate the life of the Buddha. Central to Kemper’s study of Dharmapala are the diametrically opposed themes of universalism and nationalism.While Dharmapala was realistic in so far as he understood that the various Buddhist sects and orders could not be united due to sectarian, ethnic, and caste and class-related divisions, his Buddhist identity was in no way based on his own Sinhala identity, and his life was organized around three universalisms: an Asian Buddhist universalism, the universalism of Theosophy, and the universalism of the British imperium.He spent most of his adult life living outside of Sri Lanka and at various times imagined and hoped to be reborn in India, Japan, Switzerland, and England. Dharmapala devoted much of his life to establishing Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, which had been the legal property of a Saivite monastic order since the early eighteenth century and had since come to be thoroughly incorporated into a Hindu pilgrimage route. His interest in the temple was in part a result of his own efforts to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, but was also his attempt to establish a geographical point of focus for Buddhists–a Buddhist Mecca, if you will–around which Buddhists could rally and come together. He looked to many sources of potential support, including the Bengali elite, Japan, the Thai royal family, and British government officials in India, but in the end failed to achieve his aim. In contrast to previous depictions of Dharmapala as a Protestant Buddhist who encouraged the laicization of Buddhism, Kemper shows that Dharmapala was if anything an ascetic at heart who believed celibacy was a prerequisite for soteriological progress and participation in Buddhist work (sasana), who emphasized meditation, and whose spiritual aspirations are visible from a very early age.Kemper also shows that the influence of Theosophy on Dharmapala’s interpretation of Buddhism and thought more broadly did not end with his formal break with the American Colonel Olcott and the Theosophical Society in 1905, but continued to the end of his life, a fact obscured by Sinhala nationalistic portrayals of him. At some 500 pages,Rescued from the Nationincludes detailed discussions of many contemporaneous figures, movements, and trends. These include Japanese institutional interest in India, Japanese nationalism, and the struggles of Japanese Buddhism in the aftermath of the Meiji restoration; the World Parliament of Religions that took place in Chicago in 1893 and the emergence of the category of “world religion”; the Bengali Renaissance and associated figures such as Swami Vivekananda; Western interest in Buddhism and Indian religion; and South Asian resistance to British colonial governance. In this way, this book will be of great value to those interested in Asian religions and modernity, Buddhist and Hindu revival movements, Asian nationalisms, and Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

chicago england japan british religion japanese western indian asian switzerland buddhist buddhism buddha sri lanka thai hindu rescued south asian bengali chicago press kemper theosophy meiji swami vivekananda theosophical society bodh gaya sinhala japanese buddhism thejournal world parliament buddhist world mahabodhi temple asian buddhist dharmapala saivite anagarika dharmapala bengali renaissance steven e kemper nation anagarika dharmapala mahabodhi society buddhist mecca protestant buddhist american colonel olcott nationincludes
New Books Network
Steven E. Kemper, “Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World” (U of Chicago Press, 2015)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2015 70:28


In his recent book, Rescued from the Nation: Anagarika Dharmapala and the Buddhist World (University of Chicago Press, 2015), Steven E. Kemper examines the Sinhala layman Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933) and argues that this figure has been misunderstood by both Sinhala nationalists, who have appropriated him for their own political ends, and scholars, who have portrayed Dharmapala primarily as a social reformer and a Sinhala chauvinist. Making extensive use of theJournal of the Mahabodhi Society,effectively a forum for the expression of Dharmapala’s own opinions, and the entirety of Dharmapala’s meticulous diaries, which cover a forty-year period, Kemper asserts that Dharmapala was above all a religious seeker–a world renouncer who at times sought to emulate the life of the Buddha. Central to Kemper’s study of Dharmapala are the diametrically opposed themes of universalism and nationalism.While Dharmapala was realistic in so far as he understood that the various Buddhist sects and orders could not be united due to sectarian, ethnic, and caste and class-related divisions, his Buddhist identity was in no way based on his own Sinhala identity, and his life was organized around three universalisms: an Asian Buddhist universalism, the universalism of Theosophy, and the universalism of the British imperium.He spent most of his adult life living outside of Sri Lanka and at various times imagined and hoped to be reborn in India, Japan, Switzerland, and England. Dharmapala devoted much of his life to establishing Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, which had been the legal property of a Saivite monastic order since the early eighteenth century and had since come to be thoroughly incorporated into a Hindu pilgrimage route. His interest in the temple was in part a result of his own efforts to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, but was also his attempt to establish a geographical point of focus for Buddhists–a Buddhist Mecca, if you will–around which Buddhists could rally and come together. He looked to many sources of potential support, including the Bengali elite, Japan, the Thai royal family, and British government officials in India, but in the end failed to achieve his aim. In contrast to previous depictions of Dharmapala as a Protestant Buddhist who encouraged the laicization of Buddhism, Kemper shows that Dharmapala was if anything an ascetic at heart who believed celibacy was a prerequisite for soteriological progress and participation in Buddhist work (sasana), who emphasized meditation, and whose spiritual aspirations are visible from a very early age.Kemper also shows that the influence of Theosophy on Dharmapala’s interpretation of Buddhism and thought more broadly did not end with his formal break with the American Colonel Olcott and the Theosophical Society in 1905, but continued to the end of his life, a fact obscured by Sinhala nationalistic portrayals of him. At some 500 pages,Rescued from the Nationincludes detailed discussions of many contemporaneous figures, movements, and trends. These include Japanese institutional interest in India, Japanese nationalism, and the struggles of Japanese Buddhism in the aftermath of the Meiji restoration; the World Parliament of Religions that took place in Chicago in 1893 and the emergence of the category of “world religion”; the Bengali Renaissance and associated figures such as Swami Vivekananda; Western interest in Buddhism and Indian religion; and South Asian resistance to British colonial governance. In this way, this book will be of great value to those interested in Asian religions and modernity, Buddhist and Hindu revival movements, Asian nationalisms, and Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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