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- Lucifer, vol. 6, no. 31, March 1890, pp. 66-68
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Title for references: Fawcett E.D. - Theosophical Activities
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Dear “Lucifer”, – In pursuance of a promise gracefully exacted from me by your editors, I proceed to forward you my first “foreign letter”. From time to time you will be in receipt of similar missives, when anything of note in matters theosophical puts in an appearance. If you are desirous of acknowledging this correspondence, I may remark en passant that the greed of the Theosophist (for copy anent your doings at home) is all but insatiable. Perhaps one of your many friends who realises the importance of keeping up the line of communication will be moved to take up the pen.
Just now, as you will have noticed, my theme is sunny Lanka, in which beautiful island the Colonel and myself have been staying for about a fortnight. Within that short space of time excellent work has been accomplished by our energetic and single-hearted President. Àpropos of his labours, I doubt very much whether many of our British or American members have as yet realised the extremely high pressure at which these latter are conducted. Now it is the inauguration of a school, now an interview with the Governor or some prominent official, now a weary round of expostulations with lazy and indifferent members, now the inevitable “address”; together with a succession of minor duties; the whole constituting a very arduous task. Nevertheless, if the tree is to be judged by its fruit, Colonel Olcott's efforts ought to be regarded by him as in every way satisfactory. During the past fortnight new energy has been infused into the Colombo branch, a Buddhist girls’ school opened under the wing of the newly formed Ladies’ Educational Society, and finally, the Ceylon Section organised under favourable auspices. The promotion of education among the Buddhist youth is a very strong feature of the Society's Ceylon programme. Upwards of thirty-five schools have been already organised by our members and friends under the general superintendence of the Society. The latest important fact in this connexion is the conference now in progress between the Hon. Mr. Rama Nathan, Member of the Legislative Council, and Colonel Olcott, relative to the establishment of a Hindu-Buddhist College at Colombo. It is difficult, therefore, to conceive how the rumour as to the apathy of our workers in Ceylon has gained ground. Facts such as the above constitute the best answer to such notions. Altogether, it would be well if some of the useless armchair criticasters who depreciate the Colonel’s work would subject their vapourings to the decisive test of facts. When it is publicly admitted by the High Priest Sumangala that the Society’s efforts, dating from 1880, have been the means of reviving the fervour of Sinhalese Buddhists and restoring the sublime teachings of our Lord Buddha to their former place in many a once recreant heart, it is clear that immense progress has been effected. Let me now briefly recapitulate some of our joint experiences.
On arriving at the headquarters we were warmly welcomed by Mr. C. F. Powell, who has done such yeoman service for the cause of Buddhism in Ceylon. This gentleman, for some six months the terror of missionary school managers
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whose malefic institutions he has so often denuded of scholars, has recently left the island for a tour round the branches in Southern India. Henceforward the Ceylon Section and branches will enjoy the democratic boon of Home Rule subject to the supervisory control of the President. As some very capable and energetic members are attached to them, there is every reason for confidence in their future.
By the death of the late Dharma Gunawardena Mohandiram, the Colombo branch has lost an excellent President and the Oriental College a munificent founder. About three thousand people were massed around the pyre at the Crematorium, from the platform of which Gnanisara Thero, the chief pupil of the High Priest, and the Colonel delivered the customary funeral orations. The beautiful Buddhist ceremony, celebrated amid the picturesque accompaniments of an Oriental landscape, is most impressive.
Wellawatta wore a remarkably gay aspect last Sunday when we attended the opening of a Buddhist girls’ school, the fruit of the efforts of the “Ladies' Educational Society,” itself an offshoot of Theosophical work in the island. This movement, the initiation of which is due to two members of the Colombo branch, has for its object the education of Buddhist girls, and it needs no laboured reasoning to demonstrate its importance.
If the future mothers of Buddhists are to receive the benefit of an education free from the debasing accompaniments of Old Testament “morality” and the meaningless verbage of illiterate missionaries, it is essential that they should not be dependent on the existing educational resources. Hence the origination of this ladies’ movement, which can already muster over 800 members.
The difficulty at present is want of funds. Nevertheless, it is to be hoped that these energetic representatives of the fair sex will resort to that domestic plan of campaign so effective in the case of new bonnets or dainty gowns. Among those present on the above occasion were the High Priest, H. Sumangala, Subhuti Thero, and a score or so of the yellow-robed monks. The school-house was beautifully decorated, and altogether all went merry as a marriage bell, the “collection” – save the mark – amounting to some 500 rupees.
I have now to acquaint you with the result of a most productive interview with the High Priest regarding the inner meaning of Buddhistic teaching. Having drawn up at the Colonel’s request a list of searching metaphysical questions, I repaired with him, the eminent scholar Mr. Wyesinha, translator of “Mahavansa”, and three or four other native gentlemen to the College. For the results of that discussion I must refer you to the Theosophist, but suffice it here to say that we established four points among others: –
(a) That the points of difference which obtain between the Buddhism of the Southern Church and the Esoteric doctrine are inconsiderable, when compared with the striking parallelisms discoverable.
(b) That the expression “materialistic” as applied to Southern Buddhism is utterly unfounded, and that the Orientalists have, as usual, proved incompetent to grapple with the subtlety of the Eastern metaphysical mind.
(c) That the doctrine of a Transcendental Subject not present in ordinary consciousness is admitted by Sumangala. [This I regard as most gratifying and remarkable.]
(d) That Southern Buddhism confirms the Esoteric derivation of man from ethereal, long-lived and giant races, to which an alimentary canal, etc. was foreign. The men of these races represented so spiritual a level of consciousness as to leave little or no room for intellectual thinking. With shorter lives and more material frames came intellectual evolution [Manas] and the rush of passion.
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Our hearty thanks were given to Mr. Wyesinha, who consented to interpret, since, but for his mastery of English and Sinhalese, the complexity of the points raised would have brought about an absolute deadlock. He has since very kindly consented to act with the High Priest in exploiting a fresh series of questions relating to Nirvana, the Rupas, psychology, the stages of Vidarsana (or mystic spiritual insight) and other points dealt with in the Vissuddhi Magga and the Abhidamma. I expect an accession of valuable data as the result of this step.
The Colonel and myself were highly pleased with the result of our afternoon's discussion (duly taken down by Mr. E. Buultjens, Editor of the Buddhist). It serves to render the assaults of the Orientalists on our so-called “spurious Buddhism” mere waste paper. This is, indeed, a step forward. I took pansil yesterday evening, Sumangala being in the chair, before an enormous crowd, which I subsequently addressed on the “Spread of Buddhism [1] in the West”, emphasising the contrast between the vague and contradictory creeds of ecclesiastical Christianity – with their maximum of a personal God and minimum of philosophic thought – and the impregnable basis of Buddhism, to wit, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Karma, Reincarnation, and Nirvana. The Colonel afterwards delivered an incisive speech, in which he referred with appropriate fervour to the revival of Buddhist enthusiasm in Ceylon and the sudden check which missionary enterprise had received, a fact on which the High Priest subsequently laid great stress.
On Sunday, 30th, we leave for Adyar.
Footnotes
- ↑ Query: Budhism? [Ed.].