Sri Lanka: Olcott, the Picketts and Buddhist women’s education

[marasinghe]

1. Hi ellisonz. dunno who you meant; but thanks for the post. o/\o

Bit of info. on Colonel Olcott:

Apart from being a founder of the Theosophical Society, with the Russian spiritualist, Madame Blavatsky, Colonel Olcott helped a great deal in the lay Buddhist renaissance of Sri Lanka. After around 500 years of European invasions, and partial & total occupations, the practice of Buddhism by the general public was enervated. As a caucasian foreigner, the colonel was allowed more leeway by the British occupation, than locals; even the Monks (one famous local monk had been executed by firing squad, around that time, for tearing down a British flag).

Colonel Olcott used most of his flexibility & freedom, to promote Buddhist education & the schooling of the natives. He even helped formulate & publish a Buddhist "catechism", along the lines of Christain catechisms - to be used in religious education. I believe, it is still in print; had a copy of it a while back - which i passed on to a friend. He was also instrumental in starting the premier Buddhist public school in Sri Lanka, Ananda college. I believe all this activity, led to the British gradually marginalizing him and pushing his departure from the country.

Colonel Olcott was from New Jersey; he served with the Union army; and, it is believed that a primary impulses for his involvement with religion & spirituality, was the carnage witnessed in civil war battles.

He is revered in Sri Lanka; with streets & locations named after him; a statue of the man standing beside the main railway station in the capital; etc.. He wasn't quite the regular 'Jersey Shore' guy.