Transcript Henry Steel Alcott

HENRY
STEEL ALCOTT
Prepared by Mrs Pang-Han Ah Yew
Biography (1)
 Born 2 Aug 1832 in Orange, New Jersey
 1st of six siblings
 Abandoned Univ studies in 1851 - failure of
father’s business
 Moved to farming in Ohio studied scientific
agriculture – educationalist - researcher
 Developed interest in hypnotism
 1860 –married -4 children -divorced
Biography (2)
 Enlisted for American Civil War – assigned
investigation into fraud at New York Mustering &
Disbursement Office
 Promoted & seconded to Navy Dept in
Washington, DC –investigated fraud
 Investigated murder of Lincoln
 Resigned to study law –specialised in insurance,
customs & revenue cases
 Revived interest in the occult – journalist on
spiritualistic phenomena
Biography (3)
 1874 turning point –met Blavatsky
 1875 both set up Theosophical Society –
president & secretary
 1878 departed for India –moved HQ to Chennai,
Madras
 1880-1891 distrust co-founder (fraud charges)
 1895 split between Alcott & new co-founder
Judge
 Continued theosophical work with Beasant
 1906 injured leg, 1907 died of heart disease in
Adyar
Summary: Alcott’s contributions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Uplifted the helpless Sinhala Buddhists under colonial
rule - a Western champion of Buddhism against the
Christian minions.
clamoured and awakened a sleeping nation to rise upraise the consciousness of monks and laymen to their
responsibilities in fighting the missions, resuscitating
Buddhism in Sri Lanka, and attempting to promote
interchange and ecumenical unity among the different
forms of Buddhism in Asia.
compelled the then colonial government to declare the
Vesak Full Moon Day, a public holiday
designed the six coloured Buddhist Flag -gained
universal recognition.
Summary: Alcott’s contributions
5. Responsible for the establishment of National Schools such as
Ananda College.
6. Made an extensive study of Buddhism- accepted the triple
Gem and observing Panchaseela
7. Realised the sad plight of the Sinhala Buddhists at that time thought of the need to unite and create a formidable
workforce to act fast.
8. Realised the need to provide Buddhist children with an
appropriate Buddhist environment through a systematic
objective, he established the Colombo Buddhist
Theosophical Society on June 17, 1880 - provide Sri Lankan
children with a good knowledge of their religion
Summary: Alcott’s contributions
9. Established an English school was with 37 children - provided
education free of charge till 1889 - Ananda College - 460
Buddhist schools
10. Founded vernacular schools in village areas and English
schools in the cities.
11. Many modelled on mission schools and some equal to the
best of them in providing a modern English education to
Buddhist children - trained for administrative, professional,
and mercantile positions under the colonial regime - primarily
through these schools modern Buddhism (that is, the Western
conception of Buddhism) diffused into the society and became
the basic religious ideology of the educated Buddhist
bourgeoisie.
Summary: Alcott’s contributions
 12. Published The Buddhist Catechism in 1881. “Finding
out the shocking ignorance of the Sinhalese about
Buddhism,” on the lines of the similar elementary
handbooks so effectively used among Christian sects...
 13. Olcott read ten thousand pages of Buddhist books
from English and French sources and on May 5, 1881, he
finished his first draft which he showed to the scholar
monk Sumangala and the orator Mohottivatte
Gunananda - monks was to effectively and
uncompromisingly throw out overt or hidden elements
of Theosophy - final version could receive their official
imprimatur as being ‘Buddhist’.
Conclusion
 Every Sinhalese in the past, present and future is
indebted to him.
 Pioneer who was responsible for the
establishment of National Schools
 future prosperity of the nation will depend on
the good conduct and education of the living
children
 Produced national leaders and other country
and colleges for ladies