The Religion of Burma (1910)
Selected Essays of Allan Bennett, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya - (Volume 2 of Allan Bennett, Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya: Biography and Collected Writings) - Elizabeth J. Harris
Allan Bennett [+]
Allan Bennett (1872-1923) was one of the first British men to gain higher ordination as a Buddhist monk and one of the seminal figures in the development of Buddhism in the UK.
Description
Written for the prestigious Lloyd’s publication, Twentieth Century Impressions of Burma, this article is directed towards the west. Metteyya draws on his previous writings to stress that ‘the law of karma’ was in harmony with science, and that Buddhism did not ask for faith in a divinity or assent to dogmas but an openness to understanding reality. He stresses Buddhism’s emphasis on charity, generosity, the eradication of selfishness and empathy for all life, qualities he believed to be essential for the liberation of Britain from its cruelty and materialism.