Obituary: Col. H.S Olcott (1908)
Selected Writings 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
Metteyya’s obituary for Colonel Olcott, co-founder of the Theosophical Society, voices Metteyya’s understanding of the relationship between Theosophy and Buddhism. He praises Olcott’s work, particularly his contribution to the Buddhist Revival in Ceylon but also mentions the key difference between Theosophy and Buddhism as he saw it – the concept of non-self or anattā in Buddhism. Metteyya, therefore, argues that Theosophy prepared the way for Buddhism in the west. Theosophy’s insistence that there was a true ‘Self’ cushioned Buddhism’s impact, making it easier for people to take the next step, namely the acceptance of anattā.