ອະນາຄາຣິກະ ທັມມະປາລະ (Anagarika Dhammapala) (ເກີດ 17 ກັນຍາ ພສ 2407 ມໍລະນະພາບ 29 ເມສາ ພສ 2476 ) ເປັນບຸກຄົນທີ່ສຳຄັນທີ່ສຸດໃນການຟື້ນຟູພຸດທະສາສະໜາ ໃນ ອິນເດຍ ເປັນຜູ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງສະມາຄົມມະຫາໂພ ແລະ ເປັນຜູ້ຮຽກຮ້ອງເອົາພຸດທະສະຖານໃນອິນເດຍກັບຄືນມາ ເປັນຂອງຊາວພຸດ
ທ່ານເກີດໃນຄອບຄົວທີ່ມີຖານະ ບິດາ ຊື່ວ່າ ເດວິດ ເຫວວີຕຣເນ ເມື່ອໄດ້ອ່ານໜັງສືເລື່ອງ ປະທີບແຫ່ງເອເຊຍ ຂອງທ່ານ ເຊີ້ ເອດວິນດ ອາໂນລດ ກໍ່ເກີດຄວາມຊາບຊຶ້ງ ມີຄວາມຄິດຢາກຈະຖວາຍຊີວິດຕໍ່ພຣະພຸດທະອົງ ໃນການຟື້ນຟູພຸດທະສາສະໜາໃນອິນເດຍ ຈຶ່ງອອກເດີນທາງສູ່ປະເທດອິນເດຍ ເມື່ອໄດ້ເຫັນເຈດີພຸດທະຄະຍາໄດ້ເພພັງ ເຊື່ອມໂຊມ ຖືກປ່ອຍປະລະເລີຍ ແລະຢູ່ໃນການຄອບຄອງຂອງພວກມະຫັນຕ໌ ຈຶ່ງເກີດຄວາມສັງເວດໃຈ ທີ່ໄດ້ພົບເຫັນແບບນັ້ນ ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ອະຖິຖານຕໍ່ຕົ້ນ ພຣະສີມະຫາໂພວ່າ ຈະຖວາຍຊີວິດເປັນພຸດທະບູຊາ ເພື່ອຟື້ນຟູພຸດທະສາສະໜາ ໃນອິນເດຍ ແລະນຳພຸດທະຄະຍາກັບຄືນມາ ເປັນສົມບັດຂອງຊາວພຸດທົ່ວໂລກໃຫ້ໄດ້
ຜູ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງສະມາຄົມມະຫາໂພ
ຈາກນັ້ນຈຶ່ງເດີນທາງກັບສີລັງກາ ແລະ ກໍ່ຕັ້ງ ສະມາຄົມມະຫາໂພຂຶ້ນຢູ່ໂຄລັມໂບ ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນເພິ່ນກໍ່ໄດ້ສົ່ງສະມະນະທູດມາພຸດທະຄະຍາ ແຕ່ທັມມະທູດທັງ4 ກັບຖືກມະຫັນຕ໌ທີ່ປົກຄອງພຸດທະຄະຍາ ກັ່ນແກ້ງຈົນບາງອົງບາດເຈັບ ແລະ ບາງອົງກໍ່ມໍລະນະພາບ ເພິ່ນຈຶ່ງເດີນທາງກັບອິນເດຍອີກ ແລະ ພະຍາຍາມເພື່ອໃຫ້ພຸດທະຄະຍາກັບມາເປັນສົມບັດຂອງຊາວພຸດຄືເກົ່າ ເພິ່ນເດີນທາງໄປພຸດທະຄະຍາ ແລະກໍ່ຖືກມະຫັນຕ໌ຫ້າມເຂົ້າພຸດທະຄະຍາ ແຕ່ເພິ່ນກໍ່ພະຍາຍາມຕໍ່ສູ້ ຈົນໃນທີ່ສຸດເພິ່ນກໍ່ຖືກລ້ຳຮ້າຍຈົນໄດ້ນຳເລື່ອງຂຶ້ນສານ ສຸດທ້າຍສານຊັ້ນຕົ້ນຊີ້ຂາດໃຫ້ຊາວພຸດຊະນະ ແຕ່ມະຫັນຕ໌ບໍ່ຍອມຈຶ່ງຟ້ອງດີກາ ສານດີກາກັບໃຫ້ມະຫັນຕ໌ຊະນະ ຈຶ່ງເຮັດໃຫ້ມະຫັນຕ໌ຢຶດຄືນອີກຄັ້ງໜຶ່ງ
ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເພິ່ນແລະ ພຣະສົງ ຈຶ່ງຖືກໄລ່ອອກຈາກພຸດທະຄະຍາ ເຖິງແມ່ນຈະແພ້ແຕ່ເພິ່ນກໍ່ບໍ່ຍອມແພ້ ເພິ່ນຍັງພະຍາຍາມແຈກຈ່າຍບັນຍາຍຂຽນໜັງສື ແຈກຈ່າຍໃຫ້ຊາວອິນເດຍທົ່ວໄປອ່ານ ເຮັດໃຫ້ຊາວອິນເດຍຄົນສຳຄັນ ທັງຄານທີ ຣາທາກະສະນັນ (ອະດີດປະທານາທິບໍດີຄົນທີ່2ຂອງອິນເດຍ) ທ່ານ ຣະພິນທະຣະນາດ ຖາກູຣະ ເຫັນໃຈແລ້ວກ່າວສະໜັບສະໜູນ ທ່ານທັມມະປາລະ ເຮັດໃຫ້ພວກມະຫັນຕ໌ສຽງອ່ອນລົງ ຕໍ່ມາເພິ່ນໄດ້ເດີນທາງໄປສະຫາລັດອາເມຣິກາ ເພື່ອລົນນະລົງແລະບັນຍາຍທັມ ແລະໃຫ້ ນາງ ແມຣີ່ ອີ ຟອສເຕີ້ ຢູ່ຮາວາຍເລື້ອມໃສ ສັດທາ ແລະ ໄດ້ຍອມຕົນເປັນພຸດທະມາມະກະ ແລະ ບໍລິຈາກ 1ລ້ານບລູປີ ແກ່ທ່ານທັມມະປາລະ ຕໍ່ມາທ່ານທັມມະປາລະ ໄດ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງສະມາຄົມມະຫາໂພຂຶ້ນຫຼາຍແຫ່ງ ໃນອິນເດຍ
ໃນປັດສິມໄວທ່ານໄດ້ອຸປະສົມບົດ ເປັນພຣະພິກຂຸຢູ່ສາຣະນາດພາຣານະສີ ກ່ອນມໍລະນະພາບ ເພິ່ນໄດ້ອະທິຖານວ່າ ຂໍໃຫ້ຂ້າພຣະເຈົ້າຕາຍໄວໆ ແລ້ວເກີດມາເຜີຍແຜ່ທັມມະຂອງພຣະພຸດທະອົງຕະຫຼອດໄປ
ໃນສະໄໝທີ່ເພິ່ນຍັງມີຊີວິດຢູ່ ຄວາມພະຍາຍາມໃນການໂອນພຸດທະຄະຍາຈາກມຫັນຕ໌ ໃຫ້ເປັນຂອງຊາວພຸດຍັງບໍ່ສຳເລັດ ຈົນໄດ້ເອກຣາຊ ຊວາຫະຣ໌ລາລ ເນຫ໌ຣູ ແລະ ລັດທະບານຂອງເພິ່ນ ຈຶ່ງລ້າງກົດໝາຍ ໂອນພຸດທະຄະຍາເປັນຂອງລັດຖະບານ ແລ້ວແຕ່ງຕັ້ງຄະນະກຳມະຫານ 8 ທ່ານເປັນຜູ້ບໍລິຫານ ໂດຍເປັນຝ່າຍ ຮິນດູ 4 ແລະ ພຸດ 4 ສ່ວນປະທານເປັນເຈົ້າເມືອງຄະຍາ ເຖິງແມ່ນບໍ່ສາມາດເຮັດໃຫ້ຊາວພຸດເປັນຜູ້ບໍລິຫານທັງໝົດແຕ່ນັບວ່າເປັນປະໂຫຍດຢ່າງຍິ່ງຕໍ່ຊາວພຸດທົ່ວໂລກ
ກົດໝາຍນີ້ສ້າງຄວາມບໍ່ພໍໃຈໃຫ້ມະຫັນຕ໌ທີ່ສຸດ ຈຶ່ງຟ້ອງຮ້ອງການໃຫ້ຖືວ່າ ກົດໝາຍນີ້ເປັນໂມຄະ ແຕ່ປະທານາທິບໍດີຂອງອິນເດຍ ແລະນັກການເມືອງຫຼາຍທ່ານ ໄດ້ຫ້າມ ແລະ ໃຫ້ມະຫັນຕ໌ຖອນຟ້ອງ ເພາະຈະເປັນທີ່ອັບອາຍແກ່ອິນເດຍທັງຊາດ ແລະມະຫັນຕ໌ອາດຈະເສຍຫາຍຫຼາຍກວ່ານີ້ຫຼາຍເທົ່າ ມະຫັນຕ໌ເຊື່ອຟັງພຽງແຕ່ຍັບຢັ້ງກົດໝາຍໄວ້ແຕ່ກໍ່ຍັງບໍ່ຖອນຟ້ອງ ປັດຈຸບັນພຸດທະຄະຍາໃຊ້ກົດໝາຍນີ້ຢູ່ ໃນບັ້ນປາຍຊີວິດທ່ານໄດ້ອຸປະສົມບົດ ຢູ່ ປ່າສິປິປັດຕະນະມະລຶຄະທາຍະວັນ ສາຣະນາດ ເມືອງພະຣານະສີ ແລະ ມໍລະນະພາບຢູ່ບ່ອນນັ້ນ ໃນວັນທີ 29 ເມສາ ພສ 2476 ລວມອາຍຸ 69 ປີ
ອະນາຄາຣິກ ທັມມະປາລະ(Anagarika Dhammapala) ເປັນບຸກຄົນສຳຄັນ ຊາວສີລັງກາ ຜູ້ມີບົດບາດຫຼັກໃນການຟື້ນຟູ ພຣະພຸດທະສາສະໜາໃນປະເທດອິນເດຍ ແລະ ໄດ້ທວງຄືນພຸດທະສະຖານບູຮານ ຈາກການຄອບຄອງຂອງຊາວຮິນດູ ເພື່ອກັບມາເປັນສົມບັດທາງຈິດວິນຍານຂອງຊາວພຸດທົ່ວໂລກ
ເມື່ອທ່ານເດີນທາງໄປຍັງພຸດທະຄະຍາ ແລະ ໄດ້ເຫັນສະພາບພຸດທະສະຖານທີ່ເພພັງ ແລະ ຖືກປ່ອຍຖິ້ມຕາມສະພາບ ທ່ານຈຶ່ງຕັ້ງຈິດອະທິຖານຕໍ່ໜ້າຕົ້ນພຣະສີມະຫາໂພວ່າ ຈະຂໍອຸຖິດຊີວິດທັງໝົດເພື່ອຟື້ນຟູພຣະພຸດທະສາສະໜາ ໃນແຜ່ນດິນອິນເດຍ ຕໍ່ມາທ່ານໄດ້ກໍ່ຕັ້ງ ສະມາຄົມມະຫາໂພທິ
(Mahabodhi Society) ແລະ ອຸຖິດຕົນຕໍ່ສູ້ທັງໃນທາງກົດໝາຍ ແລະ ທາງສັງຄົມດ້ວຍຄວາມຍາກລຳບາກ ຈົນໄດ້ຮັບການຍອມຮັບ ແລະ ສະໜັບສະໜູນ ຈາກບຸກຄົນສຳຄັນຊາວອິນເດຍ ອັນນຳໄປສູ່ການຟື້ນຄືນຊີວິດຂອງພຣະພຸດທະສາສະໜາໃນອິນເດຍອີກຄັ້ງ
🌿#ອະນາຄາຣິກ ທັມມະປາລະ
ຜູ້ເດີນທາງອັນໂດດດ່ຽວທ່າມກາງການເວລາ
ເພື່ອປຸກພຸດທະທັມໃນແຜ່ນດິນທີ່ຫຼັບໄຫຼ
ມີບຸກຄົນບາງຄົນ ບໍ່ໄດ້ເກີດມາເພື່ອຄວາມຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ໃນສາຍຕາໂລກ
ແຕ່ເກີດມາເພື່ອ ຄ້ຳຈູນຄວາມຈິງຂອງທັມ ອະນາຄາຣິກ ທັມມະປາລະ ຄືໜຶ່ງໃນບຸກຄົນນັ້ນ
ຊື່ຂອງເພິ່ນບໍ່ໄດ້ຖືກກ່າວຂານຢ່າງໂດ່ງດັງ
ແຕ່ວ່າລົມຫາຍໃຈແຫ່ງພຣະພຸດທະສາສະໜາໃນແຜ່ນດິນອິນເດຍ
ຍັງຄົງເຄື່ອນໄຫວຢູ່ໄດ້ ກໍ່ດ້ວຍຊີວິດຂອງບຸຣຸດຜູ້ນີ້
ເພິ່ນຖືກຳເນີດໃນສີລັງກາ
ເຕີບໃຫຍ່ໃນທ່າມກາງຍຸກສະໄໝທີ່ພຸດທະສາສະໜາ
ໃນດິນແດນຊົມພູທະວີບ—ແຜ່ນດິນແຫ່ງການຕັດສະຮູ້—ເກືອບຈະເຫຼືອພຽງເງົາເລືອນລາງໃນຄວາມຊົງຈຳຂອງໂລກ
🌳#ໃຕ້ຕົ້ນພຣະສີມະຫາໂພ: ປະນິທານທີ່ບໍ່ອາດຫວນກັບ
ມື້ທີ່ຕີນຂອງເພິ່ນຢຽບຍ່າງສູ່ ພຸດທະຄະຍາ
ບໍ່ແມ່ນມື້ທີ່ນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວມາຢ້ຽມຢາມ
ແຕ່ເປັນມື້ທີ່ຫົວໃຈດວງໜຶ່ງຕ້ອງສະເທືອນທີ່ສຸດ
ພຣະມະຫາເຈດີອັນເຄີຍຮຸ່ງເຮືອງ
ກັບມິດງຽບຄືກັບຖືກຫຼົງລືມ
ພຸດທະສະຖານອັນສັກສິດ
ບໍ່ໄດ້ຢູ່ໃນອ້ອມກອດຂອງຊາວພຸດ
ເມື່ອເພິ່ນຢືນຢູ່ໃຕ້ຕົ້ນ ພຣະສີມະຫາໂພ
ສາຍລົມພັດຜ່ານໃບໂພທີ່ເຄື່ອນໄຫວ
ຄືກັບກຳລັງສົ່ງສຽງເຕືອນຄວາມຊົງຈຳແຫ່ງການຕັດສະຮູ້ໃນຂະນະນັ້ນ
ໜັງສືທຸກເຫຼັ້ມທີ່ເຄີຍອ່ານໄດ້ສິ້ນສຸດລົງ
ແລະ ຄວາມຈິງຂອງພຣະພຸດທະອົງ
ໄດ້ປາກົດຂຶ້ນໃນຫົວໃຈ
ເພິ່ນບໍ່ໄດ້ກ່າວຄຳສາບານຕໍ່ຜູ້ໃດ
ແຕ່ ກ່າວຕໍ່ທຳມະຊາດ ຕໍ່ແຜ່ນດິນ
ແລະ ຕໍ່ພຣະສາສະດາ ຜູ້ບໍ່ອາດເອີ້ນເອີ່ຍຕອບ
#ຊີວິດນີ້ຈະຂໍອຸຖິດເພື່ອພຸດທະສາສະໜາເຖິງແມ່ນຕ້ອງແລກມາດ້ວຍຄວາມໂດດດ່ຽວແລະຄວາມເມື່ອຍຍາກທັງປວງ
🕊️ ຊີວິດແຫ່ງການເດີນທາງທີ່ຫາບ່ອນພັກບໍ່ມີ
ຈາກມື້ນັ້ນເປັນຕົ້ນມາ
ອະນາຄາຣິກ ທັມມະປາລະ ກາຍເປັນຜູ້ເດີນທາງ
ບໍ່ມີວັດເປັນບ່ອນພັກອາໄສ
ບໍ່ມີສະມະນະສັກເປັນເຄື່ອງຄຸ້ມຄອງ
ເພິ່ນກໍ່ຕັ້ງ ສະມາຄົມ ມະຫາໂພທິ
ບໍ່ແມ່ນເພື່ອອຳນາດ
ແຕ່ເພື່ອເປັນເຮືອນພັກຂອງຄວາມຫວັງ
ເພິ່ນຕໍ່ສູ້ດ້ວຍຄຳເວົ້າ
ດ້ວຍບິກສໍ
ແລະດ້ວຍຫົວໃຈທີ່ບໍ່ຍອມແພ້
ການຮຽກຮ້ອງພຸດທະຄະຍາ
ບໍ່ແມ່ນເລື່ອງຂອງທີ່ດິນ
ແຕ່ເປັນເລື່ອງຂອງສັກສີແຫ່ງພຸດທະສາສະໜາ
ເຖິງແມ່ນຫົນທາງຈະຍາວໄກ
ເຖິງແມ່ນຜົນສຳເລັດຍັງບໍ່ປາກົດ
ເພິ່ນຍັງຕ້ອງເດີນຕໍ່ໄປ
ຢ່າງຜູ້ຮູ້ວ່າໜ້າທີ່ສຳຄັນວກ່າຜົນລັບ
🌏 ຮ່ອງຮອຍທີ່ບໍ່ຕ້ອງການຊື່
ມື້ນີ້ ເມື່ອເຮົາຍ່າງຢູ່ພຸດທະຄະຍາ
ເມື່ອເຮົານັ່ງສະມາທິໃຕ້ຕົ້ນພຣະສີມະຫາໂພ
ເມື່ອເຮົາຮູ້ສຶກວ່າ “ບ່ອນນີ້ຍັງມີລົມຫາຍໃຈຂອງທັມມະ”
ສິ່ງນັ້ນບໍ່ໄດ້ເກີດຂຶ້ນໂດຍບັງເອີນ
ຮອຍຕີນຂອງອະນາຄາຣິກ ທັມມະປາລະ
ອາດຖືກການເວລາລົບເລືອນເຄື່ອນຫາຍ
ແຕ່ການເສຍສະຫຼະຂອງເພິ່ນ
ໄດ້ກາຍເປັນຮາກເລິກຂອງພຸດທະສາສະໜາໃນອິນເດຍ
ເພິ່ນຄືບຸຣຸດຜູ້ໃຫ້ບໍ່ຂໍໃຫ້ໂລກຈົດຈຳ
ແຕ່ຂໍໃຫ້ພຣະທັມດຳລົງຢູ່
ແລະ ຕາບໃດທີ່ຍັງມີຜູ້ເດີນທາງໄປອິນເດຍ
ແລ້ວຮູ້ສຶກວ່າ
“ເຮົາບໍ່ໄດ້ມາຢ້ຽມຢາມພຽງສະຖານທີ່ແຕ່ໄດ້ເຂົ້າມາໃກ້ພຣະພຸດທະອົງ”ຕາບນັ້ນ ຊື່ຂອງ ອະນາຄາຣິກ ທັມມະປາລະ ຍັງຄົງດຳລົງຢູ່ ແບບງຽບໆ ແຕ່ບໍ່ເຄີຍສູນຫາຍ
ພາສາອັງກິດ
Anagarika Dharmapala
Anagārika Dharmapāla (born Don David Hewavitarne, Pali: Anagārika, [ɐˈnɐɡaːɽɪkɐ]; Sinhala: Anagārika, lit., Sinhala: අනගාරික ධර්මපාල; 17 September 1864 – 29 April 1933) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist and a writer.
Along with Henry Steel Olcott and Helena Blavatsky, the creators of the Theosophical Society, he was a major reformer and revivalist of Sinhala Buddhism and an important figure in its western transmission. He also inspired a mass movement of South Indian Dalits including Tamils to embrace Buddhism, half a century before B. R. Ambedkar.[1]In his later life, he became a Buddhist monk with the name of Venerable Sri Devamitta Dharmapala.
Early life and education
Anagarika Dharmapala was born on 17 September 1864 in Colombo, Ceylon to Don Carolis Hewavitharana of Hiththetiya, Matara and Mallika Dharmagunawardhana (the daughter of Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana), who were among the richest merchants of Ceylon at the time. He was named Don David Hewavitarne. His younger brothers were Charles Alwis Hewavitharana and Edmund Hewavitarne. He attended Christian College, Kotte; St Benedict's College, Kotahena; S. Thomas' College, Mutwal[3][4] and the Colombo Academy (Royal College).
Buddhist revival
In 1875, during a period of Buddhist revival, Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcotthad founded the Theosophical Society in New York City. They were both very sympathetic to what they understood of Buddhism, and in 1880 they arrived in Ceylon, declared themselves to be Buddhists, and publicly took the Refuges and Precepts from a prominent Sinhalese bhikkhu. Olcott made several subsequent trips to Ceylon, where he devoted himself to the cause of Buddhist education. He founded many Buddhist schools, some of which are still in existence. It was during this period that Hewavitharane changed his name to Anagarika Dharmapala.
'Dharmapāla' means "protector of the dharma". 'Anagārika' in Pāli means "homeless one". It is a midway status between monk and layperson. As such, he took the eight precepts (refrain from killing, stealing, sexual activity, wrong speech, intoxicating drinks and drugs, eating after noon, entertainments and fashionable attire, and luxurious beds) for life. These eight precepts were commonly taken by Ceylonese laypeople on observance days. But for a person to take them for life was highly unusual. Dharmapala was the first anagarika – that is, a celibate, full-time worker for Buddhism – in modern times. It seems that he took a vow of celibacy at the age of eight and remained faithful to it all his life. Although he wore a yellow robe, it was not of the traditional bhikkhu pattern, and he did not shave his head. He felt that the observance of all the vinaya rules would get in the way of his work, especially as he flew around the world. Neither the title nor the office became popular, but in this role, he "was the model for lay activism in modernist Buddhism." He is considered a bodhisattva in Sri Lanka.
His trip to Bodh Gaya was inspired by an 1885 visit there by Sir Edwin Arnold, author of The Light of Asia, who soon started advocating for the renovation of the site and its return to Buddhist care. Arnold was directed towards this endeavour by Weligama Sri Sumangala Thera.
At the invitation of Paul Carus, he returned to the U.S. in 1896, and again in 1902–1904, where he traveled and taught widely.
Dharmapala eventually broke with Olcott and the Theosophists because of Olcott's stance on universal religion. "One of the important factors in his rejection of theosophy centred on this issue of universalism; the price of Buddhism being assimilated into a non-Buddhist model of truth was ultimately too high for him." Dharmapala stated that Theosophy was "only consolidating Krishna worship". "To say that all religions have a common foundation only shows the ignorance of the speaker;Dharma alone is supreme to the Buddhist."
At Sarnath in 1933 he was ordained as a bhikkhu, and he died at Sarnath in December of that year, aged 68.
Religious work
The young Dharmapala helped Colonel Olcott in his work, particularly by acting as his translator. Dharmapala also became quite close to Madame Blavatsky, who advised him to study Pāli and to work for the good of humanity – which is what he did. It was at this time that he changed his name to Dharmapala (meaning "Guardian of the Dharma").
In 1891 Anagarika Dharmapala was on a pilgrimage to the recently restored Mahabodhi Temple, where Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha – attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, India.[16] Here he experienced a shock to find the temple in the hands of a Saivite priest, the Buddha image transformed into a Hindu icon and Buddhists barred from worship. As a result, he began an agitation movement.
The Maha Bodhi Society at Colombo was founded in 1891 but its offices were soon moved to Calcutta the following year in 1892. One of its primary aims was the restoration to Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, the chief of the four ancient Buddhist holy sites.[18][19] To accomplish this, Dharmapala initiated a lawsuit against the Brahmin priests who had held control of the site for centuries. After a protracted struggle, this was successful only after Indian independence (1947) and sixteen years after Dharmapala's own death (1933), with the partial restoration of the site to the management of the Maha Bodhi Society in 1949. It was then the temple management of Bodh Gaya was entrusted to a committee comprised in equal numbers of Hindus and Buddhists. A statue of Anagarika Dharmapala was established in College Square near Kolkata Maha Bodhi Society
Maha Bodhi Society centers were set up in many Indian cities, and this had the effect of raising Indian consciousness about Buddhism. Converts were made mostly among the educated, but also among some low caste Indians in the south.
Due to the efforts of Dharmapala, the site of the Buddha's parinibbana (physical death) at Kushinagar has once again become a major attraction for Buddhists, as it was for many centuries previously. Mahabodhi Movement in 1890s held the Muslim rule in India responsible for the decay of Buddhism in India. Anagarika Dharmapala did not hesitate to lay the chief blame for the decline of Buddhism in India at the door of Muslim fanaticism.
In 1893 Dharmapala was invited to attend the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago as a representative of "Southern Buddhism" – which was the term applied at that time to the Theravada. There he met Swami Vivekananda and got on very well with him. Like Swami Vivekananda, he was a great success at the Parliament and received a fair bit of media attention. By his early thirties he was already a global figure, continuing to travel and give lectures and establish viharas around the world during the next forty years. At the same time he concentrated on establishing schools and hospitals in Ceylon and building temples and viharas in India. Among the most important of the temples he built was one at Sarnath, where the Buddha first taught. On returning to India via Hawaii, he met Mary E. Foster, a descendant of King Kamehameha who had emotional problems. Dharmapala consoled her using Buddhist techniques; in return, she granted him an enormous donation of over one million rupees (over $2.7 million in 2010 dollars, but worth much more due to low labor costs in India). In 1897 he converted Miranda de Souza Canavarro who as "Sister Sanghamitta" came to establish a school in Ceylon.
Dharmapala's voluminous diaries have been published, and he also wrote some memoirs.
Dharmapala, science, and Protestant Buddhism
The term 'Protestant Buddhism,' coined by scholar Gananath Obeyesekere, is often applied to Dharmapala's form of Buddhism. It is Protestant in two ways. First, it is influenced by Protestant ideals such as freedom from religious institutions, freedom of conscience, and focus on individual interior experience. Second, it is in itself a protest against claims of Christian superiority, colonialism, and Christian missionary work aimed at weakening Buddhism. "Its salient characteristic is the importance it assigns to the laity." It arose among the new, literate, middle class centred in Colombo.
The term 'Buddhist modernism' is used to describe forms of Buddhism that suited the Modern World, usually influenced by modern thinking, and often adapted by Buddhists as a counter to claims of European or Christian superiority. Buddhist modernists emphasise certain aspects of traditional Buddhism, while de-emphasising others. Some of the characteristics of Buddhist modernism are: importance of the laity as against the sangha; rationality and de-emphasis of supernatural and mythological aspects; consistency with (and anticipation of) modern science; emphasis on spontaneity, creativity, and intuition; democratic, anti-institutional character; emphasis on meditation over devotional and ceremonial actions.
Dharmapala is an excellent example of a Buddhist modernist, and perhaps the paradigmatic example of Protestant Buddhism. He was particularly concerned with presenting Buddhism as consistent with science, especially the theory of evolution.
Survey of writings
Most of Dharmapala's works are collected in Return to Righteousness: A Collection of Speeches, Essays, and Letters of the Anagarika Dharmapala. (Edited by Ananda Guruge. Colombo, Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs (1965)).
The World's Debt to Buddha (1893)
From left to right: Virchand Gandhi, Anagarika Dharmapala, Swami Vivekananda, and Gaston Bonet Maury.
This paper was read to a crowded session of the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, 18 September 1893. At this early stage of his career, Dharmapala was concerned with making Buddhism palatable to his Western audience. This talk is full of references to science, the European Enlightenment, and Christianity. While presenting Buddhism in these familiar terms, he also hints that it is superior to any philosophy of the West. In addition, he spends considerable time discussing the ideal Buddhist polity under Asoka and the Buddha's ethics for lay people.
The Constructive Optimism of Buddhism (1915)
Buddhism was often portrayed in the West, especially by Christian missionaries, as pessimistic, nihilistic, and passive. One of Dharmapala's main concerns was to counter such claims, and this concern is especially evident in this essay.
Message of the Buddha (1925)
In the later stages of his career, Dharmapala's vociferous anti-Christian tone is more evident. Dharmapala must be understood in the context of British colonisation of Ceylon and the presence of Christian missionaries there. This work is a good example of "Protestant Buddhism," as described above.
Evolution from the Standpoint of Buddhism (1926)
Darwin's theory of evolution was the cutting edge of science during Dharmapala's life. As part of his attempt to show that Buddhism is consistent with modern science, he was especially concerned with evolution.
Contributions to Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism
Dharmapala was one of the primary contributors to the Buddhist revival of the 19th century that led to the creation of Buddhist institutions to match those of the missionaries (schools, the YMBA, etc.), and to the independence movement of the 20th century. DeVotta characterises his rhetoric as having four main points: "(i) Praise – for Buddhism and the Sinhalese culture; (ii) Blame – on the British imperialists, those who worked for them including Christians; (iii) Fear – that Buddhism in Sri Lanka was threatened with extinction; and (iv) Hope – for a rejuvenated Sinhalese Buddhist ascendancy" (78). He illustrated the first three points in a public speech:
Later life
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In the last years of his life, he visited Ceylon in 1931, during which he established the 'Dharmapala Trust'. That year he was ordained a Buddhist monk with the name Sri Devamitta Dharmapala. Two years later he took his higher ordination. He died on 29 April 1933 at the Mulagandhakuti Viharaya in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Legacy
In 2014, India and Sri Lanka issued postage stamps to mark the 150th
#Anagarika Dhammapala was a prominent Sri Lankan figure who played a crucial role in the revival of Buddhism in India and in the effort to reclaim ancient Buddhist sacred sites, particularly Bodh Gaya, from Hindu control, with the aim of restoring them as a spiritual heritage for Buddhists around the world.
When he traveled to Bodh Gaya and witnessed the neglected and deteriorated condition of this sacred site, he made a solemn vow before the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree to dedicate his entire life to the revival of Buddhism in India. He later founded the Mahabodhi Society and devoted himself to arduous legal and social struggles. Through perseverance and selfless dedication, he gained recognition and support from influential Indian leaders, leading to the reawakening and revival of Buddhism in India once again.
🌿 Anagarika Dhammapala
The Lone Walker Through Time, Awakening the Land of Enlightenment
Some lives are not born for worldly greatness,but to uphold the truth of the Dhamma.Anagarika Dhammapala was such a life.
His name is rarely spoken with grandeur,yet the breath of Buddhism upon Indian soil continues to flowbecause of his silent dedication.
Born in Sri Lanka,he lived in an age when Buddhism in India—the land of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, teaching, and passing—had faded into a distant memory.
🌳 Beneath the Bodhi Tree: A Vow Beyond Return
The day his feet touched Bodh Gaya was not a journey of sightseeing,but an awakening of the heart.
The once-glorious temple stood in neglect,
the sacred land no longer cradled by Buddhists.
Standing beneath the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree,
as leaves whispered in the passing wind,
the story of enlightenment
was no longer read—it was felt.
In that moment,
all books came to an end,
and living truth arose within his heart.
He made no vow to the world,
but to the earth, the silence,
and the Buddha who needed no reply.
This life shall be offered to the revival of Buddhism,
even if it must be paid with solitude and hardship.
🕊️ A Life Without Resting Place
From that day onward,
Anagarika Dhammapala became a wanderer—
without monastery,
without title,
without refuge except the Dhamma.
He founded the Mahabodhi Society,
not as a seat of power,
but as a shelter for hope.
He fought with words,
with ink,and with a heart unwilling to surrender.
The reclaiming of Bodh Gaya
was never about land—it was about the dignity of Buddhism itself.
Even when success lay beyond sight,
he continued walking,
knowing that duty matters more than reward.
🌏 Footprints That Ask No Recognition
Today, when we sit beneath the Bodhi Tree,
when stillness breathes within Bodh Gaya,
when we feel that the Dhamma is still alive—
this is no coincidence.
Time may erase his footprints,
but his sacrifice became the roots
from which Buddhism rose again in India.
He was a man who asked not to be remembered,
only that the Dhamma endure.
And as long as pilgrims arrive in India
and feel they have come closer to the Buddha—
not merely to a place—
Anagarika Dhammapala
remains present,
silent… yet never absent.
ພາສາຫວຽດນາມ
Anagārika Dharmapāla (tiếng Pali: Anagārika, phiên âm Sinhala: Anagarika, tiếng Sinhala: අනගාරික ධර්මපාල; 1864 – 1933) là một tu sĩ Phật giáo người Sri Lanka, nhà văn và nhà chấn hưng Phật giáo. Ông là một trong những người sáng lập và hoạt động tích cực trong phong trào dân tộc Phật giáo Sinhala bất bạo động, và Phật giáo. Ông cũng là một nhà tiên phong trong phong trào chấn hưng Phật giáo ở Ấn Độ sau nhiều thế kỷ suy tàn, và là nhà truyền giáo của Phật giáo trong thời hiện đại thực hiện thuyết pháp tại 3 châu lục: Á, Bắc Mỹ, và châu Âu. Cùng với Henry Steel Olcott và Helena Blavatsky, những người sáng lập Hội Thông thiên học, ông là một nhà cải cách và là nhà chấn hưng Phật giáo chính, là một nhân vật quan trọng trong việc truyền bá Phật giáo đến phương Tây. Ông cũng được xem lấy cảm hứng từ phong trào quần chúng của Ấn Độ ở Nam Ấn Dalits, bao gồm cả Tamil, để nắm lấy Phật giáo, nửa thế kỷ trước khi B. R. Ambedkar. Những năm cuối đời, ông được giới tăng sĩ tôn phong là Đại sư Sri Devamitta Dharmapala.
Thuở thiếu thời và giáo dục
Anagarika Dharmapala sinh ngày 17 tháng 9 năm 1864 ở Matara, Ceylon bởi Don Carolis Hewavitharana của xứ Hiththetiya, Matara và Mallika Dharmagunawardhana (con gái của Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana), một trong những thương gia giàu có nhất của Ceylon. Nguyên danh của ông là Don David Hewavitharane. Các em trai của ông gồm có Tiến sĩ Charles Alwis Hewavitharana và Edmund Hewavitarne. Ceylon (nay là Sri Lanka) là một thuộc địa của Anh, vì vậy Hewavitarne có được một nền tảng giáo dục theo kiểu Anh quốc điển hình: ông từng theo học tại các trường Cao đẳng Cơ đốc Kotte; Cao đẳng St Benedict Kotahena; Cao đẳng S. Thomas Mutwal và Học viện Colombo (Cao đẳng Hoàng gia).
Chấn hưng Phật giáo
Năm 1875, tại New York City, Phu nhân Blavatsky và Đại tá Olcott thành lập Hội Thông thiên học. Cả hai người đều rất có cảm tình với những gì họ hiểu về Phật giáo, và vào năm 1880, họ đến Ceylon, tuyên bố mình là tín đồ Phật giáo, quy y và thọ Ngũ giới từ một Tỳ kheo người Sinhan. Đại tá Olcott đã ở lại Ceylon và cống hiến đời mình cho sự nghiệp giáo dục Phật giáo dục, và đã dựng nên khoảng 300 cơ sở giáo dục Phật giáo, mà một số vẫn còn tồn tại đến ngày nay. Đây cũng chính là giai đoạn mà Hewavitarne đã đặt pháp danh cho mình là Anagarika Dharmapala.
'Dharmapāla' có nghĩa là 'hộ pháp'. 'Anagārika' trong tiếng Pāli có nghĩa là "hành giả". Ý nghĩa của pháp danh này thể hiện tình trạng trung dung của một tu sĩ vừa xuất thế vừa nhập thế. Như vậy, nền tảng sự tu tập của ông chính là Bát giới (gồm các giới sát sanh, trộm cắp, tà dâm, dối trá, say sưa, ăn quá bữa, giải trí và trang phục diêm dúa). Đối với giới cư sĩ Ceylon, thực hành Bát giới là việc bình thường mỗi ngày. Nhưng đối với một người bình thường, việc thực hành Bát giới là rất không hề dễ dàng. Dharmapala là anagarika đầu tiên – một hành giả – trong thời hiện đại. Nó có vẻ như là một phát nguyện của ông từ năm 8 tuổi và vẫn được ông giữ suốt cả cuộc đời mình. Mặc dù ông vẫn thường mặc một chiếc áo choàng màu vàng, nhưng đó không phải là một chiếc áo cà sa truyền thống của các tỳ kheo, cũng như việc ông không cạo đi râu tóc của mình. Ông cho rằng, điều cần thiết là tôn trọng tất cả các giới luật, theo giới luật trong mọi hoạt động, nhất là ông phải có hình thái thích nghi khi phải đi chu du nhiều nước trên thế giới. Không chấp nhất tên gọi hay hình tướng, trong vai trò này, ông được xem như "là mẫu tu sĩ Phật giáo thời hiện đại."Ông được xem như là một vị bồ tát ở Sri Lanka.
Chuyến hành hương của ông đến Bồ đề đạo tràng được khởi ý năm 1885, từ Sir Edwin Arnold, tác giả của Ánh sáng Á châu, người sớm ủng hộ cho việc cải cách các hình thái tu tập hướng về Phật giáo. Arnold được xem là chịu ảnh hưởng bởi Đại sư Weligama Sri Sumangala Thera.
Theo lời mời của Paul Carus, ông trở lại Hoa Kỳ năm 1896, và một lần nữa vào khoảng năm 1902-1904, khi mà ông đã dành nhiều thời gian cho việc du hành và thuyết pháp rộng rãi.
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