Henry Steel Olcott

Henry Steel Olcott

Henry Steel Olcott (born August 2, 1832 in Orange, New Jersey , USA ; † February 17, 1907 in Adyar ( Madras ), India ) was an American agricultural specialist , lawyer , one of the founders and first president of the Theosophical Society as well as an avowed Buddhist and active supporter of this religion . Due to a military rank acquired in the Civil War , he was often called just Colonel (Colonel) Olcott .

Live and act

Childhood and youth

Olcott grew up as the eldest of six children in a wealthy Puritan family. After elementary school, he attended college at Columbia University in New York from 1850 . One year later, however, in 1851, his father went bankrupt and so he had to give up his studies due to lack of money. For the next two years he worked on an Ohio farm near his uncles . The uncles aroused Olcott's interest in the occult and even suggested that Olcott himself had skills in this direction. At first, however, he was gripped by the appeal of agriculture, and after collecting enough money, he went back to New York in 1853, this time to study agricultural science.

As a specialist in agriculture

As early as 1855, Olcott attracted attention for his work on a scientifically run model farm in Newark . Thereupon he received an offer from Greece to the chair of agriculture at the University of Athens , but he refused. After completing his studies, he co-founded the Westchester Farm School , the first scientific agricultural school in Mount Vernon , which soon became known as the most progressive institute beyond the borders of the USA. As a specialist in sorghum cultivation, his work Sorgho and Imphee made global headlines in 1857 and brought him offers from South Africa and the Ministry of Agriculture , which he also declined. In 1858, after an agricultural research trip through Europe, he became US correspondent for the London newspaper Mark Lane Express and editor of the " New York Tribune " , in the field of agriculture. Olcott pursued these activities until 1860, in addition he also wrote, mostly agricultural, articles for a number of other newspapers.

Marriage and children

In 1860 (or 1868?) He married Mary Epplee Morgan , the daughter of an Episcopal pastor from New Rochelle . The marriage gave birth to four children, but all of them died soon, two at birth, the third after four months and the fourth at the age of two. The death of his fourth child, in particular, hit Olcott hard and stumbled, resulting in frequent visits to dodgy clubs and alcohol consumption. When she met Olcott, Helena Blavatsky is said to have said quite roughly about him: a gay dog (= a carefree dog). The marriage was divorced in 1874 and he did not marry a second time.

In war

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Olcott immediately volunteered for the Northern States . Assigned to the signal corps (= intelligence department), he took part in some skirmishes under the command of Ambrose E. Burnside . In May 1862 he fell ill with dysentery and was sent to the hospital in New York. After his recovery, he was called to the War Department in Washington, DC as a Special Commissioner with the task of combating bribery and corruption. His work was so successful that he was promoted to Colonel (= colonel ) and he then carried out the same job at the naval command at the request of the Navy. After the war ended in 1865, Olcott became a member of the three-person committee of inquiry that investigated the murder of President Abraham Lincoln .

As a lawyer

Olcott did not return to his previous work in agriculture, but began to study law in New York in 1865 . After completing the program in 1868, he was a New York lawyer admitted. Olcott specialized in business law and was one of the lawyers involved in the investigation into the Abraham Lincoln assassination . He was soon running a prosperous law firm. His clientele included the City of New York, the New York Stock Exchange , insurance companies, banks, and railroad companies.
In addition, he worked on several government committees on the formulation of new and the simplification of existing US laws. He worked as a lawyer until he left the USA at the end of 1878.

As a reporter and specialist in the occult

In 1874, Olcott's interest in the occult reawakened when he read about the parapsychological phenomena of the Eddy brothers (William and Horatio) in the magazine Banner of Light . Spontaneously he decided to get to the bottom of the matter and went to the brothers' farm on behalf of the New York Sun newspaper , near the small town of Chittenden near Rutland in Vermont . After a ten-day stay, he was convinced of the authenticity of the phenomena he saw and published several articles on observed telekinesis , teleportation , levitation , spiritual healing and similar things. Public opinion was overwhelming and he then traveled to Chittenden again on behalf of the New York Daily Graphic , this time to examine the phenomena more closely for six weeks. This time, too, he came to the same positive result and the reports that followed were published throughout the USA and Europe. In 1875, Olcott published his experiences in this regard in People from the other world . Through his widely acclaimed work on parapsychological phenomena, he was quickly recognized as an expert in this field.

Olcott was described by acquaintances at the time as honest, practical and energetic, even his enemies recognized him as sincere and blameless.

As a theosophist

The beginnings

Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott in October 1888

Something like a spiritualist club had formed in the Eddys' house near Chittenden . On October 10, 1874, Olcott met Helena Blavatsky there and this encounter changed and shaped his life from then on until his death. Olcott was very impressed by Blavatsky's nature and positively fascinated by her psychic abilities. In any case, Olcott documented numerous phenomena, from automatic writing to leaving locked rooms, which Blavatsky is said to have carried out under his eyes. At the end of the year he also met William Quan Judge , who had read a preprint of his book People from the Other World and then sought contact with him and Blavatsky. According to Olcott's own statements, Blavatsky also brought him into contact with so-called masters of wisdom , first with John King (also Kot Humi or Koot Humi ) and later with Serapis Bey (also Master Serapis ). These "masters" are said to have appeared to him alone, as well as to Blavatsky and Judge, and to have given instructions or hints, both orally and in the form of so-called "master's letters". However, these statements cannot be verified.

Foundation of the TG

In New York in early 1875, Olcott founded a "Miracle Club" with the aim of researching spiritualism, but this soon proved to be a failure. On September 8, 1875, Olcott, Blavatsky, Judge u. a. the "Theosophical Society" (= TS = Theosophical Society (TG)). In the following weeks Olcott worked out the statutes of the organization, on November 17, 1875 he gave the inaugural speech; this date was generally retained as the foundation date of the TG. At Judge's suggestion, Olcott was elected the first TG president. Initially the TG did not really get going and Olcott invested both money and, above all, a lot of time in organizing and building the company. In addition, he supported Blavatsky in her work Isis unveiled , dealt with Buddhism , Hinduism , Judaism , Zoroastrianism , Hermetics , Kabbalah and worked in his profession as a lawyer.

Difficulties in the US

In 1876, a secret exchange of letters began with Swami Dayananda Saraswati , who taught in India and who founded the Hindu reform movement Arya Samaj . Olcott and Blavatsky presented the TG and their intentions. Among other things, in a letter dated February 18, 1878, Olcott openly admitted himself as an "enemy of the Christian religion" and asked the Swami for enlightenment and advice. A connection between the two societies was also envisaged and implemented in the form of the Theosophical Society of the Arya Samaj . When the correspondence with the Swami became known, there was a wave of indignation inside and outside the TG. At the end of 1878, Olcott and Blavatsky left the United States to travel to India in view of the criticism. From US President Rutherford B. Hayes , Olcott received a letter of recommendation and a diplomatic passport , combined with the task of researching economic opportunities in Asia and establishing trade relations.

Beginnings in India

Olcott and Blavatsky traveled to India via England , where they stayed in January 1879 and an English TG was founded. Arriving in Bombay on February 16, 1879 , they were greeted enthusiastically by a Hindu crowd. The call to be against Christian mission and Western materialism and to stand up for Indian traditions had preceded them. Swami Saraswati also greeted the two in a friendly manner, he had the expectation that the unification of both societies would now take place, but the talks failed. In fulfillment of his assignment from the US government, Olcott organized an exhibition of American products in Bombay. This was primarily an attempt to undermine the British economic monopoly in India. The headquarters of the TG were temporarily relocated from New York to Bombay, with Olcott remaining as President. On October 1, 1879, the first issue of the monthly magazine The Theosophist appeared , which is still published today (2006). Olcott wrote numerous articles for the paper in the years that followed. The August 1932 issue, more than 200 pages, was dedicated entirely to Olcott as a tribute.

Convert to Buddhism

From May to July 1880 Olcott and Blavatsky stayed on Ceylon . When they arrived in Colombo they were greeted as enthusiastically as they were in Bombay a year ago, with the difference that this time it was Buddhists who welcomed them. Here both of them took refuge in the 3 jewels on May 25th and committed themselves to obey the Five Silas , through this ceremony they formally converted to Buddhism. At the end of May 1880, Olcott and Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society of Ceylon , which was largely Buddhist. Mainly because of Olcott and Blavatsky's turn to Buddhism, the teaching of the TG took on Buddhist traits from this time on. This orientation remained until around 1894, when Annie Besant's increasing influence in the TG resulted in a change of direction towards Hinduism.

Expansion and first setback

In 1882 the headquarters of the TG was moved to Adyar, a suburb of Madras, where it is still located today (2006). In the decades that followed, Olcott traveled tirelessly, promoting the spread and development of TG around the world. On July 27, 1884, he was present at the establishment of the German Lodge Germania in Elberfeld . In addition, Olcott also visited Bayreuth , Dresden , Heidelberg , Bad Kreuznach , Munich and Stuttgart , giving lectures and promoting the TG. During this stay in Europe, the Coulomb affair made waves in India , which badly affected Blavatsky and the TG. In the unsuccessful defense of Blavatsky, Olcott did not show a good figure and the whole thing developed into a severe and lasting setback for expansion efforts. During a further stay in Germany in 1891 he stayed in Bremen , Hamburg , Kiel and Osnabrück and on June 29, 1894 he was involved in the founding of the German Theosophical Society in Berlin . On December 16, 1886, he opened the Adyar Library , which was created at his instigation and today contains more than 250,000 volumes and around 20,000 palm leaf fonts . He founded numerous schools in India, including his own institutes for the Dalits . In 1888 he worked closely with Blavatsky in London in organizing the Esoteric Section of the TG. Olcott then featured this in an article in the October 1888 issue of Lucifer magazine . In late 1889, Blavatsky appointed Olcott head of the Esoteric Section for Asia. By Blavatsky's death on May 8, 1891, the TG had grown to almost 300 centers and branches, divided into 5 national sections , despite the setbacks from the Coulomb affair and the subsequent Hodgson Report .

fragmentation

Annie Besant , Henry Steel Olcott and William Quan Judge in London

As a result of Blavatsky's death and probably also as a result of his strenuous travels, Olcott's health deteriorated. For this reason he published his intention to resign as president of the TG. The American and European sections of the TG then proposed William Quan Judge as his successor. Although Olcott had not officially resigned, the European Section mistakenly believed that this was what had happened and elected Judge as the new president. Upon learning of this, Olcott revoked his resignation and remained president. These confusions led to mutual distrust and accusations that poisoned the TG climate. The situation was further exacerbated by Annie Besant, who brought new tensions to the TG with her Hindu orientation and gradually gained influence. On April 28, 1895, the American section declared its withdrawal from the TG and elected Judge as its president. Only 26 lodges of the American section stayed with Olcott, 75 lodges went with Judge and founded the Theosophical Society in America . This was just the beginning of a series of further splits that took place in the following decades and which led to an almost unmanageable hodgepodge of lodges, organizations and societies. However, all claimed to represent "true" and "genuine" theosophy. In order to guarantee a clear name, the name "Adyar-TG" soon became established for the organization led by Olcott.

Succession planning

According to Olcott, on January 5, 1907, he asked the "Masters" who would be his successor as President of the Adyar-TG. The answer was: Annie Besant - she also took over the presidency.

As a Buddhist

First acquaintance

1875 learned Olcott and Blavatsky the book Buddhism and Christianity know, a discussion between the Buddhisten- priests Migettuwatte Gunananda , and the Methodists - missionary David de Silva of Sri Lanka. Both were deeply impressed by the Buddhist's argumentation and saw numerous parallels to their TG. In the following correspondence with Sri Lanka, the two theosophists expressed their solidarity with the Buddhists and took a position against the Christian mission. This correspondence was later translated into Sinhala and was widely used and well received by Buddhists. In accordance with theosophical doctrine, Olcott dealt intensively with various religions , whereby the Buddhist philosophies appeared to him to be exceptionally clear and spiritual to others. Consequently, he converted to Buddhism in 1880.

Excursus: The situation in Asia

With the arrival of the first Europeans in the South and Southeast Asian countries at the beginning of the 16th century, their missionaries also came to convert the “ pagans ” according to their Christian self- image. At first these were representatives of the Catholic Church , after some church splits in Europe, later also those of other denominations, e.g. B. Anglicans . By building Christian schools in which Christian beliefs were naturally taught, the missionaries influenced the children of the local population in their favor. Then there was the military and economic superiority of the Europeans. For these reasons, Buddhism, among others, was in decline. Since the 18th century in particular, temples were left to decay, self-confidence waned and doubts arose. The local upper class was already increasingly of the opinion that a conversion to the Western system, including its religious beliefs, would be the best choice. Christian missionaries believed they were about to break through and were already expecting mass conversions - there was a change. In the middle of the 19th century, individual speakers and leaders slowly emerged who advocated a revival of the traditional indigenous religions and opposed Christianization - ultimately these won the day.

In Ceylon

When Olcott and Blavatsky arrived in Ceylon in May 1880 , it was a sensation. After all, they were the first Western people to stand up against the Christian and for the Buddhist religion. When both then converted to Buddhism, the psychological effect was enormous and sparked great enthusiasm in the country. The Theosophical Society of Ceylon , founded at the end of May 1880 , only marginally represented the theosophical teachings and had mostly Buddhist features. Organized by Olcott, it soon spearheaded resurgent Buddhism and served as a reservoir for dispersed Buddhist activists. According to modern terminology, Olcott thereby provided an organizational and logistical platform which, within a few years, allowed Buddhism, which was lying on the ground, to grow into a powerful and dynamic force. Olcott copied the centuries-old successful Christian proselytizing methods and founded schools, including the Dharmaraja College , Nalanda College , Visakha Vidyalaya and Ananda College , the latter today (2006) around 6000 students and is one of the largest Buddhist universities in Asia. By 1910, 445 theosophical / Buddhist schools had been established in Ceylon in this way (compared to 436 Catholic and 891 Protestant schools in the country). Temples were also renewed, Buddhist traditions promoted and financial leeway created through appeals for donations. In total, Olcott visited Ceylon more than 40 times and spent a total of 2 years there promoting Buddhism.

In Burma

In 1885 Olcott first visited Burma , where he was received by the last King Thibaw Min . In Rangoon he founded the Irrawady Theosophical Society , which, like in Sri Lanka, had a strong Buddhist character. In total, he visits the country 5 times.

In Japan

Olcott first visited Japan in 1889. As the envoy of the Buddhists of Sri Lanka, he made the first contacts between southern and northern Buddhism. His numerous lectures in more than 30 Japanese cities, some to representatives of all Buddhist schools in the country, left an extremely positive impression, strengthened the self-confidence of the Buddhists and led to the establishment of several associations. The most important impulse was the opening up of Japanese Buddhism , and as a result participation in international meetings and later the export of Japanese forms such as B. Zen .

successes

The Buddhist Catechism

In 1876, Olcott organized the first public cremation in the United States. On July 24, 1881, he published his work The Buddhist Catechism . This caused a worldwide sensation, was translated into more than 20 languages ​​and some had over 40 editions. Even if the book was later criticized for some theosophical coloring and mistakes, it was one of the most important impulses of Buddhist renewal and was used as a textbook in schools for years. In 1884 Olcott got Edward Henry Stanley , the head of the colonial office in London, through that the obligation of Christian marriage was abolished. He also achieved recognition of the Vesakh festival as an official holiday. In 1885, together with Bhikkhu Sumangala , he designed the International Buddhist Flag as a symbol of the unity of Buddhism. In 1890, Olcott managed to organize a joint conference of Buddhists from Burma, China , Japan, India and Sri Lanka in Adyar. In 1891 he tried the Fundamental Buddhistic Beliefs (= Fundamental Buddhist Beliefs), a collection of 14 theses, to create a common basis for all Buddhist schools.

Death and obituary

On a boat trip to Europe, he broke his leg at the end of 1906, the injury no longer healed. Although he had suffered from heart disease for a long time, he did not allow himself any rest, and around the turn of the year 1906/1907 his heart condition entered an acute stage. On February 17, 1907 at 7:17 a.m., Olcott died of heart failure in Adyar. His body was cremated at his request . The pyre was made of sandalwood and covered with the US and Buddhist flags.

His last words were: To my beloved brothers in the physical body: Farewell all of you. In memory of me, I entrust you with the great task of living and proclaiming the brotherhood of all religions. To my beloved brothers on the higher levels: Greetings from me, I come to you and ask for your help to impress everyone, "No religion is higher than the truth", in the brotherhood of religions lies peace and the progress of humanity .

In 1967, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Olcott's death, a memorial was erected in front of the main train station in Colombo, which also marks the end of the street named after him. In the same year a stamp dedicated to him was issued.

Today's evaluation and criticism

Olcott's work for the TG and Buddhism brought him unforgettable fame. Both activities have been and are highly controversial. One side respects, adores, even adores him, the other side describes exactly the opposite, thus practicing true demonization.

Olcott's tireless commitment, his organizational skills and, last but not least, his financial strength contributed significantly to the survival of the TG in the first few years of its existence and enabled the subsequent expansion all over the world. As a result, esoteric ideas and Eastern philosophies became public and popular in the West much faster. According to its proponents, Buddhism experienced the trend-setting push through Olcott's work , which ultimately led to the resurgence of this movement and to today's missionary work of Buddhism in the West. In Sri Lanka, because of the amalgamation of religion and politics, one can even speak of an important, if not decisive, help in the birth of Olcott towards the independence of the country. To a lesser extent, this statement is also valid for Hinduism and India.

The spread of what is now called esotericism, with all its downsides, from radical sects to ideological suppliers of National Socialism , can only be traced back indirectly to the work of Olcott. His advocacy of the Eastern religions, primarily Buddhism, according to the critics, can be viewed as devastating for the Christian denominations . This is not only due to the failure of the Christian mission in South Asia, mainly due to his initiatives, but also to the popularization and normalization of esotericism. This is now in direct competition with the traditional western churches and is slowly undermining their claims to absoluteness. However, theosophists used the word "esoteric" in a different meaning than it is used today; For them, it was by no means the heterogeneous hodgepodge of all possible worldviews. Furthermore, one must definitely consider the dark side of Christian proselytizing, which politically went hand in hand with colonial atrocities on the part of the Portuguese, Dutch and British; Seen in this way, according to other observers such as the American Buddhist historian Rick Fields, overcoming Christian imperialism and “Christian” religious prejudices was almost inevitable.

Works

• A Buddhist Catechism ; Madras 1881 - Bischoff, Erich (Übers): The Buddhist Catechism ; Reprint-Verlag, Leipzig, 1997; ISBN 3-8262-1507-9
• Human Spirits and Elementaries ; 1875
• Old Diary Leaves, Inside the Occult, the true story of Madame HP Blavatsky ; Running Press, Philadelphia 1975; ISBN 0-914294-31-8
• Outlines of the First Course of Yale Agricultural Lectures ; CM Saxton, Barker & Co., New York 1860
• People from the Other World ; American Publishing Co., Hartford 1875
• Sorgho and Imphee, the Chinese and African Sugar Canes ; AO Moore, New York 1857
• The Golden Rules of Buddhism ; 1887
• The Hindu Dwaita Catechism ; 1886
• The kinship between Hinduism and Buddhism ; The Maha-Bodhi society, Calcutta 1893
• The Life of the Budha and its Lessons ; 1912
• The Poor Pariah ; Addison & Co., Madras 1902
• Theosophy, Religion, and Occult Science ; New York 1885
• How the Swans Came to the Lake ; Rick Fields, Shambhala Publications, Boston 1992

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kocku von Stuckrad : What is esotericism? Beck, Munich 2004, p. 202.

literature

• Kewal Motwani: Colonel HS Olcott, a Forgotten Page in American History. Ganesh, Madras 1955 (English)
• Howard Murphet: Hammer on the Mountain, Life of Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907). Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton 1972; ISBN 0-8356-0210-9 (English)
• Stephen R. Prothero: The White Buddhist, the Asian Odyssey of Henry Steel Olcott. Indiana University Press, Bloomington 1996; ISBN 0-253-33014-9 (English)

In addition, material about Olcott can be found in practically every biography about Helena Blavatsky .

Web links

Commons : Henry Steel Olcott  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Short biography at TG-Pasadena in Germany
• Olcott and Buddhism - very extensive
• Reading samples from Olcott's Buddhist Catechism
• Biography at the Mystica encyclopedia (English)
• Biography at the Adyar-TG (English)
• Short biography at TG-Pasadena (English)
• Biography at the northwest branch of TG-Pasadena (English)
• Biography at the TG in Greece (English - click a little down)
• Literature by and about Henry Steel Olcott in the catalog of the German National Library