Irish: The Dharma Bum: A Documentary |
He ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk, which would have been before Brits Gordon Douglas or Allan Bennett (1872-1923), who are usually attributed the honor after they ordained and became Ven. Asoka and Ven. Ananda Metteya, respectively.
Born Laurence Carroll (or Laurence O'Rourke, or William Colvin or...he used many aliases so we do not know for sure), he received the Buddhist name Dhammaloka, which means "Dharma world" or "Dharma Light" (Dhamma = "Dharma," + loka "world or realm," or aloka = "light").
With robes and bowl, circa 1899. |
U Dhammaloka (U, pronounced /ooh/, is an honorific Burmese title not a name) was ordained in Buddhist Burma prior to 1900, making him the earliest attested Western Buddhist monk in modern times.
He warned against Christians missionaries. |
Drawing on Western atheist writings, he publicly challenged the role of Christian missionaries and by implication the colonial British empire. More
Lost Irish Buddhist
History's wrong. The 1st was Irish. |
This enigmatic, free-thinking Dubliner who used different aliases, we now know to have been Venerable Dhammaloka, "the Irish Buddhist" who converted to Theravada Buddhism around 1900.
He became widely known throughout Asia and, in the process, managed to fall afoul of the colonial British establishment as well as Protestant Christian missionaries.
The Dharma Bum is a video documentary. |
The "Lost Irish Buddhist" emerges after all these years as one of the earliest Western Buddhist monks, likely the earliest attested Westerner, predating many others who have tried to claim the title. Prof. Bocking takes us through an amazing odyssey.
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