U Dhammaloka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dhammaloka
ဦးဓမ္မလောက
Dhammaloka in 1902 aged about 50.
Religion	Buddhism
School	Theravada
Dharma names	Dhammaloka
Personal
Born	Laurence Carroll 1856 Booterstown, Ireland
Died	1914 (1915) (aged 58) Unknown

U Dhammaloka (Burmese: ဦးဓမ္မလောက; 1856–1914) was an Irish man who became a Buddhist monk. He was known for speaking out against Christian missionaries and for supporting the temperance movement, which encouraged people to avoid alcohol. He played an important part in the Buddhist revival in Asia around the early 1900s.

Dhammaloka became a monk in Burma before 1900. This makes him one of the first known Western Buddhist monks in modern times. He was a very popular speaker and writer in Burma and Singapore from 1900 until 1910. He openly questioned the work of Christian missionaries. He also stood up to the government when they tried to accuse him of speaking out against them.

Early Life and Journey to Asia

Dhammaloka was born Laurence Carroll in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland, in 1856. He used a few different names during his life. It's believed he was Irish and moved to the United States. He worked his way across the US as a migrant worker. Later, he found a job on a ship that traveled across the Pacific Ocean. He left the ship in Japan and eventually made his way to Rangoon, Burma. This was likely in the late 1870s or early 1880s.

Becoming a Buddhist Monk

In Burma, Dhammaloka first worked as a clerk in a logging company. He soon became very interested in the Burmese Buddhism he saw all around him. Around 1884, he became a novice monk and took the name Dhammaloka. Before 1899, he became a fully ordained monk. He started working as a teacher, probably at the Tavoy monastery in Rangoon. By 1900, he was a senior monk there. He began traveling and giving talks all over Burma. People knew him as the "Irish pongyi" or "Irish Buddhist."

Buddhist Tract Society stationery.

Public Speaking and Challenges

In 1900, Dhammaloka started his public work. He published warnings to Buddhists about the challenges Christian missionaries posed to their religion. In 1902, after a speaking tour, he had a disagreement with a British Indian police officer. This happened at the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon. The issue was about wearing shoes inside the pagoda. Burmese Buddhists did not wear shoes on pagoda grounds as a sign of respect. But some British officers wore boots, which was seen as very disrespectful.

The British authorities tried to bring charges against Dhammaloka. They also tried to get the pagoda leaders to reject him. But they failed, and this made Dhammaloka even more popular. Later that year, he went on another speaking tour, and huge crowds came to listen.

After some time away, Dhammaloka returned to Burma in 1907. He started the Buddhist Tract Society. In December, a big event was held in his honor in Mandalay. Hundreds of monks attended, and he met the new head of the Buddhist monks, the Thathanabaing. He continued to give talks until at least 1910.

Travels and Projects in Asia

Outside of Burma, Dhammaloka often stayed in Singapore. In 1903, he opened his own mission and a free school there. This school was mainly supported by the Chinese community and a local jeweler from Sri Lanka. By 1904, he was helping Europeans travel to Rangoon to become monks. He also held a public ceremony for an Englishman to become a novice monk.

Japan and Other Countries

In 1902, Dhammaloka went to Japan. He hoped to attend a "World's Parliament of Religions" there, but it didn't happen. However, he did attend the launch of the International Young Men's Buddhist Association (IYMBA) in Tokyo. He was the only non-Japanese speaker among many important Buddhist leaders.

From February to September 1903, Dhammaloka was in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand). He started a free English-language school there for students of all backgrounds. He also promoted Buddhist groups and suggested a world meeting of Buddhists. He was reported to be in Siam again in 1914.

Dhammaloka also had connections in China and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where he published writings. There are also reports of him visiting Nepal in 1905, Australia in 1912, and Cambodia in 1913.

Challenges and Later Life

Dhammaloka faced legal challenges from the colonial government in Burma. These challenges were often related to his strong criticisms of missionaries and the government.

In 1902, during the shoe incident, it was claimed that Dhammaloka said the West had taken Burma and now wanted to disrespect their religion. This was seen as a challenge to the government. They tried to bring serious charges against him but couldn't find enough evidence. He was instead found to have caused a minor offense, though the outcome is not fully known.

In 1910, Dhammaloka gave talks in Moulmein. This led to new accusations that he was speaking against the government. Witnesses said he described missionaries as bringing the Bible, alcohol, and weapons. He also accused Christians of being immoral and wanting to destroy Burmese traditions. Instead of a full trial for serious charges, the government used a simpler law. This law was meant to prevent future challenging speeches. He was ordered to promise to keep the peace and find two people to guarantee this with money.

This case was important because it was one of the few times this law was used against a European. It was also the first time it was used in Burma. On appeal, he was defended by a leading Burmese nationalist, U Chit Hlaing. The judge who upheld the original decision was Mr Justice Daniel Twomey.

After his appeal failed, it became harder to track Dhammaloka's activities. In April 1912, a letter appeared in a newspaper saying he had died in Australia. However, in June of the same year, he appeared in Singapore to say the report was false.

Between 1912 and 1913, Dhammaloka traveled in Australia, Singapore, Siam, and Cambodia. In 1914, a missionary reported that he was running a Buddhist group in Bangkok. No clear record of his death has been found. He might have died while traveling, or his death might not have been widely reported during World War I.

His Impact and Legacy

Dhammaloka has largely been forgotten in Buddhist history. Most stories about early Western Buddhists focus on others. However, Dhammaloka was different. He was a strong supporter of Buddhist revival and worked closely with Asian Buddhists. He was similar to figures like Henry Steel Olcott and Anagarika Dharmapala.

Dhammaloka believed that Buddhism was about free thinking. He rejected the idea that all religions were the same. This view fit well within Theravada Buddhism. It connected him with Buddhist thinkers who wanted to revive Buddhism and resist Christian missionary efforts.

Dhammaloka's focus was on the main concerns for Burmese monks of his time. This included following the rules of the Vinaya (monastic discipline) correctly. He also believed that people could be moral without the threat of religious punishment.

In Irish history, Dhammaloka stands out as someone who rejected both Catholic and Protestant beliefs. He was from a working-class Catholic background. This goes against common ideas that Ireland was only Catholic until recently. Like other early Irish Buddhists, he adopted local traditions when he traveled to Asia. He showed support for the Burmese people by working with Asian Buddhist groups. He also openly opposed Christian missionaries and the colonial government.

See also

• Nyanatiloka Mahathera – one of the earliest Westerners in modern times to ordain as a Bhikkhu.
• Nyanaponika Thera – German Theravada Buddhist monk and co-founder of the Buddhist Publication Society.
• Nanamoli Bhikkhu – British Theravada Buddhist monk and translator of Pali literature.
• Nanavira Thera – British Theravada Buddhist monk.
• Lokanatha – Italian Buddhist monk and missionary.
• Sīlācāra – British Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in 1906.
• Henry Steel Olcott – first well-known American of European ancestry to make a formal conversion to Buddhism and major revivalist of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
• Miranda de Souza Canavarro – first woman to convert to Buddhism on American soil (in 1897) and later a Buddhist nun in Sri Lanka.
• Sister Nivedita – Irish woman who immigrated to Calcutta, India and became a Hindu disciple as well as a supporter of Indian Nationalism and Independence.

Images for kids

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  British forces enter Mandalay in 1885 during the Third Anglo-Burmese war.