Anagarika Dharmapala (born Don David Hewavitharane; 10 June 1864 – 29 May 1933) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist, writer, and social activist who played a prominent role in the resurgence of Theravāda Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for founding the Mahā bodhi Society (1891) to restore and protect Buddhist sacred sites, most notably the Mahā bodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, India, and for advocating Buddhist education and inter‑religious dialogue in the British‑controlled Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Early life and background
- Born in Colombo, Ceylon, into a wealthy Christian family of mixed Sinhalese and Dutch ancestry.
- Converted to Buddhism in the early 1880s under the influence of the Buddhist reform movement led by Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera.
- Adopted the honorific title “Anagarika” (Pāli for “homeless one”) to signify his status as a lay renunciate who lived a life of celibacy and dedication to Buddhist service without taking full monastic vows.
Education and early activism
- Received traditional Buddhist training at the Temple of the Tooth and later attended the Royal College, Colombo.
- Co‑founded the “Colombo Buddhist Society” (1885) with Sir Arnold Theobald and others, promoting Buddhist education and the establishment of schools.
International work
- Traveled to England in 1888, where he delivered lectures on Buddhism and published pamphlets, notably The Mahā bodhi: The Great Tree of Enlightenment (1890).
- Established a Buddhist mission in London and became a member of the Theosophical Society, using its networks to raise awareness of Buddhist heritage.
Mahā bodhi Society
- Founded in 1891 in Colombo with the explicit aim of restoring the Mahā bodhi Temple, the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment, which at the time was under Hindu control.
- Mobilized financial and political support across the British Empire, securing the temple’s return to Buddhist administration in 1946 (posthumously).
- The society also promoted the construction of Buddhist temples and vihāras throughout India and supported Buddhist educational institutions.
Literary contributions
- Authored numerous works in English and Pāli, including The Life of the Buddha, Buddhist Literature and History, and The Inevitable Ascending of the Buddhist Faith in the West.
- His writings emphasized the compatibility of Buddhism with modern science and democratic ideals, influencing the development of Buddhist modernism.
Political and social activism
- Actively opposed the imposition of the Christian missionary school system in Ceylon, advocating for the establishment of Buddhist schools, such as Ananda College (1886).
- Served as a delegate to the World’s First Buddhist Conference in London (1902) and later represented Ceylon at the League of Nations, where he raised issues concerning the rights of Buddhist minorities in India.
- Supported the Sinhalese nationalist movement and the push for greater self‑government under British colonial rule, though he maintained a non‑violent, religiously motivated stance.
Later years and legacy
- Suffered from chronic illness in his final decade, limiting his travel but continuing his writing and organizational work.
- Died in Colombo on 29 May 1933; his remains were interred at the Mahā bodhi Society’s headquarters in Colombo.
- Regarded as a pivotal figure in the global Buddhist renaissance, his efforts laid groundwork for subsequent Buddhist missionary activities in the West and contributed to the preservation of key Buddhist heritage sites.
- The Anagarika Dharmapala International Buddhist Center in Sri Lanka and numerous schools and monuments worldwide bear his name.
Recognition
- Honoured posthumously by the Government of Sri Lanka with commemorative stamps and a national day of remembrance.
- Recognised by scholars of religious studies as a central architect of the “Buddhist modernist” movement that sought to reinterpret Buddhist doctrine in the context of contemporary social and scientific developments.