BUDDHIST CATECHISM

PREFACE

TO THE THIRTY-THIRD EDITION

IN the working out of my original plan, I have added
more questions and answers in the text of each nevw
English edition of the Catechism, leaving it to its
translators to render them into whichever of the other
vernaculars they may be working in. The unpretending
aim in view is to give so succinct and yet
comprehensive a digest of Buddhistic history, ethics
and philosophy as to enable beginners to understand
and appreciate the noble ideal taught by the Buddha,
and thus make it easier for them to follow out the
Pharma in its details. In the present edition a great
many new questions and answers have been introduced,
while the matter has been grouped within five
categories, viz.: (1) The Life of tha Buddha; (2) the
Doctrine; (3) the Sangha, or monastic order; (4) a
brief history of Buddhism, its Councils and
propaganda ; (5) some reconciliation of Buddhism with
science. This, it is believed, will largely increase the
value of the little book, and make it even more
suitable for use in Buddhist schools, of which, in
Ceylon, over one hundred have already been opened
by the Sinhalese people under the general supervision
of the Theosophical Society. In preparing this edition
I have received valuable help from some of my oldest
and best qualified Sinhalese colleaguos. The original
edition was gone over with me word by word, by that
eminent scholar and bhikkhu, H. Sumangala,
Pradhana Nayaka, and the Assistant Principal of his
Pali College at Colombo, Hyeyantuduve Anunayaka
Terunnanse; and the High Priest has also kindly
sorutinised the present revision and given me invaluable
points to embody. It has the merit, therefore, of
being a fair presentation of the Buddhism of the
"Southern Church," chiefly derived froin first-hand
sources. The Catechism has been published in twenty
languages, mainly by Buddhists, for Budahists.

CATECHISMO BUDDHISTICO

Il Buddhismo del XX secolo deve molto alla
Società Teosofica (anno di fondazione 1875) e,
in particolare, all'americano (di fede buddhista)
Colonnello Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907), suo
primo Presidente e co-fondatore con la russa
H.P. Blavatsky (1831-1891).

Già nel 1897 questo "Catechismo" era già stato
tradotto in venti lingue diverse e, nel 1908, era
già alla 42a edizione.

Ma il valore unico ed inestimabile dell'opera non
sta soltanto nella chiara ma documentata
presentazione della Vita del Buddha, della sua
Dottrina, del "Sangha" (l'ordine monastico) e di
una breve storia del Buddhismo, dei suoi concili
e della sua diffusione, ma nel fatto che Olcott,
per la prima volta, è riuscito a riunire tutto il
mondo Buddhistico attorno alle Quattordici
Proposizioni, accettate come Principi
Fondamentali del Buddhismo.

Fin dalla sua uscita, questo "Catechismo
Buddhista" è raccomandato per l'uso nelle scuole
Buddhiste.