The Buddhist Catechism

The Buddhism Catechism by Olcott is a new, post-Enlightenment interpretation of Buddhist believes. Henry Olcott reviewed Buddhism from the point of view, following the strict rules of catechistic criticism established in orthodox Christianity. This book was a most significant contribution to the revival of Buddhism in Shri-Lanka and is still in use there today. The text of the book represents the central doctrines of Buddhism, including the life of Buddha, and how the message of Buddha correlates with modern society. It also contains the message of the Dharma and the role of the Sangha in the Buddhist teachings. The book is written in a simple manner, in the form of questions and answers, and became very popular in Sri Lanka and was an effective tool for the popularization of Buddhism.

Henry Steel Olcott (1832 - 1907) was an American theosophist, military officer, journalist, and co-founder of the Theosophic Society. Among other notable achievements, Colonel Olcott supported the restoration of Buddhism in India and built schools for children of Buddhist families. He was also known as the first famous European to convert to Buddhism. In addition, Olcott popularized the theosophic views and applied them in his everyday life. He was the president of the theosophic society from 1875 till his death. In this time, he managed to restore the society after the death of Blavatsky and the betrayal of some of the society members. Today, there are tens of thousands of theosophy followers around the world.