Budisma sākumi Latvijā 20. gadsimta pirmajā pusē
Beginnings of Buddhism in the first part of 20th century Latvia

Summary/Abstract: Author of this Westernized versions of this religion have been constructed – differences are shown between the more nationalistically colored Buddhism propagated in in-between wars Latvia by Kārlis Tennisons who attracted media interest because of his exotic travel reports and appearance in streets of Riga as a Buddhist monk and ideas spread by scholar Aleksandrs Janeks who stressed perceived scientific aspects of Buddhist teachings. Author has also pointed to the early sources about Buddhism in the Enlightenment fashion available to Latvian reader before the First World War – travel reports and news from the East in newspapers and translation of the syncretic texts like Buddhist Catechism (written by Henry Steele Olcott) by writer Augusts Deglavs. At the end of the article author reflects on the current interest in Buddhism in Latvia among the part of educated population of Latvia and possibilities for inter-religious dialogue setting it in the postmodern ‘after Christendom’ context of the Western society.

• Details
• Contents