Gordon Douglas (monk)
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Gordon Douglas has traditionally been seen as the first European to become ordained as a
Bhikkhu A ''bhikkhu'' (, ) is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male, and female monastics (''bhikkhunÄ«''), are members of the Sangha (Buddhist community). The lives of all Buddhist monastics are governed by a set of rules called the pratimoká ...
in Southeast Asia, although Laurence Carroll ( U Dhammaloka) and others are now understood to have been earlier. He was ordained in
Siam Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
in 1899 or 1900 and assumed the name Bhikkhu Asoka or Bhikkhu Ashoka.Stephen Batchelor. 1994. ''The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture'', p. 41 There are conflicting accounts of what happened after his ordination. One account is that he died six months later, the cause being
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
. The other account is that he relocated to
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
(now
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
) and lived there until his death in 1905. The latter is more likely because Dr. Cassius Pereira, later Bhikkhu Kassapa Thera, gives an account of him in Ceylon and interacting with his family.Cassius A. Pereira. 1947. Why Do I Renounce the World. ''Ceylon Daily News'', Vesak 2491 (March 28), Colombo, p. 67.


References

English Buddhist monks Year of birth missing Year of death missing English Buddhists {{UK-reli-bio-stub