| "The experience of each new age requires a new | | | | by everyone to whom the term New Age may be |
| confession, and the world seems always waiting for | | | | applied. What are the distinguishing characteristics of |
| its poet" | | | | New Age? What are the underlying attitudes and |
| On May 25th 1880 the well known Victorian spiritual | | | | ideas of New Age practices? |
| philosopher Madame Blavatsky and New Age icon and | | | | Most writers date the emergence of a distinctive |
| Colonel Olcott, took the three refuges and the five | | | | New Age tradition from the work of the American |
| precepts from a Buddhist priest in a temple in Galle, a | | | | Theosophist Alice Bailey (1880-1949).This new age |
| town in Sri Lanka, before a large crowd of Sri Lankan | | | | tradition mixed together occultism, spiritualism and |
| Buddhists. When they had finished the last of the | | | | apocalyptic vision with the prevailing Zeitgeist. |
| Silas and offered flowers in the customary way | | | | Thus it might be said that The New Age is the |
| there was a mighty shout from the crowd. | | | | product of mid-20th century America, becoming |
| Olcott and Blavatsky were the founders of the | | | | noticeable in the late sixties and more pronounced |
| Theosophical Society, one of the most important | | | | since then as the New Age boomers grew up. |
| influential religious movements of the late 19th | | | | "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our |
| Century and in this ceremony Olcott became the first | | | | deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond |
| American and Blavatsky the first European to | | | | measure." |
| formally to convert to Buddhism. Thus the twin | | | | "The state of your life is nothing more than a |
| legacies of Theosophy are the introduction of | | | | reflection of your state of mind." |
| Buddhism to the West and the diverse set of beliefs | | | | Core Principles of New Age Philosophy and |
| and practices which are now knows as 'the New | | | | Commonalities between New Age and Buddhism |
| Age'. | | | | - All life is the manifestation of Spirit, the |
| Buddhism and the New Age have been associated | | | | Unknowable, of the supreme consciousness known |
| ever since that time, converging most triumphantly in | | | | by many different names in different cultures. |
| the counter-culture of the 1960's leading to a close, | | | | - The purpose and dynamic of all religions is to bring |
| entangled and ambiguous relationship between British | | | | Love, Wisdom and Enlightenment to full reality. |
| Buddhism and the New Age. This conjunction has led | | | | - All religions are manifestations of this same inner |
| to popular perception of Buddhism as a part of the | | | | reality. |
| same movement as New Age. There is also the | | | | - All life, as we perceive it with the five human |
| assumption on the part of many 'New Age' | | | | senses is only the outer veil of an inner, causal reality. |
| adherents that Buddhism supports their outlook and | | | | - Human beings are two-fold beings with an outer |
| in return the subtle influence of New Age ideas and | | | | temporary personality and a multi-dimensional inner |
| practices on Buddhists' understanding of their own | | | | being. |
| heritage. | | | | - The outer personality is limited in scope and trends |
| Nevertheless Buddhism and the New Age are very | | | | towards materialism. |
| different. Buddhism and New Age have emerged | | | | - The inner personality is seemingly unlimited and |
| from very different roots and have travelled on | | | | trends towards love. |
| somewhat different paths. Over the last 20 years | | | | - Our spiritual teachers are those beings who have |
| British Buddhist groups and New Age activities have | | | | liberated themselves from the need to incarnate and |
| moved from closeness to a conscious differentiation, | | | | can express unconditional love, wisdom and |
| followed by a divergence of approaches. The initial | | | | Enlightenment. Some of these humans are |
| closeness honed in of the counter-culture trends of | | | | well-known and have inspired the world religions. |
| the 1960s was to thrust both Buddhism and the New | | | | Some are unknown and work unseen. |
| Age to prominence. | | | | - All life in all its different existences are |
| A period of separation occurred in the 1970s as | | | | interconnected energy-and this includes our actions |
| Buddhists sought to establish their own identity. But | | | | feelings and thoughts. |
| by the 1990s alienation from conventional religions, | | | | - Although our existence is held in the dynamic of |
| politics and the conditions of consumer capitalist | | | | cosmic love, we are jointly responsible for the state |
| society have generated renewed interest in both | | | | of ourselves, and of our environment and of all life |
| movements bringing them together once more and in | | | | on the planet. |
| the last few years we have seen a number of | | | | During this period of time the evolution of our planet |
| Buddhist initiatives in New Age venues. | | | | and human kind has reached a point when we are |
| "What we think, we become" | | | | undergoing a fundamental spiritual change in our |
| Buddha | | | | individual and mass consciousness. This is why we |
| What is the New Age? | | | | speak of a 'New Age''. |
| "Even truth needs to be clad in new garments if it is | | | | "This is my simple religion. There is no need for |
| to appeal to a new age." | | | | temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our |
| The difficulties in defining what is New Age is at the | | | | own brain, our own heart is our temple; the |
| very heart of its nature for there are no definitive | | | | philosophy is kindness. |
| set of beliefs or practices which are held in common | | | | |