The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a significant movement of Western missionaries heading east, driven by faith and a desire to spread Christianity. But amidst this tide, a fascinating countercurrent emerged: a handful of Westerners who traveled to Asia and embraced Eastern philosophies and religions. Among the most intriguing of these figures was an Irishman named Laurence Carroll, who became the Venerable U Dhammaloka, a Diện (firebrand) Buddhist monk and a vocal critic of the very empire his homeland was struggling under.
U Dhammaloka’s story is a far cry from the conventional narratives of the era. Born Laurence Carroll around 1856 in Booterstown, County Dublin, his early life was marked by hardship and movement. Unlike many who would later travel east from privileged backgrounds, Carroll came from a working-class family. Details of his early years are somewhat shrouded in mystery, and he reportedly used several aliases throughout his life, including Laurence O’Rourke and William Colvin. This suggests a man who perhaps sought to shed his past or live outside official records.
Driven by circumstances or a restless spirit, Carroll emigrated from Ireland, likely in his youth. He appears to have spent time in the United States, working in various manual labor jobs – a “hobo” as some accounts describe him. This period of drifting and hard graft across America’s vast landscape would have exposed him to a different side of life, perhaps fostering a sense of independence and a critical view of authority.
His journey then took him across the Pacific. Carroll became a sailor, a profession that by its nature involved constant movement and exposure to diverse cultures and ways of life. It was this path that eventually led him to Southeast Asia and, specifically, to Burma (modern-day Myanmar).
The exact circumstances of his arrival in Burma and his initial encounters with Buddhism are not definitively documented. However, it is understood that he found work in Rangoon (Yangon), possibly as a tally clerk in the bustling port. It was here, amidst the vibrant Burmese culture deeply intertwined with Theravada Buddhism, that something shifted for Laurence Carroll. He witnessed a spiritual and social system vastly different from the Christian norms of his upbringing and the वेस्ट (West) he had experienced.
He was drawn to the teachings of the Buddha and the lifestyle of the Burmese monks, known as pongyis. Around 1884, he made the momentous decision to ordain as a novice monk, taking the name Dhammaloka. This was a radical step for a Westerner at the time, particularly for someone from a working-class, likely Catholic, Irish background. It is believed he received full ordination as a bhikkhu (fully ordained monk) before 1900.
His background as a laborer and sailor, a man who had lived on the margins and traveled the world outside of colonial structures, profoundly shaped his perspective as a Buddhist monk. Unlike some Western converts who approached Buddhism primarily as a philosophy or mystical pursuit, U Dhammaloka was deeply engaged with the social and political realities of Burma.
He quickly became known for his fervent preaching, delivered in English through interpreters, and his fearless condemnation of Christian missionaries. He viewed their efforts not merely as a religious endeavor but as an intrinsic part of the encroaching British colonial project. His famous quote, often paraphrased, accused the missionaries of arriving with “a bottle of ‘Guiding Star brandy’, a ‘Holy bible’ or ‘Gatling gun’,” linking alcoholism, Christianity, and military force as tools of imperial domination.
U Dhammaloka’s activism resonated strongly with the Burmese people, who were increasingly resentful of British rule and the perceived threat to their culture and religion. He became a symbol of resistance, an unexpected ally from the West who validated their struggles against foreign imposition. His willingness to publicly challenge the colonial authorities, even leading to his trial for sedition over his provocative speeches and actions like protesting the wearing of shoes on pagoda grounds, solidified his reputation as a champion of the Burmese.
In a time when Western dominance in Asia seemed absolute, U Dhammaloka’s journey from a Dublin working-class background to a respected Buddhist monk and anti-colonial agitator in Burma was truly extraordinary. His life story challenges conventional historical narratives and highlights the complex and often surprising interactions between individuals and cultures during the era of empire. Though his later life and disappearance remain somewhat a mystery, U Dhammaloka’s impact as an early Western Buddhist and a voice against colonial injustice in Burma is a significant, albeit often overlooked, part of history.
Notes Asia 