Ernest Erle Power (20th-century Buddhist scholar)

 

The author dedication on the flyleaf of the book “The Path of the Elders:  A Modern Exposition of Ancient Buddhism’ printed in 1928 reads

To Is. Querido, with kind regards from the author 

Tjibinong Buitenzorg

Java

May 1932

 

AUTHOR:

The author Ernest Erle Power  was a prominent figure in the early institutionalisation of Buddhism in colonial Indonesia he established the Java Buddhist Association in Jakarta in 1932 and served as the president of the association.

The Path of the Elders was Power’s seminal work, It’s a Modern Exposition of Ancient Buddhism,  published in 1928 (first ed.) and targeted Western audiences interested in Theravāda teachings

LOCATION:

In the colonial period, Buitenzorg - today's Bogor - was the holiday and country retreat of the Dutch elite in Batavia (present-day Jakarta)

RECIPIENT:

The recipient of this book is referred to as Is Querido, Possibly Israel Querido: novelist and critic (Amsterdam 1-10-1872 - Amsterdam 5-8-1932). Querido had an extensive book collection containing many theological and spiritual publications.

The dedication is dated May 1932; Querido died in August 1932 aged 59. His books were auctioned  in December 1932 via the international bookseller Menno Hertzberger. This book was however NOT among the auctioned items.