Buddhist thought entered Theosophical teaching most visibly through the doctrines of karma and rebirth. Karma was understood as a moral law of cause and effect, and rebirth as the soul’s journey through many lives, providing a framework for gradual spiritual evolution and eventual liberation from the cycle of rebirth. These ideas became central pillars of Theosophical cosmology and ethics, shaping its view of human destiny and responsibility across lifetimes. Closely related is the notion of a path to enlightenment that unfolds progressively, life after life, as consciousness refines itself and moves toward higher realization.

Alongside these doctrinal borrowings, Buddhist cosmology helped to structure Theosophical views of the universe. The Buddhist sense of vast, cyclical time informed teachings about recurring world periods and the cyclical evolution of humanity. Likewise, the idea of multiple realms or planes of existence was taken up and elaborated into descriptions of astral, mental, and spiritual planes. In this way, Buddhist images of a multi-layered cosmos became part of a broader esoteric map of reality, used to explain both inner experience and the larger sweep of cosmic evolution.

Ethically, Buddhism contributed a strong emphasis on compassion and universal brotherhood. The call to care for all sentient beings resonated with the Theosophical ideal of a brotherhood that transcends race, creed, and nation. This ethical orientation often expressed itself in commitments to non-violence and, for many adherents, to vegetarianism as a practical expression of harmlessness. The Buddhist critique of materialism and its stress on spiritual values also harmonized with Theosophy’s rejection of a purely materialistic worldview and its search for deeper, occult wisdom.

On a more personal and practical level, Buddhism’s stress on direct experience, meditation, and self-inquiry encouraged Theosophists to value inner exploration as a path to knowledge. The figure of the enlightened being—especially in the form of bodhisattvas—helped shape the Theosophical ideal of the Mahatma or spiritual adept, a realized teacher who guides humanity’s progress. This convergence of doctrine, cosmology, ethics, and spiritual exemplars was reinforced by concrete historical links: leading Theosophists studied Buddhist texts, cultivated relationships with Buddhist teachers, and even took formal Buddhist vows, particularly in Sri Lanka. Through these channels, Buddhist insights were woven into the fabric of Theosophical thought and practice.