Miranda de Souza Canavarro explained

Miranda de Souza Canavarro (1849-1933) was a wealthy American theosophist notable as the first woman to convert to Buddhism in the United States, in 1897. She later moved to Ceylon and became a Buddhist nun. She became known as Sister Sanghamitta, while in America she was often known as Marie.

A socialite, she was married to the Portuguese ambassador to the Sandwich Islands (now called Hawaii), controlled by the US. Canavarro began a secret "spiritual marriage" to New York attorney and Buddhist sympathizer Myron Henry Phelps.^[1] She converted to Buddhism in 1897 under the discipleship of Anagarika Dharmapala, and moved to Ceylon as Sister Sanghamitta.^[2]

Canavarro wrote several novels, which drew upon her own experiences. These include Insight Into the Far East (1925), The Poison Orchid (1930), The Aztec Chief (1931) and The Broken Vase (1933).^[3]

Notes and References

1. Thomas A. Tweed The American Encounter with Buddhism: 1844 - 1912 1992 Page 87 "21 Canavarro transgressed the boundaries of Victorian social norms even more clearly and forcefully, however, when she began her secret "spiritual marriage" to Myron Henry Phelps (1856-1916), the Buddhist sympathizer, New York attorney"
2. John Holt. The Sri Lanka Reader: History, Culture, Politics, 2011, p. 367. Quote: "Countess Miranda de Souza Carnavarro, briefly known as Sanghamitta, was an American theosophist and wealthy socialite who converted to Buddhism in 1897 under the discipleship of the Anagarika Dharmapala. Under Dharmapala's ..."
3. Bartholomeusz . Tessa . Real Life and Romance: The Life of Miranda de Souza Canavarro . Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion . 1994 . 10 . 2 . 27-47 .