Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa

Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa

Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa
Born 16 December 1875
Sri Lanka
Died 18 June 1953 (aged 77)
United States
Nationality Sri Lankan
Education Ananda College
University of Cambridge
University of Pavia
Known for Theosophy
Occult Chemistry
Religion Buddhism, Theosophy
Spouse(s) Dorothy M. Graham

Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa (* 16 December 1875, Sri Lanka ; † 18 June 1953, USA) was an author, occultist, freemason and theosophist. The fourth president of the Theosophical Society,[1] Jinarajadasa's interests and writings included religion, philosophy, literature, art, science and occult chemistry. He was also a rare linguist, who had the ability to work in many European languages.[2]

Biography

Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa was born on 16 December 1875 in Sri Lanka to a family of Sinhalese parents.He was one of the first students of Ananda College,Colombo. In 1889, when Charles Webster Leadbeater, the first principal of Ananda College was asked by A.P. Sinnett to come back to England to tutor his son, Leadbeater agreed and also brought Jinarajadasa, one of his pupils to England with him. Jinarajadasa went to St John's College, Cambridge and studied oriental languages and four years later took his Degree in the Oriental Languages Tripos.[3] He then came back to Ceylon and became the vice principal of Ananda College in Colombo. Jinarajadasa returned to Europe, to study at the University of Pavia, Italy.He soon became proficient in Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Around 1904 he visited Chicago, where he met and influenced Weller van Hook, the well-known surgeon and author, who then became a theosophist.

In 1916, Jinarajadasa married the English feminist Miss Dorothy M. Graham, who founded "Women's Indian Association" (WIA) in Adyar with Annie Besant in 1917.She accompanied him in his travels around the world for some years. During his lifetime, Jinarajadasa traveled to many countries despite all the war difficulties of that era for his devoted service to Theosophy. Jinarajadasa also travelled to South America, where he lectured in Spanish and Portuguese and founded the branches of the Theosophical Society (TS). He was the Vice-President of the Theosophical Society from 1921 to 1928. After the death of Dr. Arundale in 1945, Jinarajadasa became president of the Theosophical Society Adyar. In 1949 he founded the School of Wisdom in Adyar, which attracted students from many countries. He was also a Freemason, joining Le Droit Humain also known as Co-Masonry. Curuppumullage Jinarajadasa was the president of Theosophical Society until his death on 18 June 1953.[4]

Works (Selection)

Jinarajadasa wrote many works on Theosophy, Theology, philosophy, literature, art and science. He also participated in Annie Besant's and Charles Leadbeater's researches on Occult Chemistry.

References

  1. ↑ "About the TS". The Theosophical Society, International Headquarters, Adyar. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "C.Jinarājadāsa". The Theosophical Society, Adyar. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  3. ↑ "Jinarājadāsa". Theosophical Society in Greece. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  4. ↑ "The TS International Presidents in History". Theosophical Society in America.

External links