Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00499)

This is the short biography of jinarajadasa that I have.

Erica



Mr. JINARAJADASA was born in 1875 in Ceylon, of Sinhalese Buddhist parents. When 13 years old he met Mr. C. W. Leadbeater, then in Ceylon as Colonel Olcott's representative supervising the affairs of the Buddhist Theosophical Society and the educational movement for which it was responsible. After a strangely affecting experience he accompanied Mr. Leadbeater to England, there to be tutored by him, together with Mr. Sinnett's son. He met Madame Blavatsky.

Mr. Jinarajadasa entered St. John's College, Cambridge, 1896, and four years later took his Degree in the Oriental Languages Tripos. He studied Law also. He then went back to Ceylon where he became Principal of the Buddhist Ananda College in Colombo - founded by Mr. Leadbeater. He returned to Europe to study at the University of Pavia, Italy. As he knew French he soon became proficient first in Italian, and later in Spanish and Portuguese, both of which were of great value to him when he visited the Latin Americas.

He went first to the U. S. of America, 1904, and there devoted his whole time to lecturing for the Society, becoming a most attractive speaker, and embarking on the long series of services which have made him famous. Being a lover of art and beauty, Mr. Jinarajadasa promoted the ideal of beauty in speech, in writing, in daily life, and also in crafts. He was President of the International Fellowship of Arts and Crafts from 1923 to 1927.

At Adyar in 1914, he gave all the four Convention Lectures, which appeared as the book Theosophy and Modern Thought. Thereafter, though he travelled much, he was usually back at Adyar to give one or more of the Convention addresses, right up to the present time. In 1916 he married Miss Dorothy M. Graham, who travelled with him for some years. Mr. Jinarajadasa's travels - and he is the most travelled of all our Presidents - took him all over India many times, Burma, most European countries, Java, Australia, New Zealand, the U. S. of America, Central and South America, the British Isles, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Ceylon, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Saigon, etc. Some countries he visited frequently, urging always the necessity for devoted service to or "Work" for Theosophy. He was Vice-President of the Society from 1921 to 1928, and later an itinerant Presidential Agent. 

During the last years of her life Mr. Jinarajadasa devotedly cared for Dr. Besant. On her death he refused to stand for election as President, though much pressed to do so. He continued his touring. Despite all war difficulties he managed to move about the world, and in England he established (1939) an important "Centre" of work which is still in full operation at 33 Ovington Square, London, S. W. 3.

When Dr. Arundale died in 1945, Mr. Jinarajadasa was elected President, in which onerous office, and despite some ill-health, he carries on his ceaseless work for the Society, about the history of which he has a unique and exhaustive knowledge, as his many books and articles reveal. As President he is Keeper of the Archives, and it was under his earlier direction that H. P. B.'s precious Scrapbooks were carefully preserved.

1949 Mr. Jinarajadasa promoted and inaugurated the School of the Wisdom at Adyar, which attracted students from several countries and the applications of many more for future sessions. He is trying to make the Headquarters once more a centre for students and is gradually re-organizing the estate for that purpose.

In Mr. Jinarajadasa has written many books, the favourite one for students being First Principles of Theosophy, which has been revised and republished a number of times and translated into many languages. A charmingly written set of small books hint of the far future.

One of Mr. Jinarajadasa's special interests is the "Ritual of the Mystic Star", which he devised in 1917, and is now performed in many Lodges in several Sections by interested members. The Ritual works with twelve officiants, is intended as "A Form of Service for Worship and Consecration" for the public, and has its "special contribution to give to the peace and blessing of the world". Occult Chemistry has been another of his interests, he being the recorder of the clairvoyant investigations made by Dr. Besant and Bishop Leadbeater into the structure of all the chemical elements and some compounds. He is issuing a new and revised edition of the book Occult Chemistry, in which these investigations have been published. He gave much attention - among other activities - to the work of International Co-Freemasonry, rising to the highest degree. 


Frank Reitemeyer <ringding@online.de> wrote:
Fellows, I need to know the exact viat of Jinarajadasa.
I have heard that he has heard one or two semesters of physics, like Annie 
Besant (?).
Is there anybody out there who has trustworthy information about J.'s 
academic education?
Thanks
Frank 





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