Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00502)

Dear Frank,

Danke for the astral vegetarian gyros :)... I will try to find the reference. I included it in the site of the T.S. in Greece one year ago. Somebody sent me it and I am trying to remember who so I can ask the source :(... At the time I was trying to collect short biographies of the previous T.S. Presidents to include it in the site. 

Best wishes,
Erica

http://www.theosophicalsociety.gr/firstpage/index.htm

Frank Reitemeyer <ringding@online.de> wrote:
Erica, thank you so much for the good and quick response.
Do you have a source for it? Maybe a Jubilee issue of TT, where a J. bio is 
said to have appeared?

Perhaps that more generally infos will help to find out more details of J.'s 
academic background.
I've just sent you a vegetarian astral Gyros! Bon appetit!

Best wishes from hot Berlin
Frank

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erica Letzerich" 
To: 
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: Theos-World Jinarajadasa bio



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 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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