An Outline of the Secret Doctrine E-Book

Charles Johnston

• Herausgeber: Edizioni Aurora Boreale
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Charles Johnston (1867-1931) was an Irish writer, journalist, theosophist, linguist, naturalist, and Sanskrit scholar. Johnston He wrote numerous books on Indian philosophy, translating works from Sanskrit as well as on Theosophy. He was married to the niece of Madame Blavatsky and was involved in the development of the Theosophical Society in the United States.
Johnston translated several works from Sanskrit and Russian. As an author, he devoted himself primarily to philosophical and theosophical topics, and wrote a great number and variety of articles and books, ranging from scholarly writings on scriptures to popular volumes of humor, travel, and history.
In his essay-commentary An Outline of the “Secret Doctrine”, which we propose to our readers today and which was published between October 1891 and May 1892 in the Lucifer Magazine, Charles Johnston attempted to give a clear account of the theory of life and development contained in Madame Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, based on stanzas from the Book of Dzyan.
In our opinion, it is still a fundamental work today for understanding the thought and message of Helena Petrovna Blavatsly and for approaching Theosophy.

Leseprobe

SYMBOLS & MYTHS

CHARLES JOHNSTON

AN OUTLINE OF THE SECRET DOCTRINE

Edizioni Aurora Boreale

Title: An Outline of the “Secret Doctrine”

Author: Charles Johnston

Publishing series: Symbols & Myths

Editing by Nicola Bizzi

ISBN: 979-12-5504-739-1

Edizioni Aurora Boreale

© 2025 Edizioni Aurora Boreale

Via del Fiordaliso 14 - 59100 Prato - Italia

[email protected]

www.auroraboreale-edizioni.com

INTRODUCTION BY THE PUBLISHER

Charles Johnston (1867-1931) was an Irish writer, journalist, theosophist, linguist, naturalist, and Sanskrit scholar. Johnston He wrote numerous books on Indian philosophy, translating works from Sanskrit as well as on Theosophy. He was married to the niece of Madame Blavatsky and was involved in the development of the Theosophical Society in the United States.

He was born on February 17 1867 in the small village of Ballykilbeg (in Downpatrick), County Down, Northern Ireland. His father, William Johnston, was an Irish politician, a member of parliament from South Belfast, and a member of the Orange Order. His maternal grandfather was Sir John Hay, 5th baronet of Haystoun.

Charles Johnston studied at Derby, England, and at the Dublin University, becoming interested in Oriental Studies, and learned Sanskrit, Russian and German. Among his classmates were William Butler Yeats and George William Russell, with whom he shared an interest in the occult.

Later, Johnston worked as a journalist. In 1884, he read Alfred Percy Sinnett's work The Occult World and founded, together with Yeats and Russell on June 16 1885, the Hermetic Society in Dublin. He read Esoteric Buddhism, Isis Unveiled, Light on the Path, and Five Years of Theosophy, and in 1887 met Madame Blavatsky in person. He also joined the Theosophical Society, and co-founded in April/June 1886 the Theosophical Lodge in Dublin. He was responsible for introducing Yeats to Madame Blavatsky in spring 1887. On October 14 1888 he married Vera Vladimirovna de Zhelihovsky (1864-1923), the niece of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. He also entered the Indian Civil Service the same year, and served for two years in the Bengal Civil Service before contracting malaria. He was an assistant magistrate in Murshidabad for some time. He resigned and was treated in Austria.

Johnston translated several works from Sanskrit and Russian. As an author, he devoted himself primarily to philosophical and theosophical topics, andwrote a great number and variety of articles and books, ranging from scholarly writings on scriptures to popular volumes of humor, travel, and history.

When the Theosophical Society split in 1895, he followed the direction of William Quan Judge and was a member of the Theosophical Society in America. After Judge's death the following year, Katherine Tingley came to head the organization. Then in 1898, Johnston, who had initially supported Tingley, seceded from Tingley's organization along with some 200 other members led by Ernest Temple Hargrove to form the Theosophical Society in America (Hargrove) Branch. In the US, Johnston continued to write commentaries on matters relating to India.

President of the Irish Literary Society, Johnston was also a member of the Linnean Society of New York and was a keen observer of birds especially in the New York region. He influenced several young ornithologists including Ludlow Griscom (whose father was involved in the Theosophical movement) and Joseph Hickey, both of the Bronx County Bird Club. The 1930 United States Census listed Johnston as a writer and editor, with Encyclopedia Britannica as an employer.

Johnston died on October 16, 1931 of heart disease at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. A funeral service was held at the Chapel of the Comforter, where Clement Acton Griscom, Jr., Henry Bedinger Mitchell, and Ernest Temple Hargrove were active members. According to the New York Times obituary of October 17, «He was a widower and is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Samuel Brew who is now in British Columbia and another sister in Ireland». He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.

In his essay-commentary An Outline of the “Secret Doctrine”, which we propose to our readers today and which was published between October 1891 and May 1892 in the Lucifer Magazine, Charles Johnston attempted to give a clear account of the theory of life and development contained in Madame Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, based on stanzas from the Book of Dzyan.

In our opinion, it is still a fundamental work today for understanding the thought and message of Helena Petrovna Blavatsly and for approaching Theosophy.

Boris Yousef,

Rome, January 4, 2025.