Foreward to William Q. Judge Articles
The Forward set below as it appears in the
two volume set of William Q. Judge's Theosophical Articles.
Born in Dublin in 1851, William Quan Judge came to the United
States (with his father) at the age of thirteen, arriving in
New York in 1864. He became a citizen in 1872 and was admitted
to the bar in that year. Having from boyhood shown an interest
in mystical matters, it was natural for him to make inquiries
which led him to Madame Blavatsky, whom he met in 1874. In the
following year he was one of the co-founders -with H.P. Blavatsky
and Henry S. Olcott-of the Theosophical Society. When these two
associates in the Movement went to India in 1879, Judge carried
on the work of the Society in the United States. He started the
American monthly, The Path, in 1886, and thereafter wrote
for it unceasingly until the time of this death in 1896.
This book (Theosophical Articles by William Q. Judge)
presents the bulk of his contribution to the Path, and
articles written for the Theosophist, founded by H.P.B.
in 1879 in India, for Lucifer, begun in 1887 in England,
also by H.P.B., and for one or two other journals. As a result
of his efforts, the Theosophical Society grew to major proportions
in the United States. A biographer has said of this work:
"He lectured all over the States, and did the work of
several men. Every spare moment was given to Theosophy, and taken
from his meals and his rest. Finally, when the New York Headquarters
were bought, and when the work had increased to large proportions,
Mr. Judge relinquished his profession and gave his entire life
and time to the Society."
The reason for publication of his many articles (now contained
in two volumes) lies in the conviction of some Theosophical students
that Judge's writings are an indispensable aid in grasping the
meaning of the Theosophical philosophy, and that recognition
of his role and part in Theosophical organization and education
is equally indispensable to an understanding of the Theosophical
Movement. The merit, however of what he accomplished, in this
case through his writings, may be said to be self-evident. Ardor,
simplicity, and depth are present on every page. There is the
strength of high philosophy, but at the same time a faculty of
simple communication unrivaled by any other Theosophical writer.
He seems to have understood well the needs and concerns of the
common man and was able to write for the average reader with
a rare quality of invitation. His command of the language, made
evident in, for example, "The Synthesis of Occult Science,"
is impressive. His appeal to the heart is spontaneous and unpretentious,
leaving no barriers to the inspiring quality felt in so much
that he wrote. Almost without realizing it, the student of Theosophy
who spends thoughtful time with the writings of William Q. Judge
finds in him a guide, philosopher, and friend. These, then are
the reasons for reprinting his articles in a single and easily
available source.
A word might be said of H. P. Blavatsky's attitude toward
Judge. He was with her from the start, helping and supporting,
ever loyal to her and her vision. She called him her "only
friend" and declared that he was for Americans the link
between the thought of their time and the Eastern secret wisdom.
When he was under attack, she declared that he had been "part
of herself for several eons." She trusted him, she said,
"more perhaps than I did Olcott-or myself." After reading
Judge, one begins to see why.
Other writings by Mr. Judge, not included in these volumes, will
be found in his books. These are The
Ocean of Theosophy, Echoes
from the Orient, his renditions of the Bhagavad-Gita
and The
Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, and Letters
That Have Helped Me -all in editions available from the
Theosophy Company and at [SeekerBooks.com]
Judge wrote under many names, those most frequently used being
William Brehon, Hadji Erinn, Byan Kinnavan, and Eusebio Urban.
At least thrity pseudonymns have been more or less identified,
and there are a few others of which some students feel fairly
sure.
The articles in this book appear, not in order of original
publication, but in a sequence of groups of discussions which
bring allied material together. There are two tables of contents,
one giving the articles as they appear in each volume, the other
listing the titles in alphabetical order. The subject index at
the end of the second volume whoud prove invaluable to students.
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