Christmas Humphreys

Travers Christmas Humphreys (* February 15, 1901 in London, England; † 13 April 1983) was an English lawyer, judge, theosophist, writer and Buddhist. He was a founder of the Buddhist Society.

Life and work

Childhood, school, marriage, career

Humphreys was born on 15 February 1901 in London. The father Sir Travers Humphreys was a lawyer and judge. He attended Malvern College in Malvern and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in 1922. In 1927 he married Aileen Faulkner, who shared the interest in Theosophy and Buddhism with him. It is unclear whether he had children.

In 1924 he was admitted as a lawyer in the Inner Temple, and practiced that profession in consequence of. 1934 he was appointed to the Central Criminal Court as a junior Treasury counsel. From 1962 until his retirement he worked as a Commissioner. In addition, he also acted as justice of the peace. For his services to him the title of Kronanwalts (QC ) was awarded.

As a Theosophist and Buddhist

Soon it came to differences with other Theosophists because of its primary focus on Buddhism and thereby neglecting other theosophical subjects as well as his rejection of the Order of the Star in the East. 1926, therefore, he stepped out of the Adyar TG, just to split his Buddhist Lodge of the Theosophical and became independent. In 1943 the company name changed to Buddhist Society, Humphreys remained until his death in 1983 President.

Despite his retirement from the Adyar TG he remained the theosophy of his life and end to this has also helped shape his sometimes criticized approach to Buddhism. John Snelling commented in his " Buddhist Handbook", " Humphreys himself was a product of Theosophy and his Buddhism which one with a distinctive Blavatskian slant. " ( Humphreys himself was a product of Theosophy and his Buddhism had a strong Blavatsky - strike). Most of his works, including and especially those of Buddhism, had a theosophical impact. In his most famous work Buddhism, which has been translated into 15 languages ​​, reaching a circulation of over one million, he used throughout a series of theosophical terms. In his book, karma and reincarnation were 20 of 49 footnotes theosophical origin.

A Lifetime friendship united him with Alan Watts, who served for a time as editor of the Buddhist Lodge magazine Buddhism in England. Likewise with Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, whom he had met in 1936 at the World Parliament of Religions in London.,

In 1962, he was Vice President of the Tibet Society and Vice- Chairman of the Royal India, Pakistan and Ceylon Society. He was also Vice President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists ( international Buddhist umbrella organization ). ,

Swell

Works (selection)

  • Both sides of the circle, The autobiography of Christmas Humphreys. G. Allen & Unwin, London 1978, ISBN 0-04-921023-8.
  • Buddhism, An introduction and guide. Penguin, London, 1985, ISBN 0-14-013483-2.
  • Buddhism as a way of life. Müller, Rüschlikon et al. 1975, ISBN 3-275-00601-0.
  • Karma and Rebirth, The fate stages of man as the way to its completion and perfection. Barth, Munich 1991, ISBN 3-502-65306-2.
  • Zen Buddhism. Barth, Munich 1951.
April 13 Author Malvern (Worcestershire)
187024
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