WILLIAM QUAN JUDGE se je rodil 13. aprila 1851 v Dublinu na Irskem. Pri sedmih letih je zelo resno zbolel in zdravnik ga je že razglasil za mrtvega, vendar pa si je navzlic temu opomogel in med okrevanjem začel prebirati knjige o različnih mističnih temah, ob tem da se njegova družina sploh ni zavedala, da zna brati. Ko mu je bilo trinajst let, je njegova družina emigrirala v Združene države in se nastanila v Brooklynu v New Yorku.

William je uspel dokončati svoj študij in se zaposliti kot uradnik v odvetniški pisarni. Začel se je pripravljati na pravniški poklic. Aprila leta 1872 je dobil ameriško državljanstvo in bil mesec dni kasneje registriran pri državnem odvetništvu države New York. Njegova marljivost, naravna bistrost in neupogljiva vztrajnost so naredile dober vtis na njegove stranke, tako da je sčasoma postal strokovnjak za trgovinsko pravo.

Williamov zakon z Ello M. Smith ni bil uspešen saj je njegova žena nasprotovala njegovim interesom na področju mistike, izguba njunega otroka pa je še dodatno povečala njuno ne-srečno družinsko življenje.

Jeseni leta 1874 je Judge navezal stik s H. P. Blavatsky, potem ko je prebral Olcottove članke v dnevniku Daily Graphic in mu v pismu izrazil željo, da bi ju povezal. Rezultat je bilo druženje, ki je trajalo celotno njuno nadaljnje življenje. Kmalu potem, septembra 1875, je Judge postal eden izmed ustanoviteljev Teozofskega Društva in odtlej deloval kot njegov odvetnik. Ko sta H.P.B. in Olcott decembra 1878 odpotovala v Indijo, je bila njujorška teozofska skupina prepuščena skrbi nadomestnega predsednika, general-majorja A. Doubledaya in W. Q. Judgea. Leta 1884 se je William odpravil na dolgo-želeno pot v Indijo. Kratek čas je preživel v Adyarju in se vrnil v New York. Ob povratku se je njegov finančni položaj precej izboljšal, obenem pa se je zaposlil v odvetniški firmi, v kateri je delal Olcottov brat.

Ker je čutil, da je v Ameriki potrebna temeljita reorganizacija teozofskega dela, je predlagal ustanovitev Ameriške Sekcije. To je bilo opravljeno v juniju leta 1886 in Judge je bil izvoljen za stalnega Generalnega Tajnika. Pod njegovim živahnim vodstvom je Sekcija hitro napredovala, tako da so bile podeljene ustanovne listine številnim novim vejam po celi državi.

Aprila 1886 je Judge začel izdajati revijo The Path, ki je postala hrbtenica teozofskega objavljanja v Ameriki.

Judge je predaval po celotni deželi, objavljal traktate o teozofiji, vodil ogromno korespondenco in postopoma pritegnil številne sposobne sodelavce, ki so se lotili dela pod njegovim spretnim vodstvom.

Decembra 1888 je šel Judge v Dublin in od tam v London, kjer je pomagal H.P.B. oblikovati Ezoterično Sekcijo s formulacijo nekaterih Pravil. H.P.B. ga je imenovala za “edinega zastopnika Sekcije v Ameriki.” Istega leta ga je Olcott imenoval za podpredsednika Teozofskega Društva, leto kasneje pa je bil tudi uradno izvoljen na ta položaj, ko so ustrezno dopolnili društvena pravila.

Po smrti H.P.B. je Judge postal tarča različnih obtožb s strani njegovih teozofskih tovarišev. Končni rezultat tega nesrečnega niza okoliščin, ki so bile posledica človeških slabosti, je bila odločitev, da Ameriška Sekcija postane neodvisna organizacija z nazivom “The Theosophical Society in America” in pod vodstvom W. Q. Judgea. To se je zgodilo na konvenciji v Bostonu, 28. in 29. aprila 1895.

W. Q. Judge je umrl razmeroma mlad, 21. marca 1896, za posledicami tuberkoloze in izčrpujočih učinkov mrzlice, za katero je zbolel nekaj let pred tem med svojimi poslovnimi potovanji po Južni Ameriki.

Prevod odlomkov iz članka v "Theosophiji".

WILLIAM QUAN JUDGE was born in Dublin in Ireland on April 13th 1851. At the age of seven he experienced a very serious illness and was pronounced dead by the doctor. He nevertheless revived and during his convalescence began to read books on various mystical subjects, though his family was unaware of his ability to read. When William was thirteen his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn in New York.

William managed to finish his schooling and became a clerk in the Law Office. He began to prepare himself for the legal profession. In April 1872 he became naturalized and was admitted to the State Bar of New York one month later. His industry, natural shrewdness and inflexible persistence commended him to his clients and as time went on he became a specialist in Commercial Law.

William’s marriage to Ella M. Smith was not successful, as his wife opposed his mystical interests, and the loss of their child added to the unhappiness of their family life.

In Fall 1874 Judge came in contact with H. P. Blavatsky. Having read Col. Olcott’s articles in the Daily Graphic, he wrote him asking to be introduced to H.P.B. This resulted in an association that was to last throughout their life. Soon after, in September of 1875, Judge became one of the Founders of The Theosophical Society and acted as Counsel thereof. When H.P.B. and Olcott left for India, in December 1878, the New York theosophical group was left in the care of the Acting President, Major-General Abner Doubleday and W. Q. Judge. In 1884 Judge undertook his long-wished-for journey to India. He stayed a short time at Adyar and returned to New York. Upon his return, Judge found his financial prospects greatly improved, and identified himself with the law firm in which Olcott’s brother worked.

Feeling that a basic reorganization of the Theosophical work was required in America, he suggested the formation of the American Section. This was done in June 1886 and Judge was elected as permanent General Secretary. Under his vigorous leadership the Section soon prospered and new Branches were chartered all over the country.

In April 1886 Judge started his magazine The Path which was to become the backbone of Theosophical publicity in America.

Judge lectured up and down the country, published tracts on Theosophy, conducted an enormous correspondence and gradually attracted a number of valuable co-workers who engaged in similar activities under his able guidance.

In December 1888 Judge was in Dublin and went from there to London to assist H.P.B. in the formation of the Esoteric Section, for which he formulated some of the Rules. H.P.B. appointed him as her “only representative for said Section in America.” In the same year he was appointed by Olcott as Vice-President of The Theosophical Society, and in 1890 was officially elected to that office, the rules having been changed.

After the passing of H.P.B. Judge became the target of various accusations from some of his own Fellow-Theosophists. The final outcome of this unfortunate set of circumstances due to human weaknesses, was the decision of the American Section to become an independent body as “The Theosophical Society in America” under the Presidency of Judge. This took place at the Boston Convention, on April 28-29, 1895.

W. Q. Judge died rather young, on March 21th 1896, as a result of tuberculosis and the debilitating effects of Chagres fever he had contracted some years before during business journeys in South America.

Excerpts from: Short biography of W. Q. Judge.

Njegova dela in internetni viri

His works and online resources

Bhagavad Gita
Odmevi z vzhoda
Pisma, ki so mi pomagala
Ocean teozofije
Povzetek teozofije
Patanjalijevi yoga aforizmi
Domet reinkarnacije
Praktični okultizem

Bhagavad Gita
Echoes from the Orient
Letters That Have Helped Me
The Ocean of Theosophy
An Epitome of Theosophy
The Yoga Aphorism of Patanjali
The Scope of Reincarnation
Practical Occultism

Biography and articles.
Links to articles, books and photographs.
Books online.
Articles online.
Texts online.
Sunrise Special Issue.
The Path.
Links to texts online.
Articles on Hermes Library.
William Quan Judge - The Man.
The Judge Case, A Conspiracy ...

Pripravil: Anton Rozman