author
Charles Johnston
1867–1931
A gifted translator and Sanskrit scholar, he helped bring Indian philosophy and literature to English-speaking readers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work blends spiritual curiosity, careful study, and a talent for making complex ideas readable.
1 Audiobook
Ireland, Historic and Picturesque
by Charles Johnston
About the author
Born in Ireland in 1867, Charles Johnston was a writer, journalist, naturalist, and scholar of Sanskrit. He studied at Trinity College Dublin, became involved in intellectual and spiritual circles, and was one of the founders of the Dublin Hermetic Society, a group also associated with W. B. Yeats.
Johnston joined the Indian Civil Service in 1888, but illness cut short his time in India. After later settling in the United States, he continued writing and translating, becoming especially known for English versions of Indian classics, including texts connected with the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Yoga Sutras.
His books introduced many Western readers to Hindu and Buddhist thought at a time when such material was still unfamiliar to most English-language audiences. He died in New York in 1931, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both literary skill and a deep interest in comparative religion and philosophy.