Theos-Talk Archives (September 1998 Message tt00097)

Paul Bazzer wrote:

> Someone referred to the "merits" of the B de Z edition.  There are so-called
> "merits" to a lot of things. A plague of rats could be said to have its
> "merits" (garbage clearance); watching soap opera's 24 hours-a-day could be
> said to have its "merits" (keeps the kids off the street); the 'revised' six
> volume edition of The Secret Doctrine could be said to have its "merits"
> (door stop) etc..
>
> What about the actual/real merits of studying facsimiles/originals of the
> SD?  What about these?  "Hence it must be left to the intuition and the
> higher faculties of the reader to grasp, as far as he can, the meaning of
> the allegorical phrases used.  Indeed, it must be remembered that all these
> Stanzas appeal to the inner faculties rather than to the ordinary
> compehension of the physical brain".(PROEM, 21).


Daniel Caldwell comments:

Paul, I think your comments about "a plague of rats", etc. can be
characterized as "insults".  These insults are needless comments that
really provide us with no constructive, positive insights on the subject
under discussion.

In regards to "the 'revised' six volume edition of The Secret Doctrine",
I'm sure many sincere Blavatsky students have used this "doorstop"
edition as the basis of their serious studies of Madame Blavatsky's
writings.

Has the use of this edition prevented them from gaining a true
understanding (mental, intuitive, etc) of the teachings contained
therein?

Would it be better that a student not even read the Secret Doctrine than
to use the BdeZ edition or the 6 volume edition?

Good heavens, what terrible occult fate awaits the student who might
read the Quest abridgement of the S.D.??!!

And has Eldon's use of BdZ's SD edition done irreparable harm to his
[Eldon's ] aura??!!

Paul, don't get me wrong, as a student of Blavatsky's writings, *I want
to read what she said as she wrote it.*  Therefore, I value highly the
original or facsimile reproductions of HPB's printed works.  I have also
spent some 30 years collecting *other* MSS, letters, etc. written by
HPB. For example, see the 2nd edition of THE INNER GROUP TEACHINGS OF H.
P. BLAVATSKY.

Concerning BdZ's edition of the SD, I still maintain that it has many
merits.  I have found the bibliography in this edition quite helpful in
understanding various items HPB writes about and have used this
bibliography to follow up on various points in the SD.  Again the index
has been very helpful.  I like that the birth and death dates of authors
are given in this index.  Again, BdZ's Historical Introduction gives us
much useful information about how HPB wrote these volumes.  What Eldon
found useful in this edition I have also found useful.

Having said the above, I too have several criticisms of BdZ's edition.
I certainly agree with Tony that some of the symbols in the Proem are
"multilated" in this edition.  ......Etc etc.

But I would suggest that the serious student of the SD will profit from
using BOTH a facsimile edition as well as the BdZ edition in their
serious study of Madame Blavatsky's greatest work.  I am grateful to
Boris de Zirkoff for his work on the SD and to TPH Adyar and Wheaton for
publishing this edition of the SD.  I also applaud the efforts of both
The Theosophy Company & The Theosophical University Press in publishing
facsimiles of the 1888 ed. of HPB's greatest work.

BTW, Paul, I'm curious---do you only use the 15 volumes of HPB's
"Collected Writings" for doorstops?