Theos-Talk Archives (September 1998 Message tt00101)

Daniel Caldwell wrote:

> 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).

>
> 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.

No insult was meant as regards the plague of rats/24 hour soap opera
examples.  No objection to having the "door stop" reference to the six
volume so-called edition of SD being described as an "insult" (towards the
volumes, that is, not anyone who might choose to use them).

> 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.

HPB refers somewhere to many sincere yogis/sanyasis/mendicants who, none the
less, are all treading the path of error.  What does sincerety guarantee?
There are doubtless "sincere" psychopaths and megalomaniacs.  Motive is
everything.

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

Good question.

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

Another good question.

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

What "occult fate" awaits any of us?  Who knows?  We can but TRY, putting
personalities *entirely* aside.

<snip>

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

No, but the ten or so here are quite dusty.  Come to think of it, if the
necessity arose, would quite possibly use them as a doorstop.  Come to think
of it, they are all on the bottom shelf whereas an original "second edition"
SD (baring the crest of the library of Travers Christmas Humphries) is on
the top shelf.  It is unlikely that the latter would ever be used as a
doorstop, BTW.

Kindest regards,
Paul