Theos-Talk Archives (September 1998 Message tt00166)

SUBJECT:  There are no mistakes/errors/typos
in HPB's 1888 edition of THE SECRET DOCTRINE??

Dear Paul and Tony,

Is it your contention that there are no mistakes/errors/typos in the
1888 edition of THE SECRET DOCTRINE?

And if this is your contention, does this ALSO apply to all of the rest
of HPB's writings, ISIS, VOICE, KEY, her articles in Theosophist,
Lucifer, etc.?

Furthermore, where do you derive this "view" concerning THE SECRET
DOCTRINE?  In reading HPB's published writings, letters, plus
unpublished material I have never got the impression that any of her
writings were completely free from errors/mistakes/typos?  And I don't
get this impression even from any of the letters of the Mahatmas.

Paul, you even suggest that the Mahatmas were watching, supervising and
correcting the typesetting of THE SECRET DOCTRINE.  When reading a
facsimile of the 1888 edition, and the reader comes upon this passage
[p. xvii (which is not numbered) of Vol I, "Introductory"]:

". . . . Th esoteric truths, presented in Mr. Sinnett's work. . . .",

what is the student to make of the fact that the "e" is missing from
"The"?

Is it your contention that this is not a typo but has some other
significance (occult or otherwise)?

I will close this email with two quotations from HPB which I think are
relevant to the issues raised in this discusssion.  I'd appreciate your
direct, explicit comments on them:

The 1st HPB quote:

"Save the direct quotations and the many afore specified and mentioned
MISPRINTS, ERRORS and MISQUOTATIONS, and the general make-up of *Isis
Unveiled*, for which I am in no way responsible, (a) every word of
information found in this work or in my later writings, comes from the
teachings of our Eastern Masters; and  (b) that many a passage in these
works has been written by me *under their dictation*.
...........................
Even for *The Secret Doctrine* there are about half-a-dozen Theosophists
who have been busy in editing it, who have helped me to arrange the
matter, correct the imperfect English, and prepare it for print."
>From HPB's article "My Books", April 1891.  CAPS ADDED.

Therefore, is there not room here for MISPRINTS, ERRORS and
MISQUOTATIONS?

Another HPB QUOTE:

"Thus mistakes have been made in 'Isis Unveiled,' in 'Esoteric
Buddhism,' in 'Man,' in 'Magic:  White and Black,' etc., etc.; and more
than one mistake is likely to be found in the present work.  This cannot
be helped. . . . ."  SD, II, 640.

And from the context of the whole paragraph from which the above was
quoted, HPB is not referring to just "typos" when she uses the word
"mistake."

Thanking you in advance for your explicit replies.

Daniel Caldwell