Theos-Talk Archives (October 1998 Message tt00070)

SUBJECT:  Dallas on the Theosophy Company's edition of THE VOICE OF THE
SILENCE

W. Dallas TenBroeck wrote:

>RE: VOICE OF THE SILENCE
>
> Dear "Augoeides,"
>
> I would strongly recommend that you verify the allegations for
> yourself and see if they are correct.  And, at the same time ask
> yourself if there is any change in MEANING.  Although I asked
> this question of Dan, he has not answered it directly, but has
> pointed out errors of transcription.  What Dan has written is
> textually accurate - as he always is on such matters - no
> arguments there.  And, there never have been.  That is the strict
> application of the "Eye Doctrine."


Daniel Caldwell replies:

Thank you Dallas for your reply.  I would be most happy to answer the
question about whether "the meaning has been changed or not".  But this
was NOT the issue I was bringing up in my earlier emails and it was NOT
your original point at the beginning of this discussion last month.

One of your original points last month was as follows.  I quote your
words concerning editions of Blavatsky's writings:

> I prefer a facsimile edition - no question of authenticity.
> Comments and changes can be put in an ADDENDUM for students to
> consult.
>
> Verbatim editions are acceptable, if truly and accurately
> VERBATIM - no changes or emendations or interpolations.  Any
> such can be handled through an ADDENDUM.

Please, Dallas, notice your own words about "verbatim": NO CHANGES OR
EMENDATIONS OR INTERPOLATIONS.

Dallas, in my email of a few days ago, [ I append that email at the END
of these comments. ] I showed by quoting chapter and verse that there
WERE (1) changes, (2) emendations and (3) interpolations in the VOICE as
published by the Theosophy Company.

Whether these "corrections", etc. change the meaning or not is NOT
really the issue. The ONLY issue I was addressing is that an "editorial
hand" has been at work on HP Blavatsky's original text.  Someone has
taken upon himself/herself to *alter and correct* HPB's text.  And some
of the changes are so trivial that one should ask:  "Why even make the
changes in the first place??"  But some of the changes are significant.
Apparently G.R.S. Mead and Boris de Zirkoff are not the only persons who
have had the editorial "itch" to change and correct HPB's text.

Boris de Zirkoff in his "Collected Writings" edition, at least, tells
the reader that he is making certain types of changes.  Nothing is found
in the Theosophy Company's edition of the Voice to alert the reader that
hundreds of changes have been made to HPB's original edition.

The only reason I bring up Boris de Zirkoff's name in this discussion is
that many ULT associates, and even ULT "officials", have been quite
vocal in their criticisms of Mr. de Zirkoff's editing and "correcting"
of HPB's writings.  But I guess it's . . . okay with you (and other ULT
associates?) that the Theosophy Company has made more than 600 changes
in HPB's original text of the VOICE??????

Again I repeat your previous remark and append a few more comments:

>  I would strongly recommend that you verify the allegations for
> yourself and see if they are correct.  And, at the same time ask
> yourself if there is any change in MEANING.  Although I asked
> this question of Dan, he has not answered it directly, but has
> pointed out errors of transcription.  What Dan has written is
> textually accurate - as he always is on such matters - no
> arguments there.  And, there never have been.  That is the strict
> application of the "Eye Doctrine."


So, Dallas, what are you trying to tell "Augoeides"?  Are you trying to
tell him/her that it is okay with you if an editor changes HPB's
words/text as long as the editor doesn't change the meaning? If this is
what you are attempting to convey, then what has happened to YOUR
September 1998 "standard" of preferring facsimile or verbatim copies of
HPB's works?

As far as I know, verbatim means "word for word" and by this definition,
the TC edition of the VOICE is definitely NOT verbatim.

Would you now prefer that "verbatim" be defined as "having the same
meaning"??

Again you write that Dan "has pointed out errors of transcriptions."
No Dallas, this is not accurate.  I have pointed out what can be
reasonably considered as DELIBERATE changes and corrections.  [SEE THE
DETAILED EXAMPLES APPENDED BELOW.]

Now one of my correspondents in private email wrote:

"Now here is a surprise.  Do you know the TPH Wheaton has a 1991 [1992]
centenary edition of VOS?. . . When I first saw this edition and noticed
its differences from TC version I assumed TC was the original. . . . Now
it may turn out that TC made changes and TPH has the original! Wouldn't
that be a change!"

In comparing these two versions, I find that the TPH Wheaton edition has
only a few corrections.  For example, in the original 1889 VOS, one
finds the word "acking" which is, no doubt, by the context of the
sentence, a "typo" for "lacking".  This is corrected in the TPH Wheaton
edition.  IN FACT, IN REALITY, the TPH Wheaton edition is much more
faithful to the original 1889 VOS than the TC edition with its 600+
changes.

So Dallas, let me pose a question for you:

In light of what you now know about the TC edition with 600+ changes, do
you still PREFER that TC edition or would you be willing to adopt a
better edition like the TPH 1992 Wheaton edition mentioned by my email
correspondent?

I APPEND BELOW MY EMAIL FROM SATURDAY IN WHICH I DOCUMENT SOME OF THE
CHANGES BETWEEN THE 2 EDITIONS UNDER DISCUSSION.

> Date: Sat, 17 Oct 1998 20:49:31 -0700
> From: "Daniel H Caldwell" <blafoun@azstarnet.com>
> Subject: Theosophy Company's 1987 edition of THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE

SUBJECT:  Theosophy Company's 1987 edition of THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE

Of late, I have spent some time comparing the 1987 edition of the VOICE
published by The Theosophy Company (CA) with the original 1889 edition
of HPB's classic.  As pointed out in one of my earlier emails, this
Theosophy Company edition (first published 1928) is NOT verbatim with
the original VOICE.  In fact, the TC edition has more than 600 changes
and "corrections".

Here are several examples of these changes:

On p. 73 of the original VOICE, HPB wrote:

>  The "great Master" is the term used by *lanoos* or
>   chelas to indicate one's "Higher Self."

The Theosophy Company's 1987 edition reads:

>  The "great Master" is the term used by
>  Lanoos or Chelas to indicate the HIGHER SELF.

As one can see, there are several changes in this one sentence
including deleting a word and adding another.


Again, HPB in the original wrote on pp. 74-75:

>  It stands generally for the 100 years or "age" of Brahma, the
>  duration of a Kalpa or a period of 4,320,000,000 years.

The Theosophy Company's edition reads (p. 5):

>  It stands generally for the 100 years or "age" of Brahma, the
>  duration of a Maha-Kalpa or a period of 311,040,000,000,000 years.


Again, the 1889 edition, p. 78:

>  These mystic sounds or the melody heard by the ascetic . . . .

The TC edition changes this to (p. 19):

>  The mystic sounds, or the melody, heard by the ascetic . . . .


Again, the original VOICE, p. 87:

>  *Upadya* is a spiritual perceptor, a Guru.

The TC editions reads (p. 49):

>  *Upadhyaya* is a spiritual preceptor, a Guru.


Once, again, the original VOICE reads on p. 82:

>  Bodhidharma called them in China---from whence the names reached
>  Tibet---the *Tsung-men* (esoteric) and *Kiau-men* (exoteric school).

The TC edition changes this passage to read:  (p. 25)

>  The *Bodhidharma*, Wisdom Religion in China---whence the names reached
>  Tibet---called them the *Tsung-men* (Esoteric) and *Kiau-men* (Esoteric
>  school).


On pp. x-xi of the original, one finds the following:

>  . . . (*Bhagavatgita II*. 70). . . .

>  . . . (*Bhagavatgita II*. 27). . . .

The TC edition changes the spelling of this Hindu text and deletes the
numbers  "70" and "27".

*Also the spelling of numerous Sanskrit words are changed throughout the
TC edition when compared with the original 1889 edition of the VOICE.*

Over the years, The Theosophy Company has prided itself on
providing photographic reprints of HPB's original works.
Notice what this publisher writes in their 1947 edition
of THE SECRET DOCTRINE:

"With the present printing of THE SECRET DOCTRINE, The Theosophy
Company continues its function of providing students and inquirers
with unaltered editions of the original literature of the Theosophical
Movement. . . . this edition is a perfect facsimile of the original
edition and can be relied upon as such."

And earlier in the same "Publishers' Preface", pains were taken to
point out:

"Besides the original edition of 1888---the only one authorized
by Madame Blavatsky---several other editions of this work have
appeared.  One of these, the so-called 'Third and Revised
Edition' of 1893, is marred by many thousands of alterations, some
of them trivial, some actual mutilations of the original text."

And this preface went on to say the following about another edition
of the SD:

"Except for gratuitous 'corrections' of the author's [Blavatsky's]
Sanskrit scholarship. . . . this edition is virtually an accurate
reproduction of the original text.  Its exact authenticity, however,
cannot be determined without laborious comparison with the original."

How much of this (Theosophy Company's) "Publishers' Preface" could be
equally applied to their own edition of THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE??!!

Why are there 600+ changes in this Theosophy Company's edition?