Theos-Talk Archives (April 2000 Message tt00005)

Dallas you wrote:

> Daniel:
>
> I think you make an error ?
>
> I did not promote any publisher.   I said secure the ORIGINAL
> WRITINGS.


Dallas, this is what you originally said in part:

"If accuracy is desired the best way to secure this is to go
direct to the ORIGINAL (un-edited) text of HPB's
books and articles."

"The BOOKSHOP at BLAVATSKY.NET can provide the
original texts reproduced by photographic processes, so there is no
editing or interpolation of opinions.  The student is placed
directly in relation with HPB and her writings. . . ."

What were you saying here?  Surely you were suggesting if not firmly
stating that one can secure "the ORIGINAL (un-edited) text of HPB's
books and articles" at "The BOOKSHOP at BLAVATSKY.NET."
Isn't that what you were trying to convey?  Is this not "promoting" to
some degree the HPB volumes sold at BN?

MODERN PANARION and the edition of the VOICE sold
by BN are definitely edited and contain hundreds of editorial changes.
This is not just "my opinion", is it?  It is a fact that anyone can
determine if they have access to the ORIGINALS and then
compare those to these two edited works sold by BN.

You know this and yet you were promoting (indirectly) these two HPB
titles at BN by your own words.

You also wrote:

"After HPB died several of her students, in time, claimed to be
able to "correct" her writings, and proceeded to do this.  Also,
most of her writings . . . were amended and edited without any
notes to advise readers of the changes made. . . ."

You also know (or should know) that when you wrote this,
that these two works under discussion (sold at BN) were
"corrected," "amended and edited without any notes to advise
readers of the changes made."  Why didn't you mention these
facts to everyone reading your email?

How would inquirers, new students and even older (uninformed)
students know that these two works sold by BN were edited with
hundreds of changes?  Your email certainly didn't inform them of these
facts.

Dallas, you ALSO certainly promote both MODERN PANARION and
the TC edition of the VOICE by constantly quoting from these two
volumes.

You don't quote from the de Zirkoff edition of the SECRET DOCTRINE or
G.R.S. Mead's edition of THE SECRET DOCTRINE, do you  Why don't you?
Is something wrong with these editions?

Concerning the edition of the VOICE published by the Theosophy
Company, you reply:

"The VOICE is a verbatim reproduction in reset type of the 1st
edition of the VOICE that Mr. Judge printed and issued in New
York, I believe it was in 1893.  We have both noted this.  It was
not claimed to be a reproduction of HPB's original edition of
1889.  A few changes in orthography and spelling in the FOOTNOTES
were noted and explained;  but there was nothing there that would
impair the meaning of the original printed text as far as I could
see. You may hold another opinion."

Oh, so it is just a matter of opinion.  By this do you mean it is a
very subjective matter?  That there are no verifiable facts that
any two or three or four sensible persons could agree on?

Here are my observations of the Theosophy Company's edition
of the VOICE.  These are facts which anyone can verify if he or
she will do the necessary work.

1.  This edition is not an "un-edited" reproduction of the ORIGINAL edition
as
HPB published it in 1889.

2.  In fact this edition has hundreds of changes in orthography, spelling,
etc. when compared with HPB's ORIGINAL.

3.  And these hundreds of changes are not just in the FOOTNOTES as you
seem to believe or suggest but also are in the main text.

4.  To use your own words, this edition was "amended and edited without
any notes to advise readers of the changes made. . . ."

This is not just my opinion but are facts which anyone can confirm if they
desire to do so.

Again you write:

"A few changes in orthography and spelling in the FOOTNOTES
were noted and explained;  but there was nothing there that would
impair the meaning of the original printed text as far as I could
see. You may hold another opinion."

It is not that clear to me what your mean by "a few changes".
Putting that aside, I will simply state again that there are
hundreds of changes and that is not some subjective opinion
but a verifiable fact.

You seem to suggest that you noted the "changes" between the
ORIGINAL as approved by HPB and this later edition published
when HPB was dead and gone and concluded "there was nothing there that
would impair the meaning of the original printed text as far as I
could see."  Dallas, this is not THE ISSUE that we were originally
discussing.

Your original words were:

"If accuracy is desired the best way to secure this is to go
direct to the ORIGINAL (un-edited) text of HPB's
books and articles."

You said "go DIRECT to the ORIGINAL."

Why not heed your own advise and go DIRECT to the ORIGINAL
of the "Voice" published in 1889?  Why go through the laborious
process of comparing hundreds of changes in the edited TC text with the
original
as published by HPB?  This too me is pretty INDIRECT.

Just go to the ORIGINAL as HPB published it.  To do that one should
avoid all edited versions INCLUDING THE THEOSOPHY COMPANY'S
EDITION.  One can do this by either obtaining a copy of the original 1889
edition
or by purchasing a copy of the photofacsimile sold by Kessinger Publishing
on the Internet at:
http://www.kessinger-publishing.com/catalog/titles/ISBN_0-7661-0202-5.html

My above comments on the TC edition of the Voice can be similarly
applied to MODERN PANARION.

If the student of HPB's writings wants to read "the ORIGINAL (un-edited)
text"
of HPB's articles, AVOID "THE MODERN PANARION."  The text
in some of the articles in this 1895 volume is terribly multilated.

I really hope that the Theosophy Company will pull these two multilated
volumes
out of circulation and reprint a photofacsimile of the 1889 edition of the
VOICE
and compile and publish an accurate and faithful transcription of HPB's
articles covering
the time period 1874-1884.  If the Theosophy Company can publish
photofacsimiles
of the originals editions of ISIS, the SD and the KEY, WHY can't they
produce one of the VOICE?
This is a great puzzle to me.

Daniel





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