Theos-Talk Archives (March 2001 Message tt00165)

Dear Dallas and John (Compiler),

Thank you for your emails concerning
HPB's original writings.

Let me clearly state my view about
HPB's original books and articles.  

When I study HPB's writings I prefer
to read her original writings as they
were published during her lifetime.

The main reason for this is that after
HPB's death various persons have edited
her writings making various changes, deletions
and additions. Some of the changes have been
minor and trivial. But some of the changes
have been major and some of these changes
and "corrections" have actually been wrong.
The changes are usually not noted therefore
the reader of these new editions has no easy
way to know what has been changed.

Dallas, I believe you have expressed a similar
view in the past. John, I don't know your view
of this subject.

But I ask both of you:

Which would you honestly prefer: (1) a photographic
facsimile of one of HPB's originals writings as it 
was published during her lifetime or (2) a later
edition of her book where her text has been edited, either
by deletions, changes or additions? 

For example, take ISIS UNVEILED, I prefer to use the
photographic facsimile of the original edition
reprinted by the Theosophy Company. By saying that,
I don't mean that the editions currently published 
by Theosophical University Press or Theosophical Publishing 
house are worthless. I ALSO use those editions for various
purposes but I prefer using the photographic facsimile 
of the original for my primary study of that text.

The same applies to THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE. I prefer to
use as my primary source the photographic facsimile of
the VOICE published by Kessinger. The other editions of the
VOICE published by Theosophy Company, Theosophical Publishing
House and Theosophical University Press also have value but they
are not photographic facsimiles of the original 1889 edition.

I could go down the whole list of HPB's works.

So if you had your choice, what edition (original) or (later edited) 
(see above) would the two of you choose?

Daniel

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Daniel H. Caldwell
info@blavatskyarchives.com
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