Theos-Talk Archives (March 2001 Message tt00166)

Daniel strongly implies or states (see below) that he would prefer a
photographic facsimile of HPB's work.

This present post is of no significance to this conversation and is in fact
off on a tangent. Yet it just occured to me that a few months ago I had the
great pleasure of reading the actual and real Mahatma Letters - and not even
a facsimile (or a word-perfect printed edition of these Letters) can convey
anything like the originals. It was truly a "pilgrimage" experience - more
than I had expected it to be.

For one thing, the Letters were not always so much "read" by I and my
companion as scrutinised. Morya in particular has handwriting sometimes
difficult to decipher this or that word of.

There's also the factor of knowing that this is the actual paper touched and
used by the Master's hands. All this while they were still in tangible
embodiment, still awaiting the Initiation to take them beyond the need for
such and beyond the need for rebirth. Hence, it is touching also to realse
that these are indeed Letters - no matter the level of advancement of their
authors - Letters written often in haste, and sometimes without forethought,
but always with the best will in mind, by men who were still encased within
bodies they were born into, and hence who were still, if only slightly,
prone to typical human error (but not much!).

Of course, the Mahatma Letters were never intended for publication or for
public perusal, though evidently their authors have now decided "for" this -
else they would not still be manifest.

..... Just, as introduced, some thoughts not truly upon this thread of
posts, but elicited through poetic feeling. To see, read and touch the
actual Mahatma Letters is truly something.

David T

-----Original Message-----
From: Blavatsky Archives <info@blavatskyarchives.com>
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>;
basic@blavatsky.net <basic@blavatsky.net>
Date: 31 March 2001 02:07
Subject: Theos-World Original Writings of Madame Blavatsky --Part I


>
>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
>
>---------------------------------------
>Daniel H. Caldwell
>info@blavatskyarchives.com
>---------------------------------------
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