Theos-Talk Archives (May 2001 Message tt00141)

Eldon,

The real trials and hardship H.P.B. went through in writing "The Secret
Doctrine," for humanity, is well documented. And yet, some of us still for
ever complain about it. It is too big, it is too heavy to carry, the print
is too small, it is so difficult, the science is now out of date, the
sanskrit words are difficult to understand, why not replace them with the
English equivalent, at least bring them up to date to coincide with
scholarly standards...and so on. It was written over 100 years ago, as if
that somehow makes it out of date. Don't you think that it is all a bit
odd? Is the Bagavad Gita out of date? Isn't the S.D. about the Ageless
Wisdom?

Rather than thinking H.P.B is wrong, have you ever thought of checking Boris
de Zirkoff out. You are even saying the Glossary should not be reprinted,
because of what Boris has said? This is how the conversation began.

Taking the symbols on pages 4 and 5 of the PROEM:

In the original edition the 3rd symbol is a circle with a diameter.

The last symbol is a pentagram reversed.

In the Boris de Zirkoff edition:

In the third symbol the diameter is altered to a prolonged H.

The last symbol has a point added in the middle.

Why make these alterations to the symbols? You mention Buddhi-Manas rather
than the intellectual(?), but aren't the alterations all lower-manas
alterations, even by your own definitions?

Tony


-----Original Message-----
From: Eldon B Tucker [mailto:eldon@theosophy.com]
Sent: 17 May 2001 3:06 pm
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Theos-World original versus Boris de Zirkoff editions of THE
SECRET DOCTRINE