Theos-Talk Archives (October 2003 Message tt00051)

Tony versus Reed on "The Voice of the Silence" 

Students of Mme. Blavatsky's writings and teachings
who are NOT partial to any of the existing
Theosophical groups might take note of the following
two statements about one edition of HPB'S VOICE OF THE
SILENCE:

Reed Carson of BLAVATSKY NET writes as follows
about the VOICE edition by the Theosophy Company:

"The Voice of the Silence [was] translated from memory
and annotated by Blavatsky - and later typographically
improved by her colleague Judge. . . . Students of
Blavatsky have great respect for this inspirational
book and read and reread it."

Compare and contrast the above with what Tony Maddock
has recently written. Tony wrote:

"Take a copy of the ORIGINAL 'The Voice of the
Silence' and compare it to the edition edited by W Q
Judge, and note a few of the differences in the
two editions, and see what effect those alterations
have on the meaning. Those changes take from the HEART
of the voice of the silence. What was it that caused
those changes to be made, and what are the resulting
effects?"

There appears to be "A GREAT DIVIDE" between Tony's
and Reed's statements!!!

I call the reader's attention to Reed's two words:

TYPOGRAPHICALLY IMPROVED

I find these words very misleading and unfair
especially to INQUIRERS and NEW STUDENTS of HPB's
writings.

I have myself written before about the changes in the
TC edition and many of these changes are MUCH MORE
than typographical improvements.

I refer readers to Peter Merriott's article on
this same issue which can be found at:

http://www.teosofia.com/Docs/vol-2-10.pdf

A reading of this article will show the impartial
student that we are dealing with more than
typographical improvements. In fact this is tampering
with HPB's meaning and, in effect, her teachings.
Other examples could be given. 

One can start to understand why Tony wrote:

"Those changes take from the HEART of the voice of the
silence."

Then consider Reed's other words:

"Students of Blavatsky have great respect for this
inspirational book and read and reread it."

But unfortunately some students apparently don't have
ENOUGH respect for HPB's VOICE to
present "this inspirational book" as HPB's originally
published this classic in 1889.

Here in Reed's two words are telltale signs of a
certain "mindset" that is serving as an obstacle to
inquirers and new students who might want to actually
read Blavatsky as she was originally published.

It would appear that Reed is "pushing" this TC version
over other versions. See his placement of this
edition on his bookstore website. And I see that his
link to a page listing other versions doesn't
currently work.

In summary, I find Reed's description
["typographically improved"] to border on the
misleading and the deceptive.



=====
Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER/BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com/introduction.htm

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"...Contrast alone can enable us to appreciate things at 
their right value; and unless a judge compares notes and 
hears both sides he can hardly come to a correct decision."
H.P. Blavatsky. The Theosophist, July, 1881, p. 2
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