We have upgraded Pariprashnena! Login is done with email OR username + usual password now. Any problem or doubt please email pariprashnena@gmail.com
are book changes OK?
  • I think that the person who wrote that article is/was a ritvik.
  • Are the changes mentioned at this site not real?.

    I am not looking at affiliation here, just look at the changes, and please Prabhus and Matajis comment, it is a big one for me at least. Thank you.
  • Please read http://jswami.info/writings/about_editing and attachment. I vouch for the 'changed' books as they are a return to SP's manuscripts which I personally worked with.
  • mishra:
    Are the changes mentioned at this site not real?.

    I am not looking at affiliation here, just look at the changes, and please Prabhus and Matajis comment, it is a big one for me at least. Thank you.

    he may be using the article to fulfill his agenda.
  • Original...The body itself is unimportant. Arjuna was advised to fight and to sacrifice the material body for the cause of religion.
    Revised...The body itself is unimportant. Arjuna was advised to fight and not sacrifice the cause of religion for material, bodily considerations.
    ****************
    It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.
    It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.
    ***************
    O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature.
    O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being.
    ***************
    If someone gives up self-gratificatory pursuits and works in Krsna consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part?
    If someone gives up his occupational duties and works in Krsna consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part?
    *****************
    ...Discharging one's specific duty in any field of action in accordance with varnasrama-dharma serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.
    ...Discharging one's specific duty in any field of action in accordance with the orders of higher authorities serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.

    on and on.

    I am not on any faction, just that the changes really startle me. I use the original edition just to be in the safe side.
  • "are book changes OK?"

    depends. if the editing is to bring the meaning closer to Srila Prabhupada's intention then absolutely its wanted.

    if not then .... no way.
  • how do you know how to "bring the meaning closer to Srila Prabhupada's intention" besides obvious sintax flaws?
  • Explained in the resources above. It can be done for those books whose manuscripts survived. See also

    http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/spbooks.htm
  • I think this is what happened on some occasions:

    Devotees didnt understand prabhupada's accent when they heard the tapes and just wrote what they understood. Then it got published and we treat it now as as the absolute truth coming from Krsna himself.

    Some years later JAS comes to fix the obvious error after going through the originals and we want to burn him because of changing "prabhupada's sacred words".
  • ..NO THEY ARE NOT !
  • How about an example of an error in Prabhupada's books that Prabhupada pointed out and wanted fixed, but is now stubbornly reprinted by demand of some "reformers." The following is a conversation with Srila Prabhupada on July 4th, 1975, in Chicago:

    Tamal Krsna:
    "krsi-gorakshya-vanijyam
    vaishya-karma svabhava-jam
    paricaryatmakam karma
    shudrasyapi svabhava jam
    [Bg 18.44]
    "Farming, cattle raising and business are the qualities..."
    Prabhupada: They are not cattle raising, that was...
    Tamal Krsna: Cow protection.
    Prabhupada: Cow protection. It has to be corrected. It is go-rakshya, go. They take it cattle-raising. I think Hayagriva has translated like this.


    These so-called "Back to Prabhupada" people, they don't listen to Prabhupada even when he says to correct something, They know Prabhupada's intentions better than Prabhupada. That is the problem.

    By the way, the revised edition is corrected, and reads like this:

    "Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaishyas, and for the shudras there is labor and service to others."

    Srila Prabhupada expressed full confidence in his editor Jayadvaita Swami. As before mentioned, you can scrutinize the revisions elsewhere on the Web. Due to mistakes in early editions, revisions were necessary. The question is, do we want to cling to the earliest edition, full of mistakes, or do we want to read the edition that most closely presents the author's intentions?

    ~ Pancha Tattva dasa
    ISKCON Saint Louis
  • One glaring example how Hayagriva couldn't accept the Vedic universe with one sun. See the >>restored>but in each universe there is only one sun. As stated in Bhagavad-gétä (10.21), the moon is one of the stars (nakñaträëäm ahaà çaçé).
  • so the changes are good then.
  • yeah - this is a continual misconception - that the books floating around in the 70's were 'Srila Prabhupada's true words' and the later editions were adulterated by those with devious intentions to steer people away from 'the truth'.

    The so-called 'originals' were edited by the late Hayagriva who had a fair number of issues with some aspects of our philosophy.

    Also please keep in mind that this is the same Hayagriva who preferred the association of his gay lover Keith Ham over Srila Prabhupada when they left ISKCON after Kieth (Kirtananadana) directly disobeyed Srila Prabhupada's instruction to go to London as a new sannyasi.

    Instead Kieth decided to return to New York against Srila Prabhupada's direction, declared himself 'in charge' and started trying to change the dress and practices of the devotees. Srila Prabhupada then excommunicated Kieth. Then Howard (Hayagriva) left with him. (Although this may have been due to the way that the devotees followed Srila Prabhupada's instruction to excommunicate Kieth - spitting on him and all.)

    It was this same Hayagriva who edited the 'original' books that are riddled with alterations and (as VEDA pointed out) sometimes distinctly different conceptions than Srila Prabhupada intended us to have.

    The book changes aren't 'sinister deviations'. The side of the story I tell here is what Jayadvaita Swami is perhaps too classy to speak out about.
  • I guess the only way to really know is to study Srila Prabhupada's books both versions side by side. And still who really knows what Hayagriva did change on his own?
  • if author has passed away then any changes made should be signed by a new author and his/her name put under the title.
    if i wrote a book I certainly wouldn't want anybody changing it after I passed away.
    It is okay to write on the same subject but don't put your words in my mouth.
  • My point here is that its a misconception to think that the version of Bhagavad-gita that was printed by the BBT in the 70's was 'Srila Prabhupada's unadulterated words'. That version was also edited by a fallible entity who had some experience with the English language so Srila Prabhupada gave him that responsibility.

    The revised edition was also edited by a fallible person so take your pick. Personally I read the revised edition because it seems to me that the changes seem to bring the meaning closer to the original manuscripts.

    Read this if you are interested in the history:

    http://www.jswami.info/editing/hayagriva
  • and this for side-by-side analysis:

    http://www.jswami.info/Gita_Revisions_Explained

    then make your choice which version you want to accept as 'the absolute truth'

    Srila Prabhupada advised that we focus on the purports though so I also recommend that.
  • some comments that were heading to a personal confrontation were deleted. Please put generic questions to help better understand issues. Allusions to spiritual masters either over glorifying or denigrating are to be deleted.
  • Book changes do worry me and many others I am sure, even if there was good intention on jswami part to do the changes to increase sales or something like that I think everyone feels that given what a grave apraddha it is to change scripture the book changes are NOT OK. Especially the wholesale changes that have gone on and might be going on or are planned for the future.
    Surely you cannot be pleasing Srila Prabhupada by changing the books that he so painstakenly gave us, and when you consider on such a large scale of change and with so many new errors. I for one hesitate to buy new editions or to distribute them.
  • Kes, did you read any of the above sources? If yes, why you cannot understand the explanation of Hayagriva's unauthorized changes of what Prabhupada said and JAS's restoration of the same?
  • With respect Veda, whatever you say will not make me change my mind that the book changes are good. I think a lot of devotees are concerned that the changes could be messing around with scared works and even if the original translators were not up to the mark it did not matter because Srila Prabhupada was there to keep things in order and I am sure if the BG needed the many changes that have been made, Srila Prabhupada would have given them to us.
    Secondly changing Srila Prabhupada writings so much seems offensive, I am sure you would you would not like for instance the ADMIN of this site "correcting " your postings without your permission!
  • I see your prejudice but it's just that - against facts. Prabhupada pointed out many problems in the books. Attached is his famous 'rascal editors' speech, blasting unauthorized changes, and my compilation of what he said about editing. This answers your theoretical and undeserved(!) comparison of our Admin to Hayagriva. Hope this sets things straight.
  • You may call it prejudice but I call it common sense, I am sure if you could ask all the devotees they would agree that it would be better not to make changes to the books and run the risk of great big offences. Like they say "If it ain't broke don't try & fix it"
  • However the point is: it was broken so it's been fixed. This I call a common sense.
  • "the point is, It was broken...." wherein the "It" to which we refer is The Macmillan Gita. is that the correct understanding of the position of the admin of this website?
  • VEDA:
    However the point is: it was broken so it's been fixed. This I call a common sense.


    Please explain what "it" is.
  • Yes. 'It' refers here specifically to the first full BG edition (1972) and other first editions for which the 'fix' was possible (i.e. available tapes or manuscripts).
  • I read JAS explanations. In a nutshell, he says Hayagriva and others did a terrible job from the original transcriptions, and he fixed it.
    Now, were are the original transcriptions for everybody to peruse. Are they available to the public?
    Not that I doubt in principle, but you know, better to go to the end of the issue, not simply "believe".
  • Here is what I don't understand - Srila Prabhupada read daily from the Collier-Macmillan Bhagavad-gita As It is, right? When did Prabhupada point out the "mistakes" that he desired to be "fixed"? Srila Prabhupada was very verbal about not approving of the very first little BgAII that was very edited down and pushed on to get the full volume published. So.....would he have remained silent if he saw many "mistakes" in the larger volume?

    Also, Srila Prabhupada's signature is placed in the "fixed" books. Were these changes made prior to 1977 and Prabhupada approved them?
  • Mishra: Tapes and OT's (original transcripts) are kept by the BBT. They are not available to public but if they were they could prevent all this debate about books, imho. I've been working with BG OT's. But as I said in the spbooks.htm link above most of them didn't survive.

    Hari Bhakta: He pointed out the mistakes during his lectures and his personal reading, to his secretaries and other leading devotees. See examples in above attached files.

    My view is that he was concerned about translating and publishing as many books as possible during his prakata lila and thus fixing already printed books was of secondary importance, given the lack of qualified BBT devotees (BBT is still looking for qualified devotees, btw) busy with producing new books in a fast pace.

    Most of these fixes were made after 1977 but some before and Prabhupada knew what this fixing means and had a full confidence in JAS (see letter to Radhavallabha, Sept 7, 1976). 'Responsible Publishing' has more info.
  • If it's okay with an admin I would like to ask a sub-question.
    KC is very simple with or without changes. There were both versions available all the time for those interested and with defferent views.
    My question is this:
    How all this situation with changing books and arguing which one is correct or not is pleasing to Sri Sri Radha Krishna and acaryas in Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya?
  • sveILnista: If you are satisfied with whatever is available or is given to you, it is your choice, but there are many devotees that want to know the truth and facts about Srila Prabhupada's books versions and that is perfectly legitimate.

    So, seems that the debate is created (and not resolved) by the same thing: Non disclosure policy of the BBT.

    We wonder why BBT does not find qualified editors.
    Maybe intelligent men are not attracted to certain policies like the one herein.
  • Here is a very interesting Srila Prabhupada conversation and a comment at the end by a devotee :

    Atreya Rsi: Hussain Prabhu says that his goal in life is to translate
    your Bhagavad-gita.
    Prabhupada: Oh, very good.
    Atreya Rsi: Yes, he's a very, very sincere boy.
    Prabhupada: So do it immediately. Somebody, some Arabian student made
    some translation?
    Atreya Rsi: Yes, there was some translations of Isopanisad.
    Prabhupada: Where he is, that boy?
    Atreya Rsi: Into Arabic. He's in Europe. He is a Palestinian boy.
    Hussain is asking how should this translation be done, what is your
    recommendation, if you have any suggestion.
    Prabhupada: Of course, I am not well versed in your language, but you
    simply, if you understand that English and translate it into Parsi,
    that will do. As it is, you translate. Don't make any change. Then it
    will be all right. And when there is difficulty, you can ask Atreya
    Rsi. Harikesa.

    So in this conversation Srila Prabhupada is telling this person to go ahead and translate his Bhagavad Gita into (Parsi) Arabic language simply using his already existing English translation published by the Macmillan Co. This is the same book that we distributed in the millions all over the world. But he warned him--"dont make any changes and then it will be alright."
    It is clear , that this BG that was published by Macmillan Co, and daily read by Srila Prabhupada,
    was to be printed in as many languages as possible-but all without change!
    This is NOT what we have today with Jaya Advaita, and Dravida's version.
  • Macmillan edition was the full Gita at that time. Today everyone can choose between Hayagriva's and JAS's edited versions.
    'No changes' are answered above.
  • All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

    "The vice•chancellor of retore Benares Hindu University, a very famous man of his time, named Madan Mohan Molaviya, came to the Gaudiya Math and had some intricate, philosophical questions to present to Sarasvati Thakura. Sarasvati Thaura said, "I won't answer you, but you should ask the devotees who are washing the arati paraphernalia." The scholar then said, "No. I am asking very difficult questions on Vedanta: They won't beable to answer!" However, Sarasvati Thakura insisted that he go and ask those pujaris, who were cleaning the Deity paraphernalia at that particular time; so, being submissive to the will of Sarasvati Thaura, he went to ask them. When he approached them, they said, "Well, now we're busy washing these plates, but please help us, and when we've finished then your question will be solved." Even though he was such a famous, respectable man, he agreed to join in and help do this humble service. After all the brass was cleaned, he returned to Sarasvati Thakura without saying anything more to the pujaris. Sarasvati Thakura then asked him, "Did you get the answer to your questions?" Madan Mohan Molaviya replied, "Yes, even without discussion. When I was helping clean the arati paraphernalia the answers automatically came in my mind." Sarasvati Thakura then replied, "Yes. The philosophy of Krsna consciousness can be understood by a service attitude, not by any amount of intellectualism. `sevonmukhe hi jihvado...' Just by reading books and reciting slokas - that won't help you. Serving God will give us all the answers to the questions in the sastras. My guru, Gaura Kisora Das Babaji, was not literate, not a pandit, but all the slokas and siddhantas came to his mouth, because he was sevonmukha • inclined to serve Krsna." krishnascience.com

    "The philosophy of Krsna consciousness can be understood by a service attitude, not by any amount of intellectualism."

    Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila Chapter 12 Verse 10

    "The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. Anyone who disobeys the order of the spiritual master immediately becomes useless."

    CC Adi CH1 TEXT 35 "There is NO DIFFERENCE between the spiritual masters instructions and the spiritual master himself"

    Service to Srila Prabhupada means to follow His orders--"DO NOT CHANGE ONE WORD". It is only by His service that we can understand everything. By simply following and promoting His Instructions along with His Unchanged Words, we can facilitate others having the same blessing. That is real life. Those who disagree and mislead others have not done it. Those who have done it, experience the wonderful result and request the simple devotees to have faith in serving the instructions of Srila Prabhupada and reading/hearing His unchanged books.
  • This question is wrongly formulated.The question should be:Would Srila Prabhupada want his books changed?

    The answer is: Of course NO!!!

    And there is ample evidence that he would be furious about it too.
  • He would for sure want his books as close to their original form. That the purpose of re-editions.
  • http://bookchanges.com/iskcons-original-manuscript-scam/
  • Oh, again. Already the first par of Govinda dasi's letter shows she doesn't know about the nature of errors (calling them 'typos'). My favorite example of Hayagriva-style changes is BG 15.12, where he got rid of 'only one sun in each universe' and the quoted verse BG 10.21 about moon being one of the stars. He didn't like these Vedic cosmographic concepts so they had to go. And Govinda dasi implies that it was under the personal direction of Srila Prabhupada. Go figure.

    Who wants to know the changes let them go thru them. Well, few actually do it. It's easier to pick a political stance from proclamations by opinion makers, like the proverbial sheeple. But everyone can pick a version one wants to read.
  • it is question of etiquette Veda.Prabhupad didn't want them changed.Period.Who cares what you or Jay Israel think,they are not your books!
  • Editing means changes. Changes are explained in above sources and at http://bbtedit.com/quotes (authorization by SP)
  • Another gullible sucker buys the whole editing rationale and just doesn't seem to understand that Prabhupada said NO MORE CHANGES and did so because he knew that even if there were some misspelled words or whatever -- unless he made it clear (AND HE DID) that he wanted absolutely NO MORE CHANGES (he made it clear while he was present so what to speak of after he left) -- because he knows our disease of wanting to change everything and sure enough -- armed with their justification that there were a few mistakes found -- Jayadvaita was off to the races and went crazy with his red pen. Shame on him. Shame on Dravida and this Veda person --- what is it about NO MORE CHANGES that you are having a hard time understanding? I can explain the words to you one at a time. No means No. More means More and Changes means Changes. Does that help? You've denigrated Govinda Dasi, Hayagriva, Rupanuga, and so many hundreds, if not thousands, of ISKCON pioneers and great souls. I hope you're satisfied with yourself now. You're on thin ice my friend. Be careful. Maybe you should stay away from topics that you don't understand.
  • When and in which context SP said "no more changes"?
  • Spend some time at this website: http://bookchanges.com/

    Read through it thoroughly. Oh yeah -- and do yourself a favor and don't swallow that line about Srila Prabhupada writing in a letter that he trusts Jayadvaita. He trusted all of us -- right up until the minute we strayed from his instructions, behaved in a disobedient way, and proved ourselves untrustworthy. He trusted Radhaballabha and Rameswara one day and the next day they were "those rascal editors." In the material world we conditioned souls have four defects. The material energy is endlessly mutable. That's why an intelligent disciple will perceive the relative in the absolute and the absolute in the relative and realize that never was Srila Prabhupada contradicting himself in spite of the fact that it seemed sometimes that it were so. The point is that Prabhupada's endorsement of Jayadvaita in that letter did not give him an eternal carte blanche to go crazy editing Srilal Prabhupada's books decades after Prabhupada's departure. Of all the different controversies and hot-button issues that seem to be endlessly debated on the Internet (Guru tattva, Jivas feel from where, when, how and why, does ritvik then mean ritvik now and ritvik forever) --- this situation with the changing of Srila Prabhupada's writings is by far the most serious issue facing any siksa or diksa, direct or grand disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It behooves every single one of us to take a stand after educating ourselves on the subject with an open heart and mind. After all is said and done .... believe me brothers and sisters -- I would not want to be the person bringing Srila Prabhupada the news of what has happened to his books. Have you ever been in the room when Srila Prabhupada was displeased? It's not something one forgets easily ... and I can think of nothing more displeasing to His Divine Grace than the desecration of his books.

    Last but not least --- in his unnecessary changing of the wording in so many Bhgavad-gita verses, Jayadvaita has taken out the magical mystical poetry -- that was originally there by the arrangement of the Supreme Lord. Verses that once flowed poetically and were like celestial music have been rendered prosaic, one-dimensional and flat. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry and scream at the same time. .....
  • The context for this quote is simple: unnecessary changes were being made.

    Prabhupāda: So you… What you are going… It is very serious situation. You write one letter that “Why you have made so many changes?” And whom to write? Who will care? All rascals are there. Write to Satsvarūpa that “This is the position. They are doing anything and everything at their whim.” The next printing should be again to the original way.
  • Portnoy and mung, I've already repeatedly stated my position on this issue but I have to react.

    Bookchanges.com is site by a person who doesn't stop from misinterpreting to support his agenda. On this video he's shown to misinterpret the statement of an U.S. leading book distributor: http://bbtedit.com/node/276

    > to go crazy editing Srilal Prabhupada's books decades after Prabhupada's departure.

    I don't know how much experience you have with serving in the BBT. I'm an editor since 1994 and in 1997 I worked with BG manuscripts scan copies in NE-BBT. These scans are being posted at bbtedit.com, now first 7 chapters. (I was always in favor of publishing them.)
    I didn't detect any 'crazy editing' by JAS, only a return to manuscripts from which Hayagriva's version departed.
    Thus no one can tell me that white is black and think I'll blindly believe.

    Using 'rascal editors' conversation http://bbtedit.com/node/25
    against JAS is 108% counteproductive since it actually supports him and blasts Hayagriva and others:

    Prabhupäda: To find out some job to fill up the belly. Otherwise he'll starve if he doesn't get any job. And he's finding out guru. Job-guru. Now do the needful. Otherwise everything will be spoiled. These rascal editorial... That Easy Journey, original, this (indistinct) Hayagréva has changed so many things.
    Tamäla Kåñëa: He actually took out the whole part about their going to the moon being childish. He deleted the whole section.

    (The same he did in BG 15.12p. as I showed above. Reason? He never fully accepted the Vedic paradigm.)

    Seems some of you only read out of context quotes from this conversation provided by Madhudvisa. There's a rule saying 'if a heretic quotes scripture the truth is usually found nearby'. This is the case here.

    Prabhupäda: So you... What you are going... It is very serious situation. You write one letter that "Why you have made so many changes?" And whom to write? Who will care? All rascals are there. Write to Satsvarüpa that "This is the position. They are doing anything and everything at their whim." The next printing should be again to the original way.
    Tamäla Kåñëa: They should have a board of Satsvarüpa and Jayädvaita.
    Prabhupäda: Hm.

    What is 'original way' which SP wanted if the 1st printing is criticized by him...?
    Answer: A return to SP's dictations/manuscripts whenever available. That's what BBT did in 80's and what some criticize out of ignorance and/or prejudice (after learning the truth).

    > Last but not least --- in his unnecessary changing of the wording in so many Bhgavad-gita verses, Jayadvaita has taken out the magical mystical poetry -- that was originally there by the arrangement of the Supreme Lord. Verses that once flowed poetically and were like celestial music have been rendered prosaic, one-dimensional and flat. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry and scream at the same time. .....

    Can you provide some sample verses? SP and Hayagriva were originally using the English edition of BG by advaitist dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in which verses (not commentaries) were basically ok as per SP. If you consider him magical mystical poet guided by Supreme Lord, it's your choice. But definitely not mine.

    This inspired Prabhupäda and obliged him to produce more. He worked quickly, sometimes day and night, on his Bhagavad-gétä As It Is. He had founded ISKCON five months ago, yet in his classes he was still reading the Bhagavad-gétä translation of Dr. Radhakrishnan. But when Bhagavad-gétä As It Is would at last be published, he told his disciples, it would be of major importance for the Kåñëa consciousness movement. At last there would be a bona fide edition of the Gétä. (SPL 2.21)
  • In the general topic of authors, the author may release a 2nd, 3rd edition etc of their works with changes, additions and spelling corrections that is the authors right to do so, but another person cannot make changes to a book and release it in the original authors name that amounts to fraud. In the Gaudia Vaisnava world one would think it even more important that the original authors words are never changed. The last pillar left standing in Srila Prabhupada's temple and by far the most important being his books, teachings and writings, one would think this is sacred ground, but even here they are not following Srila Prabhupada's orders. They should not be making any changes period.

    If a disciple feels that a subject requires more explanation or needs to be explained using terms and phrases more easily understood in today's modern version of the English language then the disciple should publish their own writings leaving his guru's writings intact so that others may compare. That is the meaning of Guru, Sadhu & Shastra. The current day Guru's writings and teachings can be compared to the previous Sadhus and Shastra. This has always been the tradition in the Gaudia Vaisnava disciplic succession.
  • Veda -- I just don't have the energy to sit here and go verse by verse to show you how Jayadvaita turned the light out on what were once beautifully flowing (Hayagriva was a poet, a genius, a professor of English) .... but that's not really the main point -- is it? Let me just reiterate what my dear godsister Govinda Dasi has already said about this issue. Either you get it or you don't. Apparently you just DON'T GET IT. I can understand how it is that people who weren't around in the early days and understood Srila Prabhupada's mood about his books -- or sat inches from his Vyas Asana while he lectured from and read from and heard from his own books day after day after day after morning after evening after class after class after class after class ..... and went into ecstasy hearing the words of the published books and how angry he became and blew up in fury when changes were made from the already published books without his direct order or request --- why you wouldn't get it. You think you have experience. Look -- I hide behind the name Portnoy for personal reasons -- but I typeset almost the entire KRSNA, The SP of G, Nectar of Devotion, Unabridged Gita, much of the Bhagavatam, Sri Isopanisad ....... from '69 to '71 -- sometimes working fifteen or sixteen hours a day in Boston as the tapes were coming. These were days before computers and we used a stand-alone IBM typesetting machine with different fonts for italics, bold, diacritic marks and had to type a rough draft and final draft using settings to flush (justify) the right margins. It was a tedious process but I'd sit there in the middle of the night in a freezing little cubby hole closet of a room in the back of the Boston temple defrosting my fingers with a space heater and among other manuscripts arriving typing out the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead --- stories none of us ever heard or for that matter realizing that I was among the very first western humans to ever have the opportunity to get to know such details about the Supreme Personality of Godhead -- Lord Sri Krishna. Every word in those books are sacred and were brought before Srila Prabhupada before going to press. I knew Jayadvaita. We worked closely together back then. We were brahmacarys together. He's a good man. He did wrong. That's it and that's all. Thank goodness the lawsuit was won by those who were dedicated to seeing the original publications remain available and in publication. Otherwise it would all be lost at this point in time. The ISKCON GBC has gone so far off the track that I don't think it can ever find its way back. This is a sorry affair. Everything happens for a reason though and I am hopeful because I know that Lord Caitanya's movement is unstoppable and Srila Prabhupada launched it worldwide in eleven years of nonstop preaching and publishing starting at the age of 69. Incredible. Unbelievable. Transcendental. Beyond belief. All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
  • Veda -- did you go to that website that I suggested? Did you? Did you really go spend some time and read what Rupanuga, Govinda Dasi, et al are saying ...... go there and spend an hour or two ... with a wide open mind suspending your already made up mind just for the hell of it? I don't think you did. Did you? Instead of writing "I've already stated my position" --- what position do you "already" have that you are stating? Why are you being so stubborn? Is that all it's about -- that you have made up your mind already and all you can write here on this forum is that you have already stated your position? What does that even mean? Because you have already stated it ---- it gives it more credence. You can state it a billion times and it's still WRONG. So stop stating and start reading and understanding what is apparently beyond the scope of your present understanding. It's for your own good I say this. You are a follower of Srila Prabhupada? Then you owe it to him to look further and deeper into this issue. Do it. Just do it!!!! Don't come back here until you do it. PLEASE!!!!!!!!! Otherwise you are not just in a state of misunderstanding -- you are dangerously trying to drag others down with you into that state of misunderstanding. This is hurting Srila Prabhupada -- doing him harm. How could any disciple or grand disciple stand by and let that happen?

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion