Editing Srila Prabhupada's books - Hare Krsna dasi

[Guest guest]

I find it curious that just after H.K. dasi wrote on this conference:

 

<<When you bring up the topic of footnoting or editting Srila Prabhupada's

books, you are discussing something which is not near and dear to my

heart. I am not prepared to spend any more time discussing the topic.>> (May

30/99)

 

However, it now seems that you have been able to find time after all. However,

the unfortunate thing is that you seem to be throwing a smokescreen over the

whole issue by turning the topic of conversation to Jayadvaita Swami's editting

efforts. The discussion on this thread has been the purpose behind your

suggestion to footnote Prabhupada's books. In this connection, you were unable

or unwilling to answer any of the questions posted to you in my posting on this

conference on May 29th. At least inform us what issue has sparked your interest

to footnote Srila Prabhupada's books?

 

As was made evident in the exchange with Mother M. Radha on this conference

that her initial explanation appears also to be a smokescreen by her attempting

to cloud the issue of her suggestion to edit Srila Prabhupada books as being

motivated by academic concerns. Please refer to the following quote:

 

<<TEXT #1: Madhusudani Radha devi dasi (JPS)

 

Tue, 27 Jan 98 12:22 -0700

"COM: Madhusudani Radha JPS"

 

This is obviously a very sensitive area, so I will try to be careful as I

further clarify my thoughts. Basically, it seems like we have three options in

terms of how to interpret Srila Prabhupada's statements about women's

intelligence:

 

1. Prabhupada meant spiritual intelligence

 

I don't think any of us on this conference are going to entertain this

possibility seriously, as spiritually, we are all equal, i.e. we are neither

men nor women.

 

2. Prabhupada meant material intelligence

 

If this is the case, it could be something he picked up from his college

professors or from the culture where he grew up

 

3. Prabhupada meant some other kind of intelligence

 

If Prabhupada was not referring to spiritual intelligence, or to what we

typically think of as material intelligence (IQ), then I can not comment on

whether he was right or wrong.

 

However, if you really think this is the case, I have one suggestion: Change

the books. The way they are currently written will be interpreted by the

majority of people to mean option #2 above. If this is not what we want them to

say, we need to indicate that very clearly. Otherwise we will lose many, many

souls who will have been unable to see beyond that miscommunication.>>

 

Her plea that this was simply a brainstorming session and that she wasn't

thinking properly on the issue seems dubious when she repeated a similar claim

on May 20/99, nearly 1.5 years later. She stated:

 

<<Similarly, some kind of footnotes should be inserted to suggest different

ways of understanding what he meant by his "women are less intelligent"

statements and the comment about women liking to be raped among others. E.g. is

it material intelligence, spiritual intelligence or something completely

different? Those are the things scholars will notice and react to. >>

 

Personally, I do not want to confuse the two issues of changing Prabhupada's

books due to issues they don't agree with (i.e. M.Radha & H.K. dasi[seemingly])

and Jayadvaita Swami's supposed returning the books to the original tapes. The

latter is something that I haven't taken the time to study so do not feel

capable presently to address. Blatant editting due to the scriptures not

appealing to one's modern morality is another thing totally. This type of

activity is an ugly serpent that will eventually destroy our movement.

[Guest guest]

I find it curious that just after H.K. dasi wrote on this conference:

 

<<When you bring up the topic of footnoting or editting Srila Prabhupada's

books, you are discussing something which is not near and dear to my

heart. I am not prepared to spend any more time discussing the topic.>> (May

30/99)

 

However, it now seems that you have been able to find time after all. However,

the unfortunate thing is that you seem to be throwing a smokescreen over the

whole issue by turning the topic of conversation to Jayadvaita Swami's editting

efforts. The discussion on this thread has been the purpose behind your

suggestion to footnote Prabhupada's books. In this connection, you were unable

or unwilling to answer any of the questions posted to you in my posting on this

conference on May 29th. At least inform us what issue has sparked your interest

to footnote Srila Prabhupada's books?

 

As was made evident in the exchange with Mother M. Radha on this conference

that her initial explanation appears also to be a smokescreen by her attempting

to cloud the issue of her suggestion to edit Srila Prabhupada books as being

motivated by academic concerns. Please refer to the following quote:

 

<<TEXT #1: Madhusudani Radha devi dasi (JPS)

 

Tue, 27 Jan 98 12:22 -0700

"COM: Madhusudani Radha JPS"

 

This is obviously a very sensitive area, so I will try to be careful as I

further clarify my thoughts. Basically, it seems like we have three options in

terms of how to interpret Srila Prabhupada's statements about women's

intelligence:

 

1. Prabhupada meant spiritual intelligence

 

I don't think any of us on this conference are going to entertain this

possibility seriously, as spiritually, we are all equal, i.e. we are neither

men nor women.

 

2. Prabhupada meant material intelligence

 

If this is the case, it could be something he picked up from his college

professors or from the culture where he grew up

 

3. Prabhupada meant some other kind of intelligence

 

If Prabhupada was not referring to spiritual intelligence, or to what we

typically think of as material intelligence (IQ), then I can not comment on

whether he was right or wrong.

 

However, if you really think this is the case, I have one suggestion: Change

the books. The way they are currently written will be interpreted by the

majority of people to mean option #2 above. If this is not what we want them to

say, we need to indicate that very clearly. Otherwise we will lose many, many

souls who will have been unable to see beyond that miscommunication.>>

 

Her plea that this was simply a brainstorming session and that she wasn't

thinking properly on the issue seems dubious when she repeated a similar claim

on May 20/99, nearly 1.5 years later. She stated:

 

<<Similarly, some kind of footnotes should be inserted to suggest different

ways of understanding what he meant by his "women are less intelligent"

statements and the comment about women liking to be raped among others. E.g. is

it material intelligence, spiritual intelligence or something completely

different? Those are the things scholars will notice and react to. >>

 

Personally, I do not want to confuse the two issues of changing Prabhupada's

books due to issues they don't agree with (i.e. M.Radha & H.K. dasi[seemingly])

and Jayadvaita Swami's supposed returning the books to the original tapes. The

latter is something that I haven't taken the time to study so do not feel

capable presently to address. Blatant editting due to the scriptures not

appealing to one's modern morality is another thing totally. This type of

activity is an ugly serpent that will eventually destroy our movement.