Prabhupada on Varnasrama

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna.

 

I've read the introductory material & scanned the rest.

 

It seemed fine. I see nothing objectionable, philosophically or

otherwise.

 

Notes:

 

1. In the introductory material, there is some misplacement of commas,

and omission of commas needed. Seems like the editor needs to look

closer, or brush up on commas.

 

2. Typo on the copyright page: "Printed in the Unites States. . ."

 

3. I didn't scrutinize the text for things SP says that we might

consider imprudent to publish (such as--fictitious example--"Indira

Gandhi should be shot!"). The Archives men, I suggest, should stay

alert for anything that, according to the guidelines they have

drafted, we might not want to publish.

 

4. I think some further thinking ought to go into the use of brief

quotations. The conversations quoted in their entirety are

fine--they're like articles. But the brief quotes can be terribly

redundant. For example:

 

Page 1:

 

"The perfectional form of human civilization, known as

varnasrama-dharma, is specifically meant for satisfying Lord Visnu."

 

"O best among the twice-born, . . . the highest perfection one can

achieve by discharged the duties prescribed for one's own occupation .

.. . is to please the P of G."

 

". . . And in each and every one of the above-mentioned divisions of

life, the aim must be to please the supreme authority of the P of G."

 

Page 2:

 

"Herein the statement of the Bhagavatam is that the highest aim of

life or the perfection of . . .varnasrama dharma is to cooperate

jointly for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord."

 

Page 3:

 

"In the Visnu Purana it is said that the entire varnasrama institution

is meant to satisfy the SPGH. . . . every living being is meant to

satisfy the Supreme Godhead by performing his respective duty. . . "

 

"The most important point in human civilization is that while one

engages in different occupational duties, he must try to satisfy the

Supreme Lord by the execution of such duties. This is the highest

perfection of life. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari tosanam:

by discharging one's prescribed duty, one can become very successful

in life if he simply satisfies the SPGH. . . ."

 

 

All right, all right. All RIGHT!

 

Is this intended to be a guidebook or reference book, or is it the

Chinese Water Torture?

 

Consider, too, that I've sampled here the redundancy of only one

topic. Now take similarly redundant presentations of a multiplicity of

such topics. What will be the cumulative effect?

 

I suggest you come up with some other way to handle this sort of

material--a way that will be more interesting, more efficient,

briefer, and therefore cheaper, as well as more compassionate to the

reader and to the trees.

 

For example, you might choose one representative quote, with footnotes

to similar passages (or, alternatively, just choose the best quote and

leave it at that).

 

Or--more work but better reading--*you* make each point in your own

words, illustrate it with a quote, chiseled down to its briefest

possible form, and then go on to the next point and handle it the same

way.

 

 

 

Now, regarding the review board: Harikesa Maharaja is no longer

available for it, and I think that leaves just me and Suhotra

Maharaja. And I think that Suhotra Maharaja may be looking to drop

out. So we need to reasses our review board. That's a problem for the

trustees, not for you; but I'm just letting you know.

 

Hare Krsna.

 

--ys, js