Varnasrama Book format

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thanks Rabindranatha prabhu for setting out a practical proposal.

 

> This is my idea for writing a book on Varnasrama, which I was thinking

> could be the standard for others also.

>

> Comments please.

 

these are my comments

 

> 1) In order to do this, this project can broken down into smaller pieces

> so that it will not take too long to get done. For example a group of nine

> devotees could each take a section, four devotees on the varnas, four

> devotees on the asramas and one on varnasrama in general.

>

> 2) First go though everything Srila Prabhupada said on that matter and

> present that in the form of quotes and make it at least available to

> everyone on the computer.

 

I found that when compiling the KC Movement docs that highlighting all the

terminologies really helped me to read attentively in order not to miss

anything and it really helps the reader read more easily.

 

> 3) One has to either read or skim though everything that Srila Prabhupada

> wrote and said (lectures, etc.) and pick out those items that have to do

> with the area one is dealing with. Not just using a index or doing a word

> search on the computer.

 

When compiling the KC Movement doc I found that skimming through was not

enough. I had to read attentively in order to find the beginning and end of

the thread that Prabhupada was making about the subject I was studying. I

made the quote longer rather than shorter in order to give us much substance

to the quote.

 

I would suggest as I mentioned in another text that we first come up with

the complete list of terminologies and then make the complete compilations

of quotes, by sections of books, and not by the varnas or asramas as you

mention in point 1. Later once all the quotes have been compiled on the

matter (point 2) then the teams of devotees can take the specific aspects.

 

When compiling the KC Movement docs, I was consciously trying to create the

shores of the ocean by compiling everything. This can only be achieved by

 

1. Making the list of terminologies very complete before beginning (this

saves time by not having to back track when a new terminology is found)

*an interesting point on this - I was half way through the Bhagavatam on the

compilation of the KC Movement and by reading all the quotes I found that I

had missed three very important terminologies so I had to go back to the

beginning and add them in. They were sampradaya, disciplic succession and

parampara. By adding them in, the compilation became more complete*

 

2. Include every quote, rejecting nothing

3. Read very attentively the quote in order to find the beginning and end of

each thread

4. Also include the word to word

5. Not getting into a cut and paste mentality

 

In order to do it quicker it is better that each devotee of the team take

each a category, SB CC Letters etc, that will be great. All that needs to

be done in order to eradicate fear that some quotes were missed is that the

methodology is clearing established before beginning.

 

I would suggest that the realizations of how to proceed with the next steps

that you mention will become clearer by the devotees who do the compiling.

They will have their finger on the pulse. So I would leave the fine tuning

of the next steps until the initial shores of the ocean have been created.

I am convinced that just this will be very revealing, and a very powerful

expression of something that has eluded us for such a long time.

 

ys Visnu Murti das

 

 

> 4) When dealing with a quote that is dealing with more that one

> sub-category, as contained within one purport, then one can just pick one

> of the sub-categories to put all the information in, taking into

> consideration that if the other sub-categories are in your "everything"

> category, then they also have to be accounted for, by at least listing

> where they are in your other sub-categories.

>

> 5) One should give proper emphasis on all points, in terms of how many

> times they are said, when they were said and where (Books, Letters etc.).

>

> Example: Lets say that Srila Prabhupada says in 23 different places that

> one should give up ones family at age 50 and in 18 different places he

> says that it is not necessary to give up ones family. So in this case, one

> must do one of the following:

> Either write out all the quotes for all twenty-three and eighteen quotes

> or write out an equal ratio amount of quotes, on all sides of the issue

> and just state where the other quotes can be found. This proper emphasis

> has also to be done for the time something was written and where (Books,

> Letters etc.) it is.

> Note: The above only deals with statements on various sides of the issue,

> if for example Srila Prabhupada gives different reasons why one does not

> have to give up ones family then that should be taken up separately.

>

> 6) That in the beginning of the book one should state what were all the

> different things one was looking for and those things that one did not

> include and how one is following all these points in this paper.

>

> 7) One should always write out the quote, when it was first given and the

> last time it was given.

>

>

> Thank your very much.

>

>

> Your Servant,

>

>

> Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari