== OUR AM BOOKS BEFORE '90 ==
~ PART 1 ~
Namaskar,
Understanding the way Baba's discourses came into print grants us deep
insight into the current state of our AM books.
For instance, some of His discourses were recorded live; some were not.
Some publications were meticulously proofed by Him; some were not. Some
chapters were given by dictation in private and reviewed over and over
again; while other discourses were spoken openly in public for all to hear.
So there are many ways in which the source material for our AM books was
given. And our main goal is to ensure that those discourses which were recorded
get printed properly, consistent with the original cassette.
Unfortunately, up until now that has not been happening.
Here we are going to investigate why some of our AM books-- that
contained recorded discourses-- were not printed properly prior to 1990.
GREAT SPEED OF THE WORK
We all know that in Baba's time, our organisation grew and progressed at
speeds never seen before on this earth. Baba's working style was so fast
and its breadth was so great, that still today it is difficult to
comprehend.
PUBLISHING BOOKS OF RECORDED DISCOURSES
In that era of tremendous speed, Baba delivered a huge number of
discourses, most of which were recorded. In turn, due to the fast pace
of the work, those discourses were printed and published-- even though
He knew that those printed versions were laced with errors. Baba knew,
yet He had to move ahead in that fashion because there were countless
other works to do and He was abiding by the natural limitations of being
in human form. He had only limited hours in the day to get things done.
Hence, to give the teaching that work should be done and accepting human
limitation, He allowed projects to be completed that were not entirely
correct at the time.
Yet He set-up a safeguard that since the original discourses were
recorded, those books could be corrected in the future.
Such was the case with many books, including Ananda Vacanamrtam part 12.
It was first printed in 1980. All the discourses were recorded yet due
to the speed of the work, it was printed in a hasty manner with many
errors. Yet Baba did not say anything. Why? Because He wanted to show
that all the books should be printed. That was the overarching concept
behind its publication at that moment: To show that AM books must be made.
It is just like when one baby is learning how to walk then the parents praise
the baby for every step it takes, and they never criticise the baby for falling.
Likewise, as the benevolent Father, Baba was encouraging His children when new
works, like the printing of books, was attempted, even if the publication contained errors.
Plus, due to extreme time constraints, He could not stop all the other works
to ensure that each and every syllable of the recorded discourses that
make up AV-12 and other books were printed properly. Rather He set the
tone that books should be made from those recorded discourses.
And with our own common sense, it is up to us to understand now that
those books which contain recorded discourses should be done accurately.
HOW BABA WAS PRESSURISING
With regards to the recording of His discourses, Baba was very strict,
especially after 1978. He knew that the speed of His organisational
activities had increased tremendously-- thousands of works were going on
all at once-- and the only way to ensure His discourses were properly
maintained was to have them all recorded.
And one day, 15 October 1978, in Patna Baba showed His intensity on this
very matter. He demanded from the Dadas responsible to show Him how His
discourses had been recorded. He demanded to see the cassettes from the
last so many days. Yet those Dadas had nothing to show. Baba became
furious and He refused to give any more discourses until those Dadas
promised to record them. Baba even charge-sheeted Ramanandaji in order to
show His extreme anger.
Finally, those Dadas begged and pleaded with Baba that they had been
negligent in the past but from this day forward they would record His
discourses. Only then did Baba's anger wane and He graciously gave more
discourses.
THE STRATEGY OF QUICK PRINTING AND RECORDING
Here the whole point is that when things were going quickly in
organisational life, Baba knew that His discourses had to be recorded,
lest they become lost. There are a few exceptions in that post 1978
period where Baba specifically did not want a discourses recorded, for
one reason or another. And that is discussed below. But on the whole, in
that period of work, work, work, Baba knew that books would get printed
with thousands of mistakes, as happened with the 1980 printing of Ananda
Vacanamrtam part 12; yet He ensured that those mistakes would get
corrected in due course since those discourses were recorded.
HIS TEACHINGS MUST NOT GET LOST
We all know that Lord Shiva's teachings of seven thousand years ago got
lost. Same is the case with Lord Krsna's original teachings. Those Hindu
priests created countless fake versions of the Bhagavda Giita. Even
Buddha's teachings, which were given only 2,500 years were altered and
destroyed.
Baba was adamant that the same fate should not happen with His
teachings. So with His coming on this earth, He cleared up the misnomers
surrounding Lord Shiva's and Lord Krsna's teachings, as well as those of
Buddha, and He also gave wonderful new material for the humanity. And
the way He ensured it would make it through the ages was to have it
recorded. That was His special plan.
The only discourse that has been seriously altered where on paragraph was lost
is the AM Revolution discourse. But today, many margiis are raising this point
and fighting to restore the integrity of that discourse by including the paragraph
about margii rights.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
As His disciples, our duty is to carry out His plan and preserve His
teachings by utilising those cassettes of His recorded discourses.
Recently AV-12 (2008) was published yet it contains countless errors,
many of which occurred in that 1980 printing. But we should not just sit
back and think, well it got printed that way in Baba's time so we should
print it again in that fashion.
Rather we are to understand and realise that work was going on at an
incredible speed in those days and Baba's emphasis was to get the books
printed-- not review every word. Especially if He knew those discourses
had been recorded.
Plus we should also correct all the books that were translated into other
languages from an incorrect printed version.
Of course He wants His discourses to be printed in a pristine manner; of
course our AM books must be accurate. That is why He ensured that in
cases like AV-12 the discourses were recorded.
Now today, it is our bounden duty to carefully use those recordings to
ensure that all His books come in proper shape and proper form. No one
should fall into the false understanding that since a book was printed
in a certain way back in 1980, then those same problems should be
repeated again and again with each and every printing.
Rather, with our rational minds, we should understand that any discourse
that Baba chose to record should now be made perfect by referring to
that recording. That recording is the very key to making the printed
version proper. That is how we are to make our AM books perfect.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, He has given us all the tools to ensure the integrity
of His teachings is maintained up to eternity.
Baba says, "The scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be
totally flawless." (NSS)
Namaskar,
Giriish
Note 1: GENERAL TREND OF AM BOOKS
From 1955 to 1962, Baba was basically dictating His books word by word
and the disciples were noting them down. And then Baba was reviewing
those notes to ensure they were proper. And finally the book was
printed. That was one phase of work.
From 1962 to 1970, many discourses were recored and many not, and a
many were lost in the Emergency period. Some of those discourses were
published while others were not.
Finally in the post 1978, period, work was going on at such a pace that
nearly all His discourse were recorded. And that is to be considered the
original and true discourse.
There are only a few books in this latter period that come from
discourses that were not recorded such as Neo-Humanism: Liberation of
Intellect, Namah Shivaya Shantaya (only 2 discourses or so were
recorded), and books dealing with grammar like Shabda Cayanika were not
recorded. Hence those books came from via an entirely different method
often times reviewed again and again through a careful editing process.
But in those cases where the discourses were recorded, then they went
straight to publication, and now it is our responsibility that those
printed discourses match the original cassette, lest we perpetuate
errors of old as happened in the case of AV-12 (2008).
Note 2: NOT HAVE ARCHIVE MATERIALS WITH GROUPISTS
One key point in all of this is that our Archive materials that contain all the
recorded discourses should not remain in the hands of various groupist leaders.
Those archive materials must not be at the mercy of those factional chieftains.
Because for their own selfish ends, they may change, alter, distort, or hide
Baba's original discourses. This is the very real fear; so we must demand that
all Archive materials be available for distribution to one and all. We must not
let the current pitiful situation last a day longer where all our archive materials
are in the closet of one groupist party.
Note 3: GREAT SPEED OF THE WORK (cont)
We all know that in Baba's time, our organisation grew and progressed at
speeds never seen before on this earth. Baba's working style was so fast
and its breadth was so great, that still today it is difficult to
comprehend.
And in that great pace, naturally some of the things got done in extreme
haste, such as having a school with only 5 students or printing a book
without even reviewing it. Yet those projects were accepted because Baba
was giving us practical demonstrations of all the things we needed to do.
If He told us to do things which He did not show us in the practical
sphere, then we might never do it; whereas if He practically
demonstrated each and every work, then we would understand that that
worked needed to be done-- and naturally over time we would learn how to
do it correctly.
This much we all know to be true and understand today.
The creation of schools, the development of MU's, pracara in
new countries, posting transfers, daily newsletters in every samaj, the
granting of PC, microvita demonstrations, organisational meetings with
every trade imaginable, political protests, and yes the recording of His
discourses and publication of His books, indeed so many things were
happening all at once and there were so many phases of His work that
still today it was difficult to comprehend.
Why was His speed like that? As we know, He had a very short span of
time to show us all the things that had to be done on this earth in the
future.
He wanted to show us that there should be a schools in every unit, and
service projects in every block, and Prout rallies in every locale, and
ponds made on every MU, and so many things He wanted to show us in seed
form. So He had the organisation running in multiple directions all at
once.
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One Should Assess Oneself on the Following
Baba says, "When human beings feel that, 'Parama Purusa is my
everything', then that is called as sharan (shelter). No entity can come
under the sharan (shelter) of two different things. Then what is the
meaning of Sharanagati (surrender)? When living beings give up their
'I-feeling' by withdrawing the mind from any other object and feel that
Parama Purusa alone is my everything." "Up to the time when living beings
are thinking that they are working with their own strength, then you should
understand that the feeling of sharanagati has not yet come in them. And
when human beings think that, 'I am doing the work only with His strength',
it means the feeling of sharanagati has come in their mind. So when living
beings start thinking that, 'Whatever work I am doing, I am doing with His
strength', then they have the feeling of sharanagati."
(General Darshan, Patna DMC, 1970, [from audio tape])
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