Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:08:24 -0400
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: "Giriish Deva""
Subject: Our AM Books Before '90
Baba
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.
We all know that up until 1990, 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.
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 taking on new works, like the printing of books, 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.
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 displeasure.
(Note: As sadhakas we know that Baba expressed His sentient anger in order to lovingly guide us. Without showing such anger it was not always possible to teach us. But in reality any expression of "anger" was nothing but the outer expression of His divine love.)
Finally, those Dadas begged and pleaded with Baba that they had been negligent in the past and from this day forward they would record His discourses. Only then did Baba's anger wane and He graciously gave more discourses.
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.
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.
As His disciples, our duty is to carry out His plan and preserve His teachings by utilising those cassettes of His recorded discourses.
Back in 2008, Ananda Vacanamrtam was re-published yet it contains countless errors, many of which occurred in that 1980 printing. This cannot and must not be our standard. We should not just sit back and think, well it got printed that way before 1990 so we should print it that way again. This should not be our outlook.
Rather we are to understand and realise that those days work was going on at an incredible speed and Baba's emphasis was on getting the books printed in order to teach us about the importance of recording and printing His discoursee. There was not tim to review every word. He knew those discourses had been recorded and that with our common sense we would review those recordings before printing future editions of the book. He has entrusted us with this task.
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 has graciously 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
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 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 recording 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 by Baba through a careful and meticulous editing process.
But in those cases where the discourses were recorded, they went straight to publication without a lot of checking and re-checking, so 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).
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.
We all know that before 1990, 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 simple had 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 work needed to be done-- and naturally over time we would learn how to do it correctly.
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.
That was Baba's perfect way of teaching us what to do.
"Toma'r na'mer tarii beye bhese calechi sudu're..." (3937)
Purport:
Baba, by Your grace I am rowing the boat of my life, singing Your name, and floating toward the spiritual world. Baba, because I am dancing in Your divine tune, I know I will never meet defeat-- victory is assured.
Baba, with Your eternal song as my rudder guiding me along, I never feel lost or frustrated. Baba by Your grace in my life there is no hypocrisy. And by Your grace I do not suffer from the painful crocodile thorns of self-aggrandisement, (asmita'). By Your causeless compassion, my mind is pure and straight. O' my dearmost, Your divine vibration encompasses everything. The zig-zag path, and the high tide & low tide-- everything resonates in the divine sound of Your omnkara.
Baba, I do not have any desire to look back; I am moving forward towards You with my heart and mind. Baba, by Your grace I never lose the path or unnecessarily waste my time, because by Your grace I do not spend my days recalling all those old forgotten memories of my distant past. Always You keep me marching along the path of fulfillment-- towards You.
Baba, by Your grace I am under Your shelter, and in my sadhana and dhyana I always sing Your name. That is the main force moving me ahead towards You...
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From: "Giriish Deva"
Subject: Our AM Books Before '90
Baba
== OUR AM BOOKS BEFORE '90 ==
~ PART 1 ~
~ 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 up until 1990, 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 taking on new works, like the printing of books, 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 displeasure.
(Note: As sadhakas we know that Baba expressed His sentient anger in order to lovingly guide us. Without showing such anger it was not always possible to teach us. But in reality any expression of "anger" was nothing but the outer expression of His divine love.)
Finally, those Dadas begged and pleaded with Baba that they had been negligent in the past and 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.
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.
Back in 2008, Ananda Vacanamrtam was re-published yet it contains countless errors, many of which occurred in that 1980 printing. This cannot and must not be our standard. We should not just sit back and think, well it got printed that way before 1990 so we should print it that way again. This should not be our outlook.
Rather we are to understand and realise that those days work was going on at an incredible speed and Baba's emphasis was on getting the books printed in order to teach us about the importance of recording and printing His discoursee. There was not tim to review every word. He knew those discourses had been recorded and that with our common sense we would review those recordings before printing future editions of the book. He has entrusted us with this task.
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
Baba has graciously 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 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 recording 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 by Baba through a careful and meticulous editing process.
But in those cases where the discourses were recorded, they went straight to publication without a lot of checking and re-checking, so 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 before 1990, 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 simple had 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 work needed to be done-- and naturally over time we would learn how to do it correctly.
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.
That was Baba's perfect way of teaching us what to do.
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
"Toma'r na'mer tarii beye bhese calechi sudu're..." (3937)
Purport:
Baba, by Your grace I am rowing the boat of my life, singing Your name, and floating toward the spiritual world. Baba, because I am dancing in Your divine tune, I know I will never meet defeat-- victory is assured.
Baba, with Your eternal song as my rudder guiding me along, I never feel lost or frustrated. Baba by Your grace in my life there is no hypocrisy. And by Your grace I do not suffer from the painful crocodile thorns of self-aggrandisement, (asmita'). By Your causeless compassion, my mind is pure and straight. O' my dearmost, Your divine vibration encompasses everything. The zig-zag path, and the high tide & low tide-- everything resonates in the divine sound of Your omnkara.
Baba, I do not have any desire to look back; I am moving forward towards You with my heart and mind. Baba, by Your grace I never lose the path or unnecessarily waste my time, because by Your grace I do not spend my days recalling all those old forgotten memories of my distant past. Always You keep me marching along the path of fulfillment-- towards You.
Baba, by Your grace I am under Your shelter, and in my sadhana and dhyana I always sing Your name. That is the main force moving me ahead towards You...
***************************************
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])
***************************************
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])
***************************************
