Theos-Talk Archives (February 2006 Message tt00239)

I clearly value the work of the ULT and recommend
many of the publications of the Theosophy 
Company. 

For example, for many years I have recommended on my website the 
following TC publications:

http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/theosohyco.htm

As I have written before, The Theosophy Company is to be commended 
for producing photographic facsimiles of many of HPB's original 
works. 

Plus when THEOSOPHY magazine was founded in 1912, this magazine
provided serious Blavatsky students with reprints of HPB's articles 
which had become hard to find unless one had access to old issues of 
THE THEOSOPHIST, LUCIFER, etc.  It was a great service!

Therefore I also have recommended the following reprints of the 
early volumes of THEOSOPHY magazine.  See:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/theosophymag.htm

Let me also clearly state my own view about HPB's books and articles.

I have seriously tried to study Blavatsky's writings and the 
teachings of Theosophy found in these writings without UNDUE regard 
for any of the existing Theosophical organizations including the 
ULT. But having said that, I have also read and used the 
publications of ALL the existing Theosophical groups.

Furthermore, I try to find books, articles, etc.  that are helpful 
in understanding Blavatsky REGARDLESS of what organization or 
publisher issued the work.

But when I seriously study HPB's writings I do prefer to read her 
original writings as they were published during her lifetime.

The main reason for this is that after HPB's death, various persons 
(Judge, Besant, Mead, de Zirkoff, etc.) have edited some of her 
writings making various changes, even deletions and additions. Some 
of the changes have been minor and trivial. But some of the changes 
have been major and some of these changes and "corrections" have 
actually been wrong.
 
Even more troubling, the changes are usually NOT noted therefore the 
reader of these new editions is LEFT IN THE DARK and in fact has no 
EASY way to know what has been changed or not changed.

THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN AND OF ITSELF.

Therefore I ask interested readers:

Which would you truly prefer: 

1) a photographic facsimile of one of HPB's originals writings as it 
was published during her lifetime or 

(2) a later edition of her book where her text has possibly been 
edited, either by deletions, changes or additions? 

For example, take ISIS UNVEILED, I prefer to use the photographic 
facsimile of the original edition reprinted by the Theosophy 
Company. 

By saying that, I don't mean that the editions currently published 
by Theosophical University Press or Theosophical Publishing 
House are worthless. I ALSO use those editions for various purposes 
but I prefer using the photographic facsimile of the original for my 
primary study of that text.

The same applies to THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE. I prefer to
use as my primary source the photographic facsimile of the 1889 
edition of the VOICE which has been reprinted by Kessinger 
Publishing. 

The other editions of the VOICE published by Theosophy Company, 
Theosophical Publishing House and Theosophical University Press may 
also have value but they are not photographic facsimiles of the 
original 1889 edition.

I could go down the whole list of HPB's works.

So I ask, what edition (original OR later edited) would any of 
you choose of the 2 above titles [Isis Unveiled and the Voice of the 
Silence]for your personal study?

In summary, I am not partial to any one organization or publisher 
when it comes to H.P. Blavatsky's writings.  I try to assess the 
merits/demerits of each publication based on what I find in that 
publication.  And I do not assume one way or another the value of a 
title just because it was published by a certain organization or 
publisher.

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER
http://blavatskyarchives.com