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TheHolySinner
Registered User
(11/21/02 9:43 am)
Reply 		God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
Does anybody really believe Yogananda wrote that? To anybody who read AY, do you think the writing style matches?

Come now, am I just cynic or what!

Forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere, and I've missed it.

Edited by: TheHolySinner at: 11/21/02 9:49:19 am
jaijaijai
Registered User
(11/21/02 10:01 am)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
Yogananda wrote the original, and it was even ready to be published in 1952- going so far as being sent to the printer, who sent back 'proof' copies. Then Yogananda passed away.

So, SRF edited for nearly 50 years, until it was finally published a few years ago. You can make alot of changes in 50 years! Ah, to have those original proofs- they were the version that Yogananda gave his OK to, apparently....

username
Registered User
(11/21/02 2:55 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
No way, there are a variety of writing styles in the Gita, which I read cover to cover and then resold. It is quite evident that the book was not the work of one writer. So, I personally doubt what is written there.

jaijaijai
Registered User
(11/21/02 4:56 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
That's what I meant- the version in print now was obviously not written by Yogananda...... But there was a version in 1952 to which he apparently gave his approval. That's not the version now in print.

redpurusha
Registered User
(12/9/02 4:00 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
Will the real Yogananda please stand up... please stand up.

Of course he wrote it. Its very sad to know it was ready to get published in 1952 only to come out in 1995, and despite the editing done to it like to everything else Yogananda wrote, its still a great work by Yogananda. Tell me of a more clear and well-written version of the Gita? I read another one called "Bhagavad Gita -As Is" and it was amauturish compared to Yogananda's.

Whatever differnece there is in style, it can be attributed to the fact that the AOY is written in an autobiography format, while the Gita is in interpretation and commentary format. Still, it has all the vibrations/style of Yogananda, or I'm the only one who felt the same magnitude of greatness when reading it for the first time? And you think all that came from someone else's head like who? Daya? Tara? all the SRF nuns? You actually think they would come up with all that information. Following your logic, you may claim the Autobiography also is not written by Yogananda but by some SRF nun or monk. If you focus on only the SRF editing and changes (which is a fraction of the book) you miss the book and message contained therein. It really sucks the Gita wasn't published 50 years ago when it should have in the original unedited format, but God Talks With Arjuna is written by Arjuna, Yogananda.

jaijaijai
Registered User
(12/9/02 4:46 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
I've read the version that originally came out in the magazines. It is significantly different than the one that SRF put out recently under Yogananda's name. It did need some editing for minor typos and language. But in my opinion, the 50 years of editing changed it so much that I prefer the original. To put it out under Yogananda's name, without a qualifier ('edited for 50 years by Mrinalini Mata') is less than honest.

Unfortunately, the version from the magazines is not available to the public. I wish someone would show a comparison of the two, but that would probably not be legal........

However, redpurusha, I think that the edited version is probably better than nothing at all. I'll stick with the original, since I have it ;-)

TheHolySinner
Registered User
(12/9/02 6:33 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
Hey redpurusha,
I have a copy of "God talks to Arjuna" I was going give to the good will, If you are willing to pay for the shipping YOU can have it!

username
Registered User
(12/9/02 8:16 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
re: autobiography of a Yogi's author - One year at convocation daya mata had her brother stand up and be acknowledged for writing the ay. And with this in mind, if you look at the ay, you will see that it is mainly in quotation marks and I believe it is mainly a rehash of richard's (I think that was his name) india's travel diary. (he accompanied Yogananda on that trip)

Re: the other versions of gita in the magazines - I have copies of most of the old magazines. If it is published there, isn't it out of copywrite? So, maybe the gita from the magazines can be put on the internet someplace.

Anyway, aren't all the old magazines on the internet someplace - I thought someone had scanned them in.

redpurusha
Registered User
(12/10/02 5:45 am)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
OK guys, in all fairness I did not read the original version so I can't make an honest comaprison, however, this one is better than nothing at all, and more than that, its better than the other versions I have come across of the Gita.

theholysinner, thanks for the offer, but one copy for me will suffice. Maybe you can symbolically burn some karma by making a little fire with the Gita? giving it to charity might be a better move though.

KS
Registered User
(12/10/02 6:24 am)
Reply 		Re: God Talks to Arjuna? Author, Please step forward.
As with all things SRF, Walrus people need to carefully evaluate everything SRF does and writes and claims Yogananda said and wrote. However, for me the new Gita is a wonderful work. It will far outlast SRF in my opinion. I believe Yogananda's true nature managed to come through with this document.

It may be possible that future generations prefer the original edit of the work from the 50's, but this still works for me. After SRF is gone this and the Autobiography of a Yogi may be all that survive of Yogananda.

MastersChela
Registered User
(1/3/03 1:36 pm)
Reply 		SRF Magazine articles after 1941 are NOT public domain
username said:
==============================================
Re: the other versions of gita in the magazines - I have copies of most of the old magazines. If it is published there, isn't it out of copywrite? So, maybe the gita from the magazines can be put on the internet someplace.
==============================================

These articles were originally published in the 1960's... DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER WILL ROBINSON! Do not attempt to publish these on the web. The photocopying and GIVING AWAY of these articles to fellow devotees is what kicked off the recently concluded 12 year lawsuit SRF conducted against another organization of Master's devotess (organization will remain nameless per Walrus rules). These articles, while long since out of print and virtually unavalible to devotees (when said lawsuit began, there was not God Talks with Arjuna, and therefore no access to Master's Gita interpretations at all), they are still the property of Self-Realization Fellowship (Inc.) and should be treated as such. The recent trial ruling that ended the aformentioned court battle stated that while the use of the material fell under the fair use act because it was not being distributed for profit or in competion with any for-profit product that it did not warrent a monetary compensation (SRF was asking for upwards of 4 million dollars). However, I'm sure that judgement would be quite different if the suit were initiated today with the commercial avalibility of the 2 volume Gita.

Edited by: MastersChela at: 1/3/03 1:38:42 pm
soulcircle
Registered User
(1/5/03 2:47 am)
Reply 		the internet location of many, many of the early magazines
they are on the internet
perhaps also available through a link in yogananda-dif.org
if the connection is no longer in a post in here, it can be reposted

MastersChela
Registered User
(1/5/03 10:33 pm)
Reply 		Re: the internet location of many, many of the early magazin
Here is the link to the East West/Inner Culture Magazines:

www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Library/7587/SRFmagazines.htm

They are only updated through October 1937, though. This is a bit shy of the public domain cut-off date, but perhaps they're just playing it safe.

Enjoy.

GregsBrother
Registered User
(1/6/03 1:16 am)
Reply 		Re: the internet location of many, many of the early magazin
Gracias

chela2020
Registered User
(1/6/03 3:41 am)
Reply 		Re: the internet location of many, many of the early magazin
(This message was left blank)

Edited by: chela2020 at: 7/1/03 4:50 pm
username
Registered User
(1/6/03 7:09 am)
Reply 		Re: the internet location of many, many of the early magazin
where?

astral7
Registered User
(2/9/03 10:06 pm)
Reply 		God Talks with Arjuna- is the name of this book!
“What vain imaginings wildly roam in the minds of the envious and the uninformed”.
Does one person here even know the name of the book they are pretending to be such authorities on?

Red Purusha does seem to have the best recognition of how truly great and significant this work is.

"God talks with Arjuna" is the proper name of the manuscript I think you are all referring to.

I have not personally met anyone yet who has not very deeply felt Paramahansa Yogananda's vibes very strongly in the Bhagavad Gita translation and Commentary, “God Talks With Arjuna.”

This work brings out the mark of divine inspiration at its best.The many years of work it took by Self-Realization editors in chief and publishers has produced a rare and remarkable document.

I thank the SRF for waiting till it would be all done with the excellence that does truly reflect the light of Yogananda's soul wisdom and his love.

You can compare one chapter of this work to the whole of many other works, they wouldn't touch it. Any yogi would be proud of this final publishing of one of his life’s most sacred works.

If you want to know what it is like to really be in tune with your Guru, you will get the idea from a study of this work.

"A new Scripture is born" said Yogananda on its completion.Regards and respect, astral.7

Edited by: astral7 at: 2/10/03 8:33:29 am
Lobo
Registered User
(2/9/03 11:23 pm)
Reply 		Re: God Talks with Arjuna- is the name of this book!
"The many years of work it took by SRF editors in chief and publishers has produced a rare and remarkable document."

Pretty to look at, heavy to hold, not conducive to daily reading for inspiration and direction, yes.

BUT the wisdom that PY said he imbibed directly from Vyasa, the original author (not his editor-sorry couldn't resist), is the rare and remarkable commentary. Which by the way was already at the printers ready to be mass produced BEFORE his demise.

If that last statement is true, and I have it from a very knowlegable source, then why would PY consider the almost 40 year later SRF produced tome to be better?

As I understand your intimation, Astral, you seem to be saying that PY's original commentaries were not up to SRF's standards where they care more about winning secular, gold-certificated book awards than they do about allowing the original, unedited, straight from the source, wisdom of PY/Arjuna in the proper, small, plain, form of a regular book like any other commentaries, and like he himself apparently was fine with, as again evidenced by the fact that they were awaiting printing before his demise; I hasten to add, not edit, print.

astral7
Registered User
(2/10/03 8:07 am)
Reply 		Re: God Talks with Arjuna- is the name of this book!
Not eveything that goes to the printers is ready for publication.

Since you probably have not seen the original, you are not in a position to judge what or why they did not go through with it.

Some of the possible reasons why the printing did not go ahead with God Talks With Arjuna in 1952;

(a)SRF decided to support their own publishing house with this and other works, great forward looking insight.
(b)They learned from seeing PYs A/y, that going to press before being "properly edited and ready" may not be the way to go, so then decided to take the time to do this and other publications with more care and quality, as we saw, many changes were necessary to polish the A/Y in following editions, such as the addition of 49th chapter etc.

But at that time, being the first book that widely covered the teachings of the Babaji lineage, there was no doubt some urgency in the masters plans, as he knew that the book would reach many more than public appearances.

Yet, Yogananda did work on that spiritual classic for 25 years. Part of his trip to India was to verify the many personal incidents spoken about in that book.He too was willing to take time to produce a winner. This example of paced high quality has been followed and furthered by SRF publishing.

The automobile concept is a great way to get around - but it still needs a lot of work. The Masters ideas and presentations were of high quality in many respects. When the A/y was first published it was a great document. Now, it is even better in accuracy of PY s teachings, and in other aspects.

(c)Take the time to produce quality work, deserving and truly representative of Yogananda's/Babaji's name.
(d) do the years of research to add proper footnotes and references to support the many original and ahead-of-time revelations of this sacred work.
(e)Take the time to include some art work with the text, it takes time to commision and produce work of this quality.
(f)Although the content and data of Yogananda's writing was as great and profound as his speaking, a publication must be presented in a style/quality of readability and accuracy that takes time to do correctly.
(g)Faster is not better, we are too caught up in "instant productions" in the west.
(h)Those wise persons appointed with the responsibility of doing this work, understand aspects the master and editing many readers don't even dream of. The editors not only had the original notes but a lot of personal instruction from the master, who knew and said He would not have the longevity to oversee the proper publishing of all his works.
(i)Time enriches many things, because of the openness of Self-Realization Fellowships staff, as time went by more ideas on how to best present this great Scripture became clearer.
(k)Timing is everything, near the end of the 20th century was a very good time to release this exceptional translation/commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.[another discussion! - don't ask - I won't go into it now.]
(l)With all the personal writings and notes from Yogananda[some of which are yet to be transcribed], and waiting till more of this material was available, it gave the editors of GTWA more to work with for an accurate and more complete presentation.
(m)Resources! Instead of having dozens and dozens of persons working on these writings who didn't know what they were doing, or didn't know the master that well, or making decisions without proper info, it was better that the few who did know took time and worked carefully for quality. Those who are in a rush to see eveything published now are intellectuals, - restless devotees who assume they need to see everything NOW. After which they would still not be satisfied as they think the spiritual life is an endless read.

I agree with David Frawley, who wrote in Hinduism Today Magazine that God Talks With Arjuna is one of histories unique and exceptional tr/comm of the Gita.

One of the most important things devotees have learned in all of this is that good things are worth waiting for from SRF.

Regards and respect astral.7

Edited by: astral7 at: 2/10/03 8:31:07 am
chrisparis
Registered User
(2/10/03 8:59 am)
Reply 		Re: God Talks with Arjuna- is the name of this book!
So is "God talks with Arjuna" a book by Yogananda, or is it a book by "the editorila staff of the SRF?
Just asking...

Lobo
Registered User
(2/10/03 11:58 am)
Reply 		Re: God Talks with Arjuna- is the name of this book!
Astral 7,

The more I read your responses to my posts (at least the ones that you care to respond to) I have all sorts of bells and whistles going off inside me. What, and where have I heard the same thing before; like what you've written in response to my post of last night?

And I think I can now understand where you are coming from. SRF headquarters (I don't call it Mother Center, perfering to honor my guru who never used, nor knew that term-always "headquarters" to him).

You are so obviously a SRF plant on this board. And I can understand why your masters have given you this job. So much damage is being done to the official line and image of SRF that they are damned worried, not about people's souls mind you, but about the BOTTOM LINE.

So when you give a response that doesn't in the least begin to address from your own personal understanding but have to rely upon SRF dogma it serves only to alienate those you, and your masters, hope to sway.

Look around. Your embittered responses are becoming shrill. That is sad, as when you came on this board you seemed to be much nicer and spoke from what seemed your own personal experience. And in the end, that is all that matters; unless one wants to spend one's life parroting the thoughts of their handlers/masters.

I still think that you, somewhere in there, have the right to post your views. But I'm still waiting for that you to emerge so meaningful dialogue can take place, hopefully leading to increased understanding and enlargement of consciousness.

Best

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