No Book Changes --- Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979
9
DIRECT QUOTES FROM SRILA PRABHUPADA TO RAMESVARA PRABHU FORBIDDING BOOK
CHANGES, AS SHARED IN RAMESVARA'S 300 PG 1979 INTERVIEW, viewable at
the following link: http://www.govindadasi.com/ramesvara-das-interview-1979.html
--
"And also at that Mayapur meeting of 1976 we had had meetings with
Prabhupada about the Bhagavatam. We prepared for that Mayapur festival a
color board which showed all the volumes of the Bhagavatam drawn in for
each Canto what the color would be, and Srila Prabhupada approved the
color scheme for the Srimad-Bhagavatam for all the reprints. But he
warned us emphatically that this must be the very, very last change that
is ever to be made in the Srimad-Bhagavatam."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"Prabhupada at that time approved the new design for the Krsna Book
trilogy, and then he approved the standardization in terms of lettering
and so on for the Bhagavatams, and he approved the new color board. That
is what the 12 Cantos are going to look like. Prabhupada was very happy
to see that we had made a plan. But then he got very grave and said,
'Now, this is the final plan, this is the final approved standard. There
can never be any more changes.' He was emphatic, he was insistent, and
he pounded it into our heads."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"What about the incorrect grammar? Prabhupada's reply, 'You cannot
change one comma, not even a comma, not even a punctuation mark; that is
the etiquette.' So that was just another one of those super heavy
instructions that the etiquette in dealing with a great Acarya's books,
is that whatever
he has done, it's eternal, and it can never be changed. And I believe
that all of this was part of Prabhupada's training us. He wanted
to train people who would be entrusted with his books."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"...you can get a first hand understanding of how intense Prabhupada
was and how concerned he was that in the future no one ever be allowed
to make changes in his books. This was more than just a preoccupation
with Prabhupada. This was a, you could call this a transcendental
phobia, that the entire movement would without any shadow of a doubt be
completely wasted and all the work and effort of all the devotees that
Prabhupada was directing, as well as his own efforts, would all be
ultimately lost if his books were changed. That was his attitude. He
expressed that attitude very clearly in 1974 in that conversation, and
in that letter you'll see the statements Prabhupada made about how
everything will be ruined if his books are changed."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"With the BBT, the size of the books, the type of art in the books and
so on, on principle, Prabhupada would not allow changes, even if the
change was an improvement. Just to teach that principle of don't
change."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"Prabhupada just explained how everyone's a rascal for daring to touch
anything in his books. The greatest anxiety he has is that after he's
gone, we will add things to his books that are bogus, we will take
things out that are bona fide, we will make changes in his books and the
whole work for 10,000 years, his plan Prabhupada was working on, it
will all be spoiled by us because of our tendency to change. And
Prabhupada gave an example that the disease to do things differently is
so inherent in the Americans that for the sake of doing things
differently we would walk on our hands rather than our feet."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"'Don't you dare change the picture on my book! I have deliberately
chosen the picture of Visnu because I want this book to be attracting
the Mayavadis and impersonalists.' So that was the first direct
instruction that I had received from Prabhupada, which gave me an
understanding of how much he would meditate on every facet of his books.
The art, the size, the pictures, who the market was. And I began to
realize Prabhupada is very much on top of his book design and
publishing."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"'If you put anything bogus in my book, this is my greatest fear, that
you will ruin my book, and the whole book will be ruined because of
you!'"
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
--
"The first of many experiences I've had with Prabhupada literally
drilling me, pounding it into my head that you're never allowed to
change anything in his books. He trained me so intensely on this point.
Even when the changes make sense he wouldn't let me change. Just to
train me."
(Ramesvara Dasa, Interview, 1979)
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