As some of you have noticed, until quite recently I have been taking an extended sabbatical from posting on FFL. In fact, I wasn't reading, either, so I am way out of touch with some threads and other developments.
I noticed that Paul has posted several selections from his translation of the Upadesh Amrit collection of Guru Dev's talks, the same book I have been working on for several years. [In my case, not as the translator, but as the editor.] I'm sure many of you have wondered why I have been so silent regarding the book, and no doubt some have reached disappointing conclusions regarding the likelihood of its appearance. Not to worry. It is nearly finished. When I began work on the project, I was given some "higher guidance" to the effect that there was no obstacle to publication, but it could only happen at the "appropriate time". Somewhat problematically, I was not informed when that would be. The subsequent practical experience was that sometimes the work could proceed rapidly, while other times it seemingly could not proceed at all. To be sure, various apparent obstacles appeared with irritating frequency. In retrospect, it seems to me that they were just Nature's way of putting on the brakes so that the project didn't get to the finish line prematurely. The most substantial of the "impeding" influences affecting me directly was the protracted illness suffered by my mother prior to her passing away this past May. For most of the past 5 years, I have been primarily focused on her needs during her ordeals with hospitalization and moving from her home into assisted living quarters. Three major hospitalizations, two moves of all her worldly possessions, and a year and a half of dealing with "the system" to ensure that all her Medicare, Medicaid, Frail and Elderly Waiver, etc, were in place and functioningall in all, pretty much of a nightmare. During most of this period, it was more or less impossible to work on the book. Naturally, I became aware that people were impatient, or developing negative expectations, but there was no question in my mind where my most pressing responsibilities were. I just determined to do what had to be donein order of importance. Many factors have entered into the progress of the book. Resistance from the organization included some mild intimidation, but I ignored that. In fact, the book was brought up again during my application for the current course, and it was suggested that I might consider dropping it. I politely reaffirmed that this was not an option from my side. Now that my mother's business is mostly finished, I am gradually getting back to a life of my own. However, I am way behind on almost everything I have going. Where the book is concerned, a recent breakthrough was the completion of the proofing of the hindi and Sanskrit transliterations in the text and the notes. There is a bit more work remaining on the introduction and appendices, but all of that material has been completely researched and outlined. A half-dozen or so extremely minor questions remain on the text, but they will be easily resolved within the next few weeks. The talks themselves are now completely translated and annotated. Circumstances currently require that I devote an uncomfortable amount of time to financing my slightly substandard lifestyle. Fortunately, the book project has now reached the point where a bit of assistance with the proofing, etc, can greatly facilitate the eventual production. Please think positively about this project so as not to add to the energies of those who wish it would just go away. Thanks. L B S To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
