As many are aware I come from a family that practiced the Jehovah’s Witness faith and so it was my belief that the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was the only true version and related to many how it was translated purely from the original text without any additions made unlike it’s counterparts.

However I was interested in how the original text read and knew that there was available two books that gave the direct word for word translation, however reading this book was widely discouraged and it was only once I was looking after and ordering the literature at the local Kingdom Hall that I was able to order and attain the versions.

So how accurate was the bible that had come dear to my heart?

Well you could see that although the words from the original text was there, in order to get it into modern English those responsible for the translation had added quite a lot of text thus the reading was much different almost putting a totally different spin on things.

However I must say it protected me from much, illicit sex, drunkenness and eventually convinced me that meat eating was wrong, although it was said my logic for this was in many ways wrong and meat eating was fine. It even protected me from gambling so in many ways most of the four regulative principles were there and followed.

Now the other day the question of editing and translation of Srila Prabhupada’s books came up, the devotee had done his research and gave a number of examples from the original books and how the new additions of the same books reads today. The question was simple, why and does it matter that these changes have been made?

It is one of those subjects that is starting to come up especially as there is a growing voice on the internet and an on line campaign that only the original release books be used in book distribution and for preaching service and that if we are not doing this then we are doing Srila Prabhupada an injustice and that if anyone reads them the power of the words are not there.

There are however some simple fact’s missed even these original books were edited, grammar, spelling and checks on how the original manuscripts from Srila Prabhupada read were made before type-setting and printing was done. But this in itself was amazing with only a few days for the whole process before printing even today such an academic piece of work would take months if not years to produce; but we see how much effort was taken in making sure the demand for the books was met and that today we benefit from this work.

A few who were on the original editing team in there desire to serve there spiritual master and that now they have a better chance of giving great time to reading, looking at the original editing and then were needed re-editing.

But this for me is the point, the bible I read had many points but the essence came out and protected me from many hardships this is Krishna’s mercy.

The book I was given was not the original translation of the book by Srila Prabhupada but again by Krishna’s mercy my eyes were opened to the amazing knowledge held inside and the thirst to read and find out more was awakened and so I now have a life-time of reading and learning in front of me.

And this is my point we can become hung up on pointing at what we see is changes and differences, we can argue the toss over the benefit or non-benefit, if there was or was not a need to look again at how the books were edited. This could become a life times work but if we start reading the books in this mood then we have a problem, we are looking at the wrong thing.

Krishna reviles the original knowledge to those looking and searching for the answers to life, the origins of life and how we can break free from the cycle of birth and death and free ourselves from the misery of material life.

Srila Prabhupada’s words still comes through the editing that people point to is minor, no whole sentences have been added or taken away, the way they read in many ways is easier; the essence remains and this will hit home and enliven the spirit soul.

Best we make sure that as many people get to read about devotional life, Krishna and the eternal relationship there in that should be our focus.

And you never know souls like me will have there eyes opened and as faulty as it may be try as best they can to make some progress on a spiritual path rather than suffering thinking that material ownership will relieve us.