I feel that the doctor is perhaps over-estimating the danger of misuse of the Notes. After all, for the ordinary person they are practically unreadable, and they can by no stretch of the imagination be regarded as propaganda. (Nobody could describe them as 'inflammatory'.) The Notes are designed primarily for people with a European background. (I imagine, for example, that the Notes are absolutely untranslatable into Sinhala, and consequently a purely-Sinhalese-educated person will make nothing of them.) Naturally, this is unavoidable, since I simply do not think as a Sinhala. I would suggest that a fairly liberal distribution should be made to university Buddhist societies. English-speaking university students who are beginning to think for themselves (are they?) might well be interested in a fresh approach to the Dhamma. Provisionally, then, in addition to the people and institutions you have in mind, I would say 250 copies (perhaps this is a shade on the generous side). But what are your views?[1]
Editorial note:
[57.1] The first edition did indeed consist of 250 copies. [Back to text]
