LISTEN CAREFULLY… If the previous transcriber misheard a word, the fact that you have his version in print in front of you may also cause you to mishear it. This is due to the power of suggestion.
This also applies when checking your partner’s or another transcriber’s transcription. One way to combat this would be to apply the following method:
TIP: USE HEADPHONES!
We strongly suggest that out Transcribers use headphones whenever possible. The clarity is vastly improved and this is very important, as the speeches are not always recorded with optimum sound quality.
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE “UNCERTAINTIES”
It is universally understood that transcribing HHSM’s talks is often far from straightforward, and it is inevitable that on occasion the transcribers will admit defeat with certain words or passages. In such cases the transcriber is advised simply to indicate clearly the problem, in brackets with block capitals, and leave it for the Independent Verifiers to have a look.
Here are some suggestions regarding typical situations that may be encountered, and what to do with them:
• Inaudible or indistinguishable words [INAUDIBLE]
• Use of Hindi, Marathi, or Sanskrit words unknown to the team, or which they do not know how to spell. You could attempt a phonetic rendering in square brackets. e.g. [SOUNDS LIKE SALOO?] or if it’s too unclear even for that, simply put [UNKNOWN INDIAN WORD]
• A word or phrase on which the two transcribers have differing opinions and cannot agree. Simply indicate the two choices – [HANUMAN or HANDYMAN?] [SAHAJA or SUCH?] and leave it for the independent Verifiers to puzzle over.
• General poor sound quality. Some tapes are very poor indeed, and while they may be only barely clear enough for listening, any attempt to transcribe them will finish up with more “uncertainties” than text! These are best left alone. There are hundreds of good quality tapes which need working on. So if a tape has poor sound it is probably best not to transcribe it at all, unless a strong case can be made for its use. In that case we might look into the possibility of having it digitally enhanced by one of our clever brothers and sisters who may be expert in that field.
WE TRANSCRIBE WHAT WE HEAR
We should NOT try to “tidy up” grammar, or word order. On the whole we are aiming to transcribe word for word, with every word in the exact order as spoken. It matters not about the rules of grammar and sentence structure as normally applied to the written language. These are transcripts, and we must aim to reflect the words as they were spoken.
HOWEVER: There is always room for discretion and common sense, and a few possible exceptions to this guideline are dealt with in the next few paragraphs.
CORRECTIONS, REPETITIONS AND HESITATIONS
This is of course a tricky area. In certain talks where Shri Mataji is choosing Her words carefully, there may well be corrections, repetitions and hesitations. On the one hand, we want to respect Mother by transcribing Her exact words. On the other hand, it could be said that when a speaker corrects his/herself in mid speech, they are in effect editing themselves and that should be respected as well. Most of us, if we gave a talk, would not appreciate someone transcribing every hesitation, repetition and self-correction. In terms of conveying Shri Mataji’s intended meaning, it’s a matter of personal judgement and discretion, but it often serves no purpose to leave these repetitions in, especially where there are a lot of them in one talk. This could make even a strong talk seem weak and uncertain on the printed page. In short, your discretion is required.
IF SHRI MATAJI DOES NOT CORRECT HERSELF
Anyone who has listened to a large number of talks knows that the situation will occasionally arise where Shri Mataji apparently says a word that She didn’t intend, but does not correct Herself. For example She may be talking about the right side, and, in the middle of it, says “left” instead of “right”.
You feel absolutely sure that She meant to say “right”. Or…..do you..?
The answer in such cases is: no matter how “sure” you are, write it as spoken.
It is our opinion that it places too much of a burden on the transcribers to attempt to decide at this stage what Shri Mataji really meant or didn’t mean.
However if you have a strong feeling about it you should certainly let the editors know, and you can add your suggestion by putting it in brackets in this way:
[Could Shri Mataji have meant “right”?]
IF SHRI MATAJI SPEAKS ASIDE
If Shri Mataji makes an “aside” remark, clearly nothing to do with the speech, such as asking someone to close a window, or to take a crying child out of the room, it need not be included. There is also no need to type, “Shri Mataji speaks aside”.
However:
If Shri Mataji then makes reference in Her speech to what She just said, then of course you must include it.
If you feel that the “aside” somehow conveys something charming or atmospheric, or indeed if you have any other reason for wanting to include it, then of course do so!
ITALICIZED WORDS
We are suggesting that you italicize all non-English words – which will normally be Sanskrit, Hindi or Marathi (see next page for additional note on spellings). However, this would not apply to well known Sahaja words which have really become part of the English language, at least for Sahaja Yogis, such as Chakra, Mooladhara, Kundalini, etc. If you are not sure, then go ahead and use the italics.
Please DO NOT use italics to indicate the fact that Shri Mataji has emphasized a word. Please also no underscores, “quote marks”, or UPPER CASE used for emphasis. We have seen this on numerous occasions in transcripts (not ours!) and it always looks terrible and can make the talk seem bombastic or aggressive.
The best is not to try and show in any way which words have been emphasized vocally. Let the words speak for themselves.
CAPITALIZATION OF PRONOUNS
The policy for these transcriptions is to observe the protocol of capitalizing all of Shri Mataji’s references to Herself or to any Deity, all of whom are, after all, aspects of Herself. The following is a made-up sentence, but will serve to illustrate what to do if for example Shri Mataji were to say:
“Shri Ganesha respects Me, and we must respect Him. “
The word “we” is not capitalized because Shri Mataji is using the word to refer to Sahaja Yogis, or possibly to human beings in general.
The question of whether this protocol will be observed in the published Books need not concern us, as it will be a matter of editorial decision at the time of publication.
For the purposes of this transcript library we will observe it.
PUNCTUATIONThe nature of transcription is such that we cannot always apply "correct" punctuation or sentence structure to what is, after all, spoken language.
Almost all spoken language is more “colloquial” than written language. That is to say, very few public speakers, when not referring to a prepared speech, always adhere to strict rules of sentence structure as laid down for the written language. Shri Mataji speaks spontaneously and expressively in a language that is not Her mother tongue. Where there is no rule to cover what you hear, you have to be imaginative. That is -- do your best to convey the feel of the talk as it is delivered. For example, if Shri Mataji utters a thought that is not a complete sentence, it’s not a problem. Just let it stand on its own as if it were a sentence. Don’t try to incorporate it into the previous or next sentence just to satisfy a rule.
Allow Her delivery style to take precedence over "correct" grammar and punctuation. In this way we can allow the reader almost to hear Mother speaking.
As for pauses, they do not have to be indicated. But sometimes, for example, if there is a substantial one, and you think it will help to convey the mood of the moment, then you can certainly put [LONG PAUSE] like that.
Keep contractions as they are, e.g. “it’s” should not be written as “it is,” or vice-versa. This is all part of the rhythm of Shri Mataji’s speech.
Some transcribers have a tendency to put a comma into the text after every pause in Shri Mataji's flow of speech. Commas in the wrong places can break a sentence into illogical segments or confuse readers with unnecessary and unexpected pauses. More than any other punctuation mark, the comma requires the transcriber to use discretion and to be sensitive to the flow of the transcription. Too many commas disturb the flow of information for the reader. Before submitting your completed transcription to your coordinator, please check your use of commas.
For those who enjoy the technicalities of grammar, the following Purdue University website has detailed information on the use of the comma:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_comma.html
Difference between its and it’s
Some transcribers are confusing the word "its" with the word "it's". Here is a short explanation of the difference between the two words.
Its is the possessive form of it (meaning of it). Example: I grew tired of its boring plot.
The contraction it’s means it is. Example: It’s a lovely day out, isn’t it?
Quotation Mark
Her Holiness Shri Mataji frequently uses direct quotes in Her talks. For instance: ... and then Gandhiji said, “Better not go for lunch, you better have lunch here.” They said, “All right, whatever you say.”
However, our final verifiers are finding that in many transcriptions the double quotes are missing. Please remember that we should enclose all direct quotes with double quotation marks.
Here are some guidelines:
In Canadian and American style, use double quotation marks to:
a) Enclose direct quotes.
Example: She said, "I’m a vegetarian."
a. Enclose titles of newspaper and magazine articles, poems, short stories, songs, episodes of television and radio programs, and chapters or subdivisions of books.
Example: "The Navel of the World" is the title of Episode 17 in the wonderful new novel by Grégoire de Kalbermatten.
b) Set off words used as words, words used ironically or as slang, words that are particularly significant, and words that may be unfamiliar to the reader. Note: Italics may also be used to set off words in these cases.
Example: The words "effect" and "affect" are often confused.
c) Many people incorrectly use single quotation marks in the last example. In Canadian and American style, use single quotation marks to:
1) Enclose a quotation within a quotation.
"I was leaving the store when I heard someone yell ‘Hey, Miss, you forgot your hand bag!’" explained Clare.
IMPORTANT: SPELLINGS FOR INDIAN WORDS
In truth there is no definitive world authority that defines English spellings for Indian words, across the spectrum of publications, even within Sahaja Yoga. However within this project we will attempt to establish at least some consistency, as our work is geared toward publication of a series of books in which conformity of spelling would be extremely desirable.
In short, this project will attempt to choose a particular spelling for each word that comes up in Shri Mataji’s talks and stick with it throughout. Ultimately this will be the responsibility of the copy editors who will be working at the immediate prepublication stage, but at transcription level we can save them at least a few headaches by making every effort to standardize these spellings ourselves. To this end we have created an ever-growing “Sahaja Dictionary”, which can be found in the DATABASE section of the Yahoo groups site. This gives not only the spellings chosen for the Book Project, but meanings as well. If the word you are seeking does not appear there, there are several glossaries posted under LINKS in the Yahoo site, but if you take a word from there, you should bring it to the attention of your coordinator, so that he / she can consider entering it in the Sahaja Dictionary.
Added note: MEANINGS of Indian words:
IF YOU KNOW FOR CERTAIN what the word means in English, and this is where the Sahaja Dictionary is so valuable, then please do indicate the meaning in brackets. But please make it clear that this is your addition and not Shri Mataji explaining. The best way would be to add the notation “– editor’s note”, or perhaps simply “—ed.”
By way of example: “for this you must have bhakti [-- devotion – ed.] “
Obviously you need do this only once, and not every time the word appears in the text.
FONTS
Avoid fancy or unusual fonts for the transcripts, especially those that are hard to read. We just want clarity. Arial 10 or Times New Roman 12 is fine.
Saving and Submitting Your Work
Once you or your team (when you are part of one) consider the transcript to be complete, the initial transcriber should save the agreed version (removing all color-coding or otherwise visible corrections except those which indicate unresolved words or passages) with a name incorporating the team nickname and the catalogue number (see below), and email it to your coordinator.
YOUR COMPLETED TRANSCRIPT: HOW TO NAME THE FILE
In order to fit in with our nice, efficient filing system you are requested to name your saved file with the following information in this exact order:
Catalogue Number
Brief Title
Year of Talk
Coordinator Initials
Leave no spaces.
Example: If your coordinator is Ann Capozzoli, you would save the file as:
0567KrishnaPuja97AC
The first 4 digits comprise the catalogue number given to you by the coordinator when you registered the talk. Always include the “0” at the beginning. The coordinator will always acknowledge receipt of these completed transcripts, within 5 to 7 days. If they do not, you should definitely email and let them know. Occasionally emails get forgotten or missed and this is your safeguard to ensure that your hard work has been received and filed.
How to Access the MP3 filesMP3 talks - DownloadingNow that we have come to a point in this Project where it has become difficult to find tapes/CDs that have not already been transcribed, more and more Transcribers will want to take advantage of the extensive collection of MP3 audio files of Shri Mataji's talks held by Phil Ward in Switzerland, who has kindly agreed to provide us unlimited access to it. The purpose of this document is to take you step by step through the process of downloading these MP3 files.
Before you consider using MP3s, you should be aware that the files are usually about 40MB per talk, and that the download speed will determine if you will be successful or not. To attempt to download via dial-up connection is not recommended. You need at least ADSL or cable connection. For this reason, it is important that you test your ability to download “prior” during the Induction phase of the project. You can arrange this with your coordinator.
Procedure:
A link to the MP3 file will be sent to you by email. When you click on the link the download process will start. Depending on your connection speed and the file size, it could take from 40 minutes to 2 hours.
Please reply to your coordinator confirming receipt and add any comments you have about the sound quality.
Once the file is received, you have choices as to software to use.
You can use any MP3 or WMA playing software, such as MSMedia player, iTunes, RealPlayer, iPod. Recommended: to use headphones when transcribing and proofing.
The image below shows how to adjust playback speed with MSMedia player. Recently a good player is recommended “Light Alloy”, which you can obtain at this site,
http://www.softella.com/la/index.en.htm
COMPLETED TRANSCRIPTS
Submission CHECKLIST:
1. Heading of the Document – include:
a) Title (if any)
b) Occasion
c) Location
d) Date
2. Make sure that complete talk is transcribed including any Q&A. Remember that Shri Mataji sometimes continues even after saying “May God bless you”. Also listen to the whole cassette. Sometimes there is another talk somewhere.
3. Divine Pronouns are capitalized. (This includes Shri Mataji’s references to Me or My, and any other Deity, e.g. Shri Ganesha gives His blessing)
4. Page numbering (found in Insert menu)
5. Please break up your transcript into paragraphs and place two spaces in between paragraphs. This makes the Transcript much easier to read or peruse. Always think of your reader!
6. If you use Track Changes tool make sure that these changes are not visible in the copy you submit.
7. US English – use your spellchecker. (This is a laborious process at first because the spellchecker does not recognize any Sahaja words or names, but if you push the “Add” button each time it highlights a word it does not recognize, it will permanently add it to its dictionary.)
8. Name Your File Correctly! (this is the most common error of all) The filename should include four distinct pieces of information, in the following order, with no spaces between: NumberOccasionYearCoordinatorInitials.
Example: 0123GuruPuja05GW.
Where GW represents Gloria Webb, one of our coordinators. Be sure to know and include the initials of your coordinator, this helps us identify the talk quickly and get in touch with the coordinator who managed the talk transcription.
9. Submit the talk to your coordinator and if you do not receive an acknowledgement within 48 hours please send a reminder.
10. Transcribers Comments: sometimes you may need to add a comment or explanation within the transcript. In such cases you must clearly indicate that these are your own words and not part of the talk. This should be done by placing your comment in bracket, in bold type, and should start with the words “Transcriber’s Note”.
11. Uncertain Words/Phrases: again make sure these are in brackets, and it is a good idea to make them a different colour.
Sample Transcript
This is a real Transcript, short and sweet which makes it perfect for illustration
We have added some guiding observations in red.
(In this case the talk has no title so the heading is simply comprised of occasion, location, and date.)
Christmas Puja, Poona, India Tour 1986/87
25 December 1986
Today we are all waiting to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is so much difficult that we are in a place here, same type of a hut Jesus had when He was born. The wind was blowing from all sides and it was difficult to keep the room they [want ?]. Though it is said He was not born in the month of December, in a warmer month, not so very cold, not may be this much as they said so may be that the climate of today is quite significant, with the climate that He must have felt. As for you people you don't feel any discomfort in this climate, nor in this surroundings nor in this part we live.
(Note that pages are numbered)
He never felt any discomfort on His body. Whenever our attention is on our Spirit then you do not feel the discomfort of nature or of bodily things. This is the first sign when a Sahaja Yogi starts complaining about comforts then the first sign is that he is not a Sahaja Yogi as yet. To begin with he just get absolutely acclimatize with the climate and enjoy the sky [as being?], the way it is moulding you. There is no friction between the nature and the body because the Spirit which is synchronizes helps you become one with this nature and enjoy the best part of it. The way you are enjoying it shows that you are great Sahaja Yogis. And that goes to My credit I think that you people have accepted all these discomforts as enjoyment.
(Note that we have 2 spaces between each paragraph.)
Christ coming of great event as I told you to establish the Agnya Chakra and give us born on this Earth but much before He was born in the consciousness and that absolute consciousness itself took birth as Jesus Christ. To explain His life is only possible if you are Realized souls, otherwise you cannot explain Christ what He was, how He worked, still very difficult to explain many things in Sahaja Yoga as you know, you just go on seeing things. Today you saw fountains coming out of the lake, which nobody can explain, even the engineer said that they can't explain, nobody can explain. It just happens that the water gets excited. He is the Divinity as such pouring out His love in the appropriate manner. Can you imagine that even water can feel it? You have seen how the light can feel it, in the same way every element can feel it. All those elements are within us, the highest of all as we say is the light because light has an effect and that is govern by Jesus Christ. Light has an effect, light shows things that are correct. That's the one which makes us understand all the dimensions of qualities and ultimately when this light comes from the Spirit and enlighten the Spirit. Then you start seeing the other dimensions also which sometimes makes you laugh, sometimes makes you smile and sometimes makes you cry also. Such a beautiful new dimension you have achieved through Sahaja Yoga. But it was all built in within you and you have to achieve it. People on the other side will have to work very hard like Jesus Christ was born in a small manger shows that the Divinity need not be born in Royal families, can be born in a manger, can be born anywhere, makes no difference to the Divinity.
But that has given some funny ideas, people that they are saying we should make ourselves miserable and we should give away everything to God. God doesn't want them. You cannot have it. You cannot give it. It is a wrong idea that you become like a pauper and give everything to God. He doesn't want that. What He wants that you have to be happy, joyous and enjoy. That's the main point, also if you give a little bit, very little bit to God then He gives you hundred times more. That's why you have to give a very wee bit to God. But you don't have to hang yourself by the trees to prove that you want to sacrifice. Christ has done everything for you. That's the beauty of His life that from the very beginning of His birth He has showed that He has enjoyed no material well-being as we call it. He did not enjoy any worldly things as we know of but that does mean that He has done for us to see that there is no need for us to hanker after worldly things they will hanker after us. You don't have to worry about these things. What we have to worry about is your Spirit, the main.
All His life, it was very short I should say He has been trying, He was very much interested in evaluating people because He didn't know what sort of things these human beings are. He was a foreigner for these human things. So He tried to evaluate and in that evaluation He said many things which are very remarkable, one has to understand. One of the things He said that don't throw your pearls before people who do not want to understand you. But for Sahaja Yogis it is important to understand that you should not talk about Sahaja Yoga to people who are anti God. Now he may be your brother, he may be your sister, he may be your father, he may be anyone but there is no need to convince them about Sahaja Yoga because they are not your relations. Many people have only this worry how to convince my husband or how to convince my brother, there is no need at all for you to work it out, just give them up on this point.
There is another thing He has told us which is very important I think that we must forgive. He has given us the greatest weapon that we must forgive. Now it is such a practical thing to forgive. If you just forgive the person does not exist anymore and the person doesn't trouble you anymore. Now it is easy in your attention, just to forgive. It's the simplest thing to do and the highest thing to do to get relief from worldly or mental tortures that we have.
His life has been a story of Spirituality, going through all kinds of turmoils and tortures, all types of troubles that Spirit can go through, show that nobody can kill that Spirit, as it said in the Gita ["Nayanam shranthi chittrani, nayanam pavaka … …… ?]
It can not be killed, it's an eternal life and He try to prove through His life later from the beginning to the end to show that the Spirit is above matter that nothing can dominate Spirit. It's a very big thing He has done for us is to create such a great confidence in our Spirit. He has proved it beyond doubt. I hope you people will understand and will not bother Me or bother yourself with small petty things here and there, nothing is important. Ask for bigger things, eternal things, valuable things. Also I am very happy that you like this state that you are enjoying yourself very much and today we have declared so many marriages. There have been so many events in this short time.
So I would like to bless you all on this Christmas Eve and I wish you all very happy Christmas and Happy New Year.
END OF SAMPLE TRANSCRIPT
Happy Transcribing!!!