The Ven. Thera's trepidations about the hostile criticism that we may encounter are probably well founded (even with judicious distribution). Naturally, I have always taken this into account, and I should not have decided on having the Notes made public had I been at all unsure of my position. I am quite prepared to meet verbal attacks—indeed, they might be positively welcome as a distraction from my bodily woes. And if some misguided zealot were to go so far (an unlikely event, I fear) as to decide that my existence is no longer desirable, he would save me a lot of trouble. In any case, since I am not seeking to be a popular figure, the prospect of becoming an unpopular one does not worry me in the least.
