bhagavad gita vs. Socrates Essay
Bhagvad Gita Essay
Case Study Of The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita Analysis
Analysis Of The Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita Essay
Summary Of The Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita The Holy Book Of Hindus
Relevance of Bhagavad Gita in Modern Life
Essay On The Bhagvad Gita
Analysis Of The Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita Religion
Bhagavad Gita Religion
The Reflection Of Bhagavad-Gita
Worldview Of The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita Essay
Essay On Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita Reflection Paper
1. bhagavad gita vs. Socrates Essay
The Dialogues of Self Self: Oh wise Socrates what an honor it is to meet you. I hope you have the
time to converse with me. I have read the Bhagavad–Gita and the Dialogues of Plato concerning your
trial and death, and have several questions concerning your belief in the immortality of the soul.
Socrates: Of course my friend. That is the reason I am here. Self: Excellent. You speak of it being a
"noble risk" to believe in the immortality of the soul. That on a basic level I understand. If we die
and there is no afterlife, no harm no foul, but if there is an afterlife, it would behoove us to act
piously for our eternal soul is at stake. While reading the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna has an
ongoing theme of performing ones duties...show more content...
The theme of a being born into a particular section is found elsewhere in the Gita. Krishna
mentions of the four classes people are born into thus they have to perform their sacrifice in a
manner fitting to their class of life. Socrates: My friend it is understandable why one would
perceive this as a gloomy outlook on the nature of man. With further investigation we can see that
there is hope for those who are demonic at birth or are in a lower class have a chance to escape
their cycle of rebirth, and that is done through the acquisition of knowledge. "Even if you are the
most evil of sinners, you will cross over all evil on the raft of knowledge."(Bhagavad Gita p56) Self:
Oh Socrates, I was not aware that you were familiar with the Bhagavad Gita. How is it that you
know this work, or are even here for that matter?
Socrates: Oh my friend, the true nature of my appearance to you is intangible. Would I being
here in the flesh make my words any more powerful? I will say this to account for my knowledge.
At my death, I transcended being, becoming an eternal entity, merging myself with the greater Self
of the cosmos. I am. I am Krishna, I am Brahman. I am everything and everything is me. The
totality of the universal knowledge is now mine for I am the totality of the universe. Self: Oh
snap... Socrates: Indeed my young friend. Knowledge is the true liberator of all. No matter you
birth, religion, sin, race, knowledge will set you free. Work for
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2. Bhagvad Gita Essay
First step in gaining the supreme knowledge about the God is to understand oneself. First six
chapters of the Bahgvad Gita deal with the objective of understanding true nature of the self.
"Demystifying the Bhagvad Gita (Vol–I): Understanding the self" is based on first six chapters of the
Bhagvad Gita to help readers understand this ancient wisdom with modern knowledge. This book is
a sequel of "Demystifying the Bhagvad Gita (Vol–I): Understanding the Self".
We saw in the last chapter of volume–I that Shri Krishna wanted us to meditate upon self with a goal
to understand the God. But for the most part, we do not know what the God is, what is his role in
the world, how do we access him and so on. Chapters seven through twelve explain this. They reveal
to us the true nature of the God. And just like we had to put forth effort to understand the self in the
prior six chapters of Volume–I, we need to apply a...show more content...
The discourse describes how to contemplate divine presence in the countless objects in the universe.
His manifestations are obvious in the material world as well as mythological symbols. The purport
is to convey that one should contemplate the Supreme everywhere, discern Him through regular
practice, and learn to descry the entire creation as the Self.
Till now we have learnt that the true nature of the Supreme Lord is un–manifest, formless, timeless,
omniscient, and the original cause. In discourse 11, the formless begins to take form, the
un–manifest starts manifesting into a grand universal form holding together the entire universe.
Contrary to discourse ten, where Lord is seen in each and everything, in the Vishwaroop or
Universal form, described in this chapter, everything in the universe is seen contained in the
Supreme. Beholding the Supreme in every form of the universe and universe in the Supreme, is
seeing the Universal
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3. Case Study Of The Bhagavad Gita
Meichenbaum (2012) suggested spirituality as one of the major influencing factor in resilience
building. His research emphasized "positive religious ways of coping" that include "collaborating
with God in solving life's problems...and using religious social network as a resource" and
discussed spirituality as framework for meaning making and a sense of belongingness. Maynard,
Gorsuch and Bjorck (2001) in their research explored the important mediating role of personal
religious variables and God concept in the use of religious coping in threat, loss, and challenged
situations. Research on 129 undergraduates revealed that personal variables such as God concept and
perception of others' beliefs played important mediating roles in religious coping in stressor
situations. Strong relationships existed among God concept, the importance individuals placed on
their religious and spiritual lives, and participation in religious activities....show more content...
This case study provides knowledge of the full range of human development–from a state of
complete ignorance characterized by mistakes and sufferings to the state of complete enlightenment
characterized by unrestricted success and fulfillment. The case study is expressed in the form of an
interaction between Lord Krishna and the warrior Arjuna who is seeking wisdom. The
Bhagavad–Gita points out that all forms of problems and sufferings are due to lack of full
integration of life, which in turn is due to individual consciousness not being fully established in
the field of pure consciousness, identified by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as the unified field of natural
law. He also proposed in his article, a brief description of the self–interacting dynamics of
consciousness, at the basis of the creative process in the nature as reflection of experienced pleasure
and pain by
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4. The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita has a few themes that are rigorously repeated throughout the narration. Arjuna
is pained with the task of deciding whether or not he should kill his family and friends. He consults
in his close friend Krishna to decide what he should do and Krishna delivers many life lessons.
Krishna specifically discusses dharma, karma, and how to obtain liberation from samsara. Krishna is
a powerful god and confidant to Arjuna during a time of war and chaos. Arjuna, however, does not
seem to realize how powerful Krishna truly is. Krishna explains that he is everything in the universe.
He is the sky, earth, animals, and plants. He created everything and a part of him is in every
surrounding. Krishna states, "I am the beginning, the middle,...show more content...
When Arjuna confides in Krishan that he does not think he can fight against his family and
friends, Krishna tells him that it is his duty to participate in the war against evil in order to restore
balance in the universe. Krishna illustrates how everyone has a duty that they must complete. He
demands Arjuna to "look to your own duty; do not tremble before it" (Gita, 34). Krishna repeats
this importance of dharma because it is needed to balance the karma in people's lives. Obtaining a
respectable balance in life and working off karma can eventually lead to a soul's release from the
samsara cycle. Krishna spends a significant amount of time in the Bhagavad Gita explaining how a
person may be released from the continuous cycle of death and rebirth. He tells Arjuna that
someone must be selfless and detached from the material world in order to obtain complete
liberation. They must also ignore their own egos and focus on the divine instead. Krishna declares
that "men who always follow my thought, trusting it without finding fault, are freed even by their
actions" (Gita, 45). People must find God in all of their actions and turn this into a way of
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5. Bhagavad Gita Analysis
Bhagavad Gita
The author Stephen Mitchell reflects on a scripture titled "Bhagavad Gita". This scripture is a new
translation based on ancient Hinduism. Throughout the scripture, it explains the teachings that can
be used in an everyday life situation. Its diverse audience can learn how to face different dilemmas,
and how to live in this world with happiness and peacefulness by doings ones' duties. It also helps
the audience understand the true purpose of life. For those who go through the battles of life
learning discipline, knowledge, and intelligence, they are considered God dearest devotees. Overall,
the scripture assures that God will respond to his devotees with love. Its teachings focus on those
who are suffering and want to find a...show more content...
Their names are Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Sattva is known as pure happiness and knowledge. It
helps us free from all sinful reactions that can later lead to happiness and knowledge. Rajas are
known to be full of passion with intense desires. It helps us control our selfish desires. Tamas are
known to be the darkness and crudeness. They are the ones who are born with ignorance and
madness. Higher worlds are Sattva, middle worlds are rajas, and lower worlds are tamas. Each of
the three Gunas try to have higher power, and overpower one another. They are responsible of the
behavior of all living things. The goal of the three Gunas is to create a bondage through desires.
Understanding the three Gunas helps a devotee overcome their battles, and can accomplish
perfection. Our souls are known to be influenced by the three Gunas. The three Gunas also helps us
with complying with our duties. The three Gunas are responsible to get rid of desire actions in all
beings. Instead of just putting these practices into use we should go beyond our own expectations.
The one who is successful with all three Gunas is a qualified devotee. Therefore, we must begin our
journeys into this world.
Another teaching the Bhagavad Gita offers is stability of mind. Knowing our own mind can help us
know the world we are living in, react to problems, and make sure we can change them to ensure
survival. This can help us with challenging decisions, and unexpected situations. Although it
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6. Analysis Of The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Indian text that is very crucial to the historical background of the
Hindu religion. Hinduism is the most prevalent religion in India and the Bhagavad Gita is an epic
that those who follow the religion hold dear to their culture. The Bhagavad Gita is a section of a
large Indian epic called "The Mahabharata," which is essentially a long epic vital to the Indian
culture. Much like most religious texts, the Bhagavad Gita is a story with multiple morals and
symbolic situations that people who follow the Hindu religion can use to follow their religion and
better themselves as people. It also goes over the ways one should go about working with a calm
mind and sense of purpose and how when you work you should go into it with a positive mindset.
These are a few of the major lessons from throughout the story of this epic.
The Bhagavad Gita has two main protagonists, Krishna and Arjuna, who are actually cousins with
each other through Kunti. Arjuna is a Pandava Prince and Krishna is actually a Hindu deity who
goes by the name of Vishnu. Krishna is a deity disguised as a human who befriends Arjuna within
the story. Despite one character being a god and the other being a mortal, there isn't a lot of
personality dissonance between the two. Arjuna depended on Krishna, who agreed to be his chariot
driver during the war, for guidance. He held nothing but respect for Krishna and Krishna respected
him back.
During the story, Arjuna is doing all he can he can
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7. Bhagavad Gita Essay
Bhagavad Gita
The story of the book begins with Arjuna misunderstanding why it is correct for him to take action
in battle. As Prince Arjuna stands in his chariot on the battlefield he recognize his enemies as, his
cousins, teachers and friends. Arjuna, who was born a warrior, overcomes with pity and looses
interest in battling with the enemy. He looks to Lord Krishna, and questions him how he could battle
with men who deserves his own worship.
Krishna replies "You grieve those beyond grief, and speak words of insight; but learned men do not
grieve for the dead or the living" (Miller p31).
Krishna explains to Arjuna that it is his sacred duty to fight, for the warriors who fulfills their duty
leads them to...show more content...
The next path to salvation is that of discipline; one who does what is to be done without any
concern for no material outcome. A disciplined man is one who is detached from objects and
actions and is undisturbed, one who can remain in seclusion. Tranquillity is the means for one
who is mature in discipline (Miller p. 64) A discipline man knows who he is, his body, his mind
and is responsible for his actions, and is able to stay in control. A disciplined man is able to
perform actions for the supreme being and is capable of acknowledging their fruits, which is a
knowledgeable man, which attains peace and spiritual vision Krishna concludes about the path of
discipline. One path Krishna feels is most important, is that of devotion towards him. Krishna
explains to Arjuna that the only path to him is that of devotion, all the other paths lead to the path of
devotion. All the other paths are devotional services, they are the supreme objects of worship to the
gods.
One who shows devotion throughout their life and at the time of death will reach the heavens
beyond the earth. Through the other paths one gains devotional qualities, which leads to what
Krishna believes is most important, devotion which is pure love for the supreme god. I tend to clearly
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8. Summary Of The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, which means the song of the lord, is a part of the Mahabharata. It is a story
about the discourse between Arjuna, a prince, and Lord Krishna, who is "an incarnation of the
highest of all divinity, creator of the entire universe." In the book, Arjuna is confused about his
duty, dharma, to the law of an elite warrior and kinship. It is Krishna who helps guide and
encourage Arjuna to follow his true path, svadharma. The book discusses three broad ways to live:
devotion to god (bhakti), karma, and jnana yoga which is practice and discipline. The Bhagavad Gita
adapts and reformulates many ideas of soul, karma, and ritual from Vedic sacrifice, the Upanishads,
and Buddhism. These three concepts are the major themes and are all interrelated with one another.
The Bhagavad Gita adopts and adapts the concept of karma from Buddhism, the Upanishads and
Vedic sacrifice. The concept of karma means action. In Vedic sacrifice and the Upanishads, karma
is associated with a ritual action. It was believed that by having rituals being performed by saints on
their behalf, one could improve the quality of their rebirth in the next life. The sacrificer would "ask
the gods for strength, wealth, children, and immortality." In the Upanishads, karma is also associated
to the ideas of atman, self–soul, and brahman, soul. The purpose of jnana yoga is to achieve the
Upanishads core teachings of the equivalence of the atman and the brahman. The Buddha changed
the concept of "karma
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9. Bhagavad Gita The Holy Book Of Hindus
Bhagavad gita the holy book of hindus, is one of the major literature work from India to the entire
mankind. Gita can be read by the people of all religions. It was narrated by Lord Krishna to prince
Arjuna in Mahabharatha. The narration happens in the battlefield of kurukshethra. Arjuna was to
fight against his cousins kauravas in the war, which he was not able to do because of family
bonding, this is when Krishna explains him the purpose of life and the way to attain eternity. In
bhagavad gita Krishna explains how the entire cycle of life works and what a person should do to
attain eternity. Though the gita was narrated 5000 years ago, it is still relevant to the modern age life
of mankind and guides us to eternity, this is explained in this thesis statement. Gita on Family
bonding:
In the first chapter of gita when Arjuna hesitates to fight against his cousins, Krishna explains him
about the family bonding. He says that only when a person comes out of the family bonding and
does his duty properly he will be able to attain eternity. He explains the aim of Arjuna's birth.
Arjuna was born to fight this battle and destroy the evil. He has to see the evil in the kauravas,
instead of seeing them as his cousin brothers. Only then he can fight the evil and destroy it. Krishna
clearly explains why family bonding should not be a hurdle in doing ones' duties. This is true in this
current age of mankind also. Though we don't have situations to fight war against our family
members,
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10. Relevance of Bhagavad Gita in Modern Life
"Yadaa Yadaahi Dharmasya Glaanirbhavati Bhaarata Abhyutthaanam Adharmasya Tadaatmanam
Srujaamy Aham Paritraanaaya Saadhunaam Vinaashaaya Cha Dushkrutaam Dharma
Samsthaapanaarthaaya Sambhaavaamy Yugey Yugey" "Whenever there is a decline in righeousness,
O descendant of Bharata, and whenever there is much more unrighteousness, I manifest Myself
personally at that time. In order to protect the good at heart and destroy evil and wrongdoers, I show
Myself, millennium after millennium. Krishna's message of the Bhagavad Gita teaches man to free
himself of his fetters, while being very much in Samsara, realize the actual nature of his Self and go
beyond the human limitations of sorrow, ageing and death. these teachings are scientific,...show more
content...
How relevant is it to modern life? And what value does it add to one's life? I am writing this
article to highlight how learning Gita is necessary for us to live our life more effectively. In order
to highlight its importance, I first examine some commonly held misconceptions which lead people
to think that Gita is not meant for young students and professionals but more for people who are in
advanced stage of their life. After having negated these misconceptions, I have attempted to give a
right perspective on the teachings of the Gita hoping that more and more people take advantage of
the timeless teaching which has the capacity to transform our lives and bless us. (1) Many people
seem to think that Gita has only one central message– and that is– Lord Krishna is asking Arjuna to
do his duties. People may consider that they already understand the importance of performing
duties and are already doing so in their daily life already. They then conclude that they need not
study Gita any more. What we fail to realize is that if this was the only message of Gita, it need
not have had 18 chapters especially in view of the fact that Arjuna was a very brilliant, successful
and versatile person. Arjuna would have understood one message of 'do your duties' very quickly
and there was no need for such an elaborate teaching. If Gita is saying something much more than
the message "do your duties', then what is the teaching of Bhagavad Gita? The answer
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11. Essay On The Bhagvad Gita
The Bhagvad Gita is an inherently complex account of spirituality and is said to contain the answers
to life. All religions fundamentally aim to solve the existential crisis – which is the when an
individual questions the basics of their life: meaning, purpose, value, etc. They feel insignificant in
the larger scheme of things.
The Gita is an episode of the great epic Mahabharata (6,25–42). It is a narration of the dialogue
between Arjuna, just before a major battle and Lord Krishna. Arjuna is faced with the task of
fighting his own family, the Kauravas and he is caught between his professional duties and the
social affiliation to them as a family member. He chooses not to fight and to be killed rather than to
have his conscience stained by the killing of his relatives. This is when Krishna is said to have
appeared before him and recited the Gita, in order to explain to Arjuna his own situation from a
transcendental point of view.
As we see, at this point Arjuna faces an existential crisis. He is confused about which side to pick
and what the true essence of his life is supposed to be. The foundation of Hinduism is an attempt of
the Lord to solve Arjuna's existential crisis.
A solution to the existential crisis is not something that will expire with...show more content...
It is said that atheists do not understand the world and their theories are fluctuating and wavering.
They cannot comprehend the soul and Absolute Truth as they are plagued by the earthly things of a
material world. However, most atheists largely believe in evolution and the general principles of
science which are extremely clear and precise. The Gita, itself speaks of a personal God and gives
room for individual meaning to each person's own life. Yet, it described atheism as ignorance and
imagination as a thing of illusion. The fact that children are the result of simple sexual intercourse,
evolution, the big bang and other concepts have been
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12. Analysis Of ' The Bhagavad Gita '
THE BHAGAVAD GITA–AN ANALYSIS OF APPROACHING THE ULTIMATE TRUTH AND
JHANA YOGA– Abstract In the Bhagavad Gita, the fourth discourse which is composed of
forty–two verses, Lord Krishna, the narrator guides Arjuna– a warrior who is finding himself
pondering about the simple principles of life while he is fighting the war. In the fourth discourse
Arjuna learns from Lord Krishna about faith, wisdom sacrifice, ignorance, doubts of the soul, action
and inaction, selfless service, and self–realization which ultimately leads to the ultimate truth, which
is the path for the spiritual soul to reach its maximum potential here on earth and the afterlife.
This essay will focus on analyzing the ultimate truth while seeing how it coexists with the study
and practice of Jhana Yoga. Each of the principles presented in this essay will have an in depth
examination. The philosophical and religious as well as human natures are some of the most
important themes that will be displayed in this essay. The idea of the materialistic values that is
present in everyday life serve as the reason to why one cannot know the ultimate truth and how
one can overcome this in order to find supreme peace. Karma yoga will be studied as Lord Krishna
tells its importance to Arjuna, so he can follow the path of divine fulfillment. The universality of
religion and selflessness serve as the two strengths one can achieve to be capable to have and live by
the ultimate truth. The aspect of tradition and the origins of
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13. Bhagavad Gita Religion
The Bhagavad–Gita focuses primarily on a conversation held between a god called Krishna and his
mortal cousin, Arjuna. This conversation happens right before a battle between Arjuna and his
brothers, the Pandavas, and their cousins, the Kurus, over who should be in charge of the kingdom.
Arjuna doesn't want to kill his family and seeks guidance from Krishna on what is to be done. The
two have a lengthy conversation regarding the many paths to understanding, the primary goal for
this period's religious tradition. Krishna is careful not to place one of the three paths or yogas
(literally joining together, the way or the path to the ultimate reality) ahead of the others. For Arjuna,
however, karmayoga (discipline of action) is more readily applicable...show more content...
The jГ±anayoga focuses on knowing one's dharma and for understanding the more philosophical
aspects of this particular Indian tradition. It draws on the Upanishadic tradition of philosophy and
generally thought of as the more intellectual yoga leading to the correct understanding of Atman and
Brahman as both separate but really one and the same. For Arjuna to follow the jГ±anayoga
successfully, he would need to understand the philosophical nuances of the path. In particular, he
would need to understand how to act in such a way that was "intent on action, not on the fruits of
action" (II.47). Krishna says this to Arjuna in response to Arjuna's claim that he will not fight (II.9)
despite his warrior caste status and his role in the conflict as one of the five Pandava brothers. This
seemingly paradoxical advice highlights the differences between focusing on the outcomes of a
particular event (fruits of action) and focusing on simply completing an action. It is a process of
losing attachments and, consequently, is essential to understanding Atman and Brahman. Letting go
of Arjuna's attachment to the outcomes or the fruits of his action would free Arjuna from his
discontentment and allow him to fulfil his
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14. Bhagavad Gita Religion
"As a man abandons worn–out clothes and acquires new ones, so when the body is worn out a new
one is acquired by the Self, who lives within"– Bhagavad Gita centuries, humans have been
perplexed with the concept of death and an afterlife. It is a question with no definite answer. Once
we are deceased, does our soul become confine underground, or does it transcend to a divine world.
Religion offers security, and many individuals turn to it for unanswered questions. To explain if
there is life after death, religions have created theories such as there being afterlife, reincarnation in
order to cope with death
Devotion and prayer to a Supreme Being is depicted in the Books of Genesis and the Bhagavad
Gita as a pathway to obtaining salvation. Prayer...show more content...
Mark 10:21 says "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." This young ruler
claimed that he obeyed God's law, wanted eternal life, but was regretful because he was told by Jesus
to sell what he praised most, his wealth. One must detach them from this sinful world and by
selling his riches and giving it to the poor, he will acquire riches in heaven. Abraham is told by
God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, to test his faith and demonstrate true devotion. Likewise, Arjun
sacrificed his beloved family in order to fulfill his dharma. In order, to reach heaven or yoga, one
must show devotion to the Supreme Being through meditation and obedience.
And He said to them, 'Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature. God is
instructing believers to go out in the world and to be missionaries, preach the good news and make
disciple of every nation. These are the actions that can help us obtain eternal life.
In the book of Genesis, it says 2:7, it says "God breathed into him" and in Genesis 3:19 God says
"for dust you are and to dust you will return". By analyzing and interpreting this text, one can say
that man can characterize into two parts, which are flesh and the spirit. This text demonstrates that
we are immortal and that the soul is part of God's essence. Hinduism believes in reincarnation and
the rebirth of the soul. I personally like this idea of being able to be born
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15. The Reflection Of Bhagavad-Gita
Bhagavad–Gita Reflection
Throughout high school, I realized that I had to make many decisions, which were all dependent
on what actions I took. Adolescent years truly are the most frustrating years of someone's life,
mainly because adolescents are faced with the fact that they have to make decisions for
themselves. No longer can their parents make decisions for them; rather, the teenagers have to
begin to tackle life lessons on their own. Likewise, growing up, I further realized that my actions
and decisions were highly influenced by what kind of lens I saw the world through. Essentially,
every behavior or action I took was directly dictated by what worldview I was brought up with.
This main concept of being influenced by a personal worldview also plays a significant role in the
classic text, the Bhagavad–Gita. After reading this book, I realized that it is a paramount example
of how a world view directs action and decision making; it shows that through discipline and
renunciation of desire, a person can find infinite peace. This notion will be assessed by analyzing the
discipline aspect the book teaches, the renunciation of desire theory, and the ultimate ideas I infer
from these findings.
Discipline plays a crucial role within the Bhagavad–Gita, showing that it is the first step in
possessing peace and breaking out of the cycle of reincarnation. In the book, after Arjuna, the man, is
asking Krishna, the god, about peace, Krishna states, "Arjuna, you must learn to endure
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16. Worldview Of The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita looks at the purpose of life in their own unique way. Cycles of human life can
be perceived on varying levels, dependent on your religion and beliefs. When considering the
Hindu beliefs, their worldviews can be described as the actions you enforce here on earth,
motivated by either desire or duty. When living in a world dominated by personal inclinations, it is
easy to fall into the temptations of selfish desire. Krishna radiates his concerns of exactly this in the
form of apprehension, keeping his people's best interests in mind. Due to the Hindu belief of
reincarnation, the pressures of enforcing your actions through duty, not desire, is essential to
restoring your "karma". Regardless the worldview each religion holds, I understand that everyone's
common goal is joy in some form. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna establishes the worldview of
Hinduism, while allowing for explanation of worldly desire and the cycle of life.
Each religion provides a quite hopeful ambiance. Hinduism in particular, allows for a guideline to
all who will listen about eternal hope. Every being is faced with the choice of action, either by
duty or desire. Krishna is yearning to voice to humanity that if our actions are inclined by any form
of desire, it will cloud our understanding and only result in deeper, endless indulgences. This
temptation of earthly desires can be controlled by the essence of self–control, eventually leading to
tranquility and joy. Although humanly urges may
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17. The Bhagavad Gita Essay
The Bhagavad Gita as translated by Juan Mascaro is a poem based on ancient Sanskrit literature
contained in eighteen chapters. The period of time, around which it was written, although it is
merely an educated guess, was approximately 500 BCE. "...there are a few archaic words and
expressions, some of the greatest scholars have considered it pre–Buddhistic, i.e. about 500 BC," (
Bhagavad Gita, xxiv). This quote is found in the introduction to the book and further explains that the
exact time it was written is undeterminable. Although the words and dialogue are very different than
that of the English language to which most are accustomed to, the spiritual messages throughout the
entire book are very clear and meaningful. There are two main...show more content...
The contents of the eighteen chapters are very basically the acquisition of the correct knowledge to
achieve such a conclusion.
The piece of spiritual knowledge that carries the most weight throughout the Bhagavad Gita is the
responsibility of the individual. Before one can accept the responsibility of one's self, one must
differentiate between the temporary material body and the eternal spirit soul. Everyone must
engage in some sort of activity in this material world, however one's own actions can do one of
two things. They may bind you to this material world, or liberate one from it. By living life
selflessly and placing full faith and trust in the Supreme Truth, one will be lead to that higher path.
The idea of self–responsibility is not merely being accountable for your faults, but living according
to the wants and needs of a higher power. Simply, the responsibility of the individual is to submit
fully to the Supreme truth, and live one's life righteously in the quest for that truth.
In trying to explain this Supreme Truth as well as other aspects of life, Krishna appeals to Arjuna in
several arguments. Just when Arjuna believes he is headed for the great battle, he falls to his
knees in despair, "Fall not into degrading weakness, for this becomes a man who is not a man.
Throw off this ignoble discouragement, and arise like a fire that burns all before it" (Bhagavad
Gita, 2). Arjuna is a classic
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18. Essay On Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 3: The Bhagavad–Gita
The Bhagavad–Gita is considered as one of the oldest religious writings in the whole world. Hindus
believe that it contains God's message, similar to the Bible and the Quran. In general, this scripture
is a dialogue between the Supreme God and one of his devotees. This conversation was originally
recorded in Sanskrit, but it has been translated to many languages over the years. This particular
religious scripture is full of ancient myths, legends, traditions, and other writings. Its content is
closely connected to Krishna's life here on earth.
Brahman lived on earth as Krishna in order to defeat evil and encourage humans to practice dharma
(i.e. righteous living). He left his message in the form of Bhagavad–Gita so that humans will have a
clear guideline as to how to live their lives. The conversation between Krishna and Arjuna can play
an important role in minimizing the pain and suffering experienced by every human being.
The core principles of the Bhagavad–Gita serve as the foundation of Hinduism. Its pages contain
Brahman's message regarding faith, detachment, devotion, correct knowledge, and performance of
tasks. It also contains valuable lessons on how to avoid an ego–centered life. This kind...show more
content...
An individual must perform his duties according to his nature (swadharmacharana). The next secret
talks about the hidden personality of humans. According to this book, every person has a true self
hidden inside him/her. This "hidden self" is extremely different from the false or "material self." Each
Hindu should know the difference between his true and false self if he wants to attain liberation
from Maya. The last secret focuses on Brahman's omnipresence. Each individual needs to live his
entire life knowing that everything is but a small part of the Supreme
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19. Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, an excerpt from a traditional Hindu reading, the Mahabharata, is the story
between a split family fighting for the throne. Arjuna, a great warrior, has the duty, or dharma, of
fighting fellow family members and friends to take possession of the crown. As he is going into
war, Arjuna has a chariot driver,Krishna. He is unaware that Krishna is actually a god taking a
disguise as a human in the world. Arjuna suddenly becomes unsure of fighting when he arrives to
the battlefield and begins thinking and doubting fighting his family. Krishna begins giving him
advice about how he must fight and the way he should be living his life. Later, he even reveals who
he truly is to Arjuna. The Bhagavad Gita conveys many themes throughout the text, such as: the
cycle of death and rebirth, taking action in your life, and your dharmic duty.
A main concept in The Bhagavad Gita is karma. Karma in the Hinduism religion is defined as action
and "comes to refer to a system of rewards and punishments attached to various actions" (Oxtoby
37). Hindus believe in the life of birth and rebirth, caused by their individual karma. Their main goal
in their spiritual...show more content...
Yoga is the process of action and the steps you take to achieve it. Often referred to as karma yoga,
a way to achieve liberation, Krishna encourages this path. Karma yoga is selfless duty without
any thought to your reward (Oxtoby 42). If one has expectations for how something will end, the
ending will not always be in your favor. In this case, anger is shown and it adds to your negative
karma. Practicing karma yoga is a way to achieve liberation and end your cycle of rebirth (43).
Krishna states that you must control your actions because "no one, not even for one moment, ever
stands without acting;" (Patton 37). You are always in action towards something, but having the
discipline to only partake in selfless action will set you towards a path of
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20. Bhagavad Gita Reflection Paper
Olivia Mullin
Ripple in the Pond
September 10th, 2017
Professor Val Martinez
Bhagavad–Gita Reflection The Bhagavad–Gita is a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna as
Arjuna is determining why he is fighting in a war. The Gita is an example of how one's worldview
directs his or her actions and decision making in this world. For example, because Arjuna and
Krishna believe in reincarnation that affects how they make decisions in this life. Their belief of
reincarnation is shown in teaching two, stanza 27 where Krishna states, "Since the cycle is
inevitable, you have no cause to grieve!" The cycle is reincarnation. The belief that every person
has a duty to fulfill in life can also affect people's decisions and actions. In the second teaching,
lord Krishna tells Arjuna to, "look to your own duty; do not tremble before it; nothing is better
for a warrior than a battle of sacred duty." If you were to believe that nothing is better than your
sacred duty than you would take actions to make sure you fulfill that duty. Once he has completed
his sacred duty then he can stop the cycle and reach nirvana. Arjuna's expectation of joy and
suffering, gain and loss, victory and defeat, can lead him to fall into evil. When Arjuna learns to
understand that, he can escape the bondage of action. The Gita doesn't want you to escape action,
because you really cannot escape doing things, but rather it would have you turn that action into
something where you do not want the fruit of the action. Not desiring fleeting things is the point
of becoming wise, and the point in which you can escape the cycle of reincarnation. Krishna gives
the answer to Arjuna in teaching two, stanza 55 of, "When he gives up desires in his mind, is
content with the self within himself, then he is said to be a man whose insight is sure." This is
how you can tell if a man or woman is deep in contemplation. This is how they would define
self–control. Krishna also gives signs of a man or woman who is not deep in contemplation in
teaching two stanza 43 and 44. He says, "Driven by desire, the strive after heaven and contrive to
win powers and delights, ... their reason lost in words, they do not find in contemplation this
understanding of inner resolve." The
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