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According to Socrates, “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” To include, Proverbs, 3:5-6 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Bible). In like manner, throughout the sacred text of Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, has a difficult time understanding life and does not want to partake in his natural-born duty as a warrior. On the other hand, Bhagavad Gita, means, “Song of the Blessed One”, and it is based on Hinduism. Hinduism is a well-known religion and The Bhagavad Gita is based on its ancient principles. However, although the sacred text of Bhadgavad …show more content…
Gita is faithful to the caste system, the readers will also learn the key to life, which is worship, wisdom, and freedom. Initially, Arjuna is being guided by his charioteer, Krishna, who is God is disguise. In chapter three of The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, “It is better to do your own duty badly, than to perfectly do another’s; you are safe from harm when you do what you should be doing.”(68). To elaborate, throughout life people are given chores and assignments, which helps build character and responsibility. However, when people do not commit to their duties or Dharma, they do not learn discipline. Therefore, this is when bad things happen. In addition, Arjuna does not want to complete his natural-born duty because he does not believe it is the right thing to do, but just like death, his responsibility is evitable since he was born into the caste system as a warrior and nothing less. Also, Krishna is in the process of convincing Arjuna of his duty to fight through knowledge of what’s acceptable as a man. He says, “These bodies come to an end but the vast embodied Self is ageless, fathomless, eternal. Therefore you must fight, Arjuna.” (49). To elaborate, Krishna says, “Just as you throw out used clothes and put on other clothes, new ones, the Self discards its used bodies and puts on others that are new.”(49). In other words, Krishna wants Arjuna to realize what he has to do as a warrior, and he cannot let his mind wander about the body because it is only flesh. He says, “No one should relinquish his duty, even though it is flawed; all actions are enveloped by flaws as fire is enveloped by smoke.” (191). Similarly, The Bhagavad Gita is a symbol of Hinduism and they firmly believe in the caste system.
To elaborate, the caste system was created to maintain order and separate different kinds of people. For example, it is similar to the food pyramid, but it is separated into four different groups of social classes. For example, the charioteer says, “The duties of priests, of warriors, of laborers, and of servants are apportioned according to the gunas that arsie from their inborn nature.”(190). Although Bhagavad Gita is faithful to the idea of the caste system, it also explains the three gunas. The gunas are sattva, rajas, and tamas and throughout the book it describes more than several ways individuals live their life. For example, someone who is considered sattva is free from sorrow and someone who is tamas is ignorance-born or …show more content…
dull. Furthermore, Hinduism is known as one of the oldest religion in the world. Therefore, this particular religion set the path for many other religions to grow. Hinduism is very similar to Buddhism and they both developed in India. Buddhism and Hinduism are polytheistic religions and have more than several similarities, but they also have strong differences as well. For example, they both believe in peace, karma, reincarnation, and practice meditation or yoga. However, Hinduism has no founder as if it has always existed, and the founder of Buddhism is known as Buddha. Another difference is the caste system, and the caste system is the main priority for Hinduism, but not the key concept of Buddhism. In addition, almost every religion that originated in India has the suffix –ism, which refers to a practice or philosophy. (Merriam). Finally, although Bhagavad Gita is a symbol of Hinduism, but it consists of so much more.
The ultimate goal in Bhagavad Gita is to obtain wisdom, understand worship, and what is absolute freedom, but it also teaches Arjuna the right way to live and make decisisons. Bhagavad Gita was written based on Hinduism principles, but it also elaborates the key to life which is worship, freedom, and wisdom. While learning how to achieve these important aspects of life readers also learn about gunas, absolute freedom, kindness, meditation, and relinquishing all sense-objects. Although it takes Arjuna a while to accept his duty, his mind is finally at ease and knows what he has to do, which is to fight. Arjuna said, “Krishna, I see the truth now, by your immeasurable kindness. I have no more doubts; I will act according to your
command.”(197).
There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...
The question of suffering comes up much when talking about, or practicing any religion. Many ask why people suffer, and what causes suffering? The various religions try to answer these questions in their own way. Pico Iyer’s editorial, “The Value of Suffering” addresses the questions of suffering and how it is handled. This article could be compared to the Bhagavad-Gita which also addresses and explains suffering through different stories of the interactions of humans and different Gods. One can specifically look at “The Second Teaching” in the Bhagavad-Gita, which explains the interaction between a man named Arjuna and the god Krishna. In it Arjuna is suffering because he does not want to fight in a war and with people whom he should be worshiping. Krishna says to fight because the souls of the people will forever live on, and because he needs to fulfill his Dharma. With what is known about the Bhagavad-Gita and how Iyer thinks about the subject, Iyer would agree with how the Bhagavad-Gita address suffering.
Reflecting on the Bhagavad Gita, the passages seem to be contradicting. Arjuna seems to have no idea what to do in the face of the enemy. In the 1st chapter he does not want to engage in fighting. The idea of killing brothers, fathers, uncles, etc., bothered Arjuna immensely. To quote, "These I do not want to kill even though they should kill me, O Madhusudana, not even for domination over these 3 words, how much less just for this earth!" (Passage 35)
The Hindu Caste system characterized individuals by their born occupation and skin color (Varna). The caste system was also focused on Hinduism and the belief of reincarnation. Hindus believe they are born again into a different person after death. This reincarnation depends on the good and bad deeds that the individual performed during their current life. Reincarnation ends when the person reached perfection and paradise, known as Nirvana. The caste system directly reflected the Hindu religion. If a person born into high class was to perform negative actions, then their next life would mirror those actions. The highest class in the caste system was the Brahmins, or priests. These priests and religious teachers were the most powerful citizens because they ruled over religion. The next class system is the rulers and soldiers called Kshatriyas. After the Kshatriyas, were the Vaishays (merchants and traders). Finally, the caste system contained the Shudras (laborers and workers). Outside of the caste systems was a group called the Untouchables (Achuta). The untouchables were outcasts in society and were n...
Hinduism focuses on liberation from the realm of samsara, the cycle of rebirth and death, while Confucianism focuses on the Dao, the correct way to act for society, and ren, or benevolence. Both religions have religious texts that reflect these ideals, the Bhagavad-Gita belonging to Hinduism, and the Analects belonging to Confucianism. While these two texts originate from two distinct religions, the two have some similarities and differences. Both the Bhagavad-Gita and the Analects address the proper way for one to act; however, they differ when it comes to heaven and the main concern of each text. The main concern of the Bhagavad-Gita is a personal journey, achieving moksa through devotion to Brahman, and the main concern of the Analects is a communal journey, maintaining social propriety through the five relationships.
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most famous, and definitely the most widely-read, ethical text of ancient India. As an episode in India's great epic, the Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita now ranks as one of the three principal texts that define and capture the essence of Hinduism; the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Though this work contains much theology, its kernel is ethical and its teaching is set in the context of an ethical problem. The teaching of The Bhagavad Gita is summed up in the maxim "your business is with the deed and not with the result." When Arjuna, the third son of king Pandu (dynasty name: Pandavas) is about to begin a war that became inevitable once his one hundred cousins belonging to the Kaurava dynasty refused to return even a few villages to the five Pandava brothers after their return from enforced exile, he looks at his cousins, uncles and friends standing on the other side of the battlefield and wonders whether he is morally prepared and justified in killing his blood relations even though it was he, along with his brother Bhima, who had courageously prepared for this war. Arjuna is certain that he would be victorious in this war since he has Lord Krishna (one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu) on his side. He is able to visualize the scene at the end of the battle; the dead bodies of his cousins lying on the battlefield, motionless and incapable of vengeance. It is then that he looses his nerve to fight.
Bharat Bhattarai is just an average guy in America, but he is the greatest hero of them all. He had to go through the toughest part of a person’s live, losing a parent. Not only did Bharat Bhattarai lose his father, he also lost the hero of his life. In some instances people can lose their mind and go crazy after losing their loved ones. But this was not the case for Bharat Bhattarai as filled all the negatives moments with the positive ones which kept him strong during the most tragic moment of his life. Like specified before, it is well to think positively and not negatively, which helped Bharat Bhattarai turn into a great hero by considering the other friends and family in his life, which made him understand that they will need him to be stronger than any other time at the deplorable minute, which is precisely what he did, by realizing that he has two elementary school who see him as the greatest hero in his eyes, and cannot let that feeling change by going crazy. He did not always have those days where he was super strong and proceed on ward, on a few days he would have contemplations that would make him super pitiful but none the less he would constantly beat those moments by recalling the greatest things that his father taught his which was to be strong, “never give up and to not lose to or give in to anything in life no matter how bad the situation may be” (Bhattarai). These are exactly what he did, and helped him sustain the extraordinary measure of mettle that most normal individuals do not have. So not only was Bharat Bhattarai calm during the saddest moments of his lives change the world of his two kids with his amazing courage, he became a hero for his loved ones and did this by remembering that everything in life is not filled with hate and that many things in life can feel different with a
A large amount of ancient texts contain themes relating to violence, power, and war, while others, such as The Bhagavad Gita and Confucius’ Analects, focus on individual and collective development through a series of selfless acts. The two texts provide an in-depth system of duties and learning created to provide direction for the betterment of the self, as well as society as a whole. The Bhagavad Gita places a greater focus on the duties of individuals that must be fulfilled to achieve an enlightened state with the divine forces. Contradictory consequences are presented for those who choose to act in an egotistical manner and deny their duties. Confucius’ Analects, on the other hand, places its main focus on collective development and responsibility
...at the key to happiness is an equality of self, knowledge and love. Without these key ingredients the path for harmony becomes twisted and unmanageable. With Siddhartha's wise findings and example, it is much easier to reach the destination of balance. From Siddhartha's philosophies, the most consequential lesson I acquired is not to draw boundaries or label. In Siddhartha's progression, he falters twice, and then attains his goal. He overcame all obstacles, with perseverance, and his life can truly be defined as a legacy. Siddhartha's journey broke a cultural barrier for me and taught me a valuable lesson in acceptance. Not only did Siddhartha's determination cause metamorphoses in his own part, but gave me hope for progress and the achievement of my goals, through implementing his fundamental principles and all that I have previously acquired.
The movie the “Legend of Bagger Vance” is a film based on the sacred Hindu story the Bagavad Gita. The movie incorporates the major aspects of the story, while telling them in a modern day version. Since the film is based on this ancient Hindu text, it is easy to draw similarities between the two. Although the movie demonstrates the key lessons of the Bagavad Gita in a distorted view, connections can be made between the characters and the roles they play in each other’s lives.
“Plato, Apologia” is a primary source that is a story written by Plato, it is a written account of Socrates, a Greek philosopher, who was being tried for immorality towards the gods and for “corrupting the youth” (Strayer). In this primary source, Socrates is trying to plead his case so he won 't be charged; unfortunately, Socrates does get charged with the crimes he was convicted of and is sentenced to be put to death. Through his Socrates’ plea, his discusses what he believes is “the good life,” what “wisdom” is, and what “virtue” is.
The caste system in India is elaborately structured to have an Indian touch to it, clearly distinguishing it from social structures worldwide. Caste is a word often used to describe a cluster of people who have a specific rank in the society. Each caste system is elaborately crafted to suit the needs of the society and they vary from group to group; each has its own rules and customs. Different chaste systems are planned in a hierarchical manner to become part of any of the four basic colors; varnas (a Sanskrit word for color). These include; the varna of Brahmans, identified with the learned class and priests; varna of Kshatriyas, which is encompasses warriors, rulers and property owners, the varna of Vaishyas, which attracts traders ; and lastly the varna of Shudras, who are servile laborers (Bayly, 1999).
Through the book Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, Herman Hesse communicates to the reader the way in which the reader should live their life and what they should and should not do. An example of this is in the book it states, “Vasudeva listened with great attention. Listening carefully, he let everything enter his mind, birthplace and childhood, all that learning, all that searching, all joy, all distress. This was among the ferryman’s virtues one of the greatest: like only a few, he knew how to listen.” Herman Hesse does not communicate to the reader directly how they should live their life instead he gives an example of something good someone does in the book this makes the reader realize that it is good
In the story of Arjuna , Krishna (the avatar of Vishnu) talks to Arjuna about why he should fight. Krishna wants Arjuna to fight, however Arjuna is not sure what to do. In this essay I'm going to talk about and come to a decision as to whether I think Arjuna should fight or not.
Christians and Hindus both have sacred texts they believe in that will help guide them on the right path during their existence on earth and after they pass. The Christian Bible consists of sixty six books of the Old and New Testament scriptures. The Bible explains God’s actions in the world and his purpose with all creation. The Bible is a guide for living life to its fullest, it is a map for the journey of life. People who are in pain, suffering, or mourning will look to the Bible to find strength in their darkest hours. The Hindu sacred text is known as the Bhagavad Gita. Composed around 200 BC in ancient India, the Bhagavad Gita is a 700 verse script containing the eternal message of spiritual wisdom. The word Gita means song and the word Bhagavad means God, often the Bhagavad Gita is called “The Song of God.” The Bhagavad Gita contains knowledge about God, the ultimate truth, creation, birth and death, the results of actions, the eternal soul, liberation and the purpose of human existence.