W3.1 Vedanta Philosophy

Briefly describe the historical setting of the Bhagavad Gita.Give a brief summary of the main paths of yoga taught in this text, using

quotations and references Give your views on the relevance of teaching aspects of the Gita to western

yoga classes.

Lucy Sainsbury

February 2011

1. Briefly describe the historical setting of the Bhagavad Gita.

Written in approximately the 6th Century BC, the Bhagavad Gita is one of the most famous and widely-read texts of ancient India. The title, the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ translates into English as ‘song of the blessed one’ and it forms part of the epic Hindu poem, the Mahabharata.

The Gita is an important Hindu text and is one of three principal texts that define and capture the essence of Hinduism (the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras) (Soumen De). It has been read by millions of people across India and was also Ghandi’s favourite book who was an avid Karma Yogi.

Thought to be part of the Upanishadic movement, the Bhagavad Gita – which I will from now on refer to as the ‘Gita’ – also contributes to the ancient roots which form yoga practise as we know it today.

The text of the Gita takes the form of a dialogue between warrior-prince Arjuna, the hero, and his ‘charioteer’, Krishna (one of ten incarnations of Vishnu, the Hindu God).

The story is set on a battlefield during the Kurukshetra War (one of the most important wars in the history of India) and is centred around a long and intense conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. The conversation is overheard by Sanjaya, who relates the story to the blind old King, Dhritarashtra.

Arjuna finds himself about to embark a battle. However, when he looks closely at the people he is about to fight (his enemy), he realises that many of them are people that he knows very well and who he has even loved. The reason that he finds himself face to face with them on a battlefield is because, in the past, they have betrayed him, stolen land from him and sought to destroy him.

He therefore faces the dilemma of whether to carry on with the battle or to withdraw from the whole thing. He feels strongly that he would like to win back the land that he has lost to them and to take his revenge, but he feels badly

about fighting these people given his history with them. It is at this point that he turns to Krishna for advice.

Krishna responds by taking Arjuna through a moral journey. In doing so, he introduces the idea of the different paths of yoga. In particular, he discusses the following three paths of yoga: karma, bhakti and jnana.

Krishna speaking to Arjuna

Ref: Vedic Knowledge online

The poem of the Gita is therefore, in simplistic terms, a metaphor for a person’s internal struggle to find enlightenment and provides a set of guiding principles for a life of conscious action.

There are many versions of this classic book – the original being by an author called Vyasa. The version that I am basing this assignment on and from which I will use quotations, is the version entitled ‘Bhagavad Gita’ – a walkthrough for westerners. As its title suggests, it is aimed at the western reader.

2. Give a brief summary of the main paths of yoga taught in this text, using quotations and reference

When it comes to the spiritual side of yoga, it is said that there are several different paths of yoga. Each path is compared to a different route up the same mountain – the summit representing the realisation of the true Self, Moksha or liberation. Everyone can reach the summit but they need to follow the path that is right for them.

The Gita lays out three paths of yoga, namely: Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga. In addition to these paths, the other main paths are Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga.

I will now go on to discuss the three paths as laid out in the Gita.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is literally translated as ‘union through action’ (Stephens, page 5) and is the path of selfless service, action and mindfulness It involves carrying out actions purely based on others and without selfish need or desire.

The third chapter on Karma Yoga begins with the following quote which gives an idea of the essence of karma yoga:

“Do your worldy duty, but without any attachment to it or desire for its fruit. Keep your mind always on the Divine… Make it as automatic as your breath or heartbeat.” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3 - page 27).

Karma yoga is most suitable for those with an active temperament. It involves working in the world and giving oneself, while remaining on a spiritual level.

Good examples of well known Karma Yogis are Ghandi (who wrote about this discipline in depth) as well as Mother Teresa who was characterised by her devotion to others.

Ghandi – an avid Karma Yogi

Ref: www-acad.sheridanc.on.ca

Jnana Yoga

Jnana yoga is the path of intellectual pursuit, knowledge, wisdom, contemplation and introspection.

Jnana yoga is suitable for those with a sharp mind and intellect (Sivananda Vedanta Centre, page 6) as well as an interest in enhancing their spiritual and intellectual understanding. The following quote from the Gita can be helpful in understanding Jnana yoga:

“Therefore, Arjuna, realizing the truth of your True Self (Atma) is your principal weapon for eradicating desire. Self-realization is the true spiritual knowledge (called Jnana).(page 37)

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion, emotion, love, compassion and service to God and others. All actions are carried out in respect of the Divine.

Bhakti yoga tends to appeal to emotionally charged people. It is the main yoga of India and is practised by millions of people every day in the temples and at home.

Bhakti yogis use practices such as chanting, prayer and the use of mantra to create emotional energy which is subsequently channelled into devotion – turning negative feelings such as anger, hatred and jealously into something positive. (page 7, The Sirvananda Vedanta Centre)

The essence of Bhakti yoga is perhaps summed up by this quote:

“So therefore, O Prince, dedicate all your actions to Me. Work for Me alone with no attachments or selfish desires. Make Me your exclusive goal. Take refuge in Me. Love Me wholeheartedly and bear no malice toward any creature. Then you will reach me.” (Chapter 11, Verse 54 – page 107)

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So we have looked at the three different paths of yoga. As mentioned before, it is up to each individual to decide which path is right for them. However, the three paths can work together and the following quote sums up the three paths of yoga and how they work together in order to help find fulfilment.

“The paths to this great knowledge are several. Some realise it by building mind power through meditation (dhyana yoga); others do it through acquisition of knowledge (jnana yoga); and yet others through performing selfless action (karma yoga). Whichever path, if successfully walked it eventually develops pure, single-minded love for God (bhakti yoga, union with God through devotion.) When one reaches this level of absolute Divine Love one reaches the End.” Page 123 (Chapter 13 V. 24)

3. Give your views on the relevance of teaching aspects of the Gita to western yoga classes.

What I love about yoga is now only how it affects my physical body, but also how it affects my whole state of mind and my outlook on life. It is true that yoga extends into people’s daily lives which is what sets it apart from other physical activities such as pilates.

There are many ways in which elements of the Gita can be relevant to teaching to western classes. For instance the act of commitment to your students in a class environment and making your students’ learning experience the main motivation for your desire to be a yoga teacher can be a form of karma yoga.

Jnana yoga is relevant as it encourages one to embark on a journey of self discovery. This can encourage you to reach greater clarity and wisdom as a teacher which your students will certainly benefit from.

If you follow a path of Bhakti yoga, then the connection that you have with your spiritual guides will also be beneficial to your classes.

There were other elements that I came across while reading the Gita that I thought would be useful to portray in a yoga class to western students. I will outline these below:

Attachment to an outcome

People often embark on exercise classes with the goal of an end result – namely weight loss, muscle tone etc. Indeed, when reading through the medical questionnaires from some of my students, it became strikingly obvious that this was the case and when asked why they were interested in yoga, most stated that they would like to like to see physical changes to their body.

I too remember that after a few weeks of discovering yoga many years ago, I felt a strong attachment to the class I was attending and to how it made me feel. I began to feel almost obsessed by wanting to go each week and I would do anything to make sure that I was able to attend. Looking back on it, I was ‘attached’ to how the class made me feel and to what it was doing to my body. However, the Gita says that it is important to avoid attachment and, especially, to avoid attachment to a particular outcome:

“Through performing work selflessly with not attachment to the outcome and doing it as an act of devotion to the Divine, you attain fulfilment and spiritual perfection.” (page 161).

Therefore, when teaching yoga, I should encourage my students to not feel concerned with the outcome of attending my class, but instead to think about how the postures, the breathing and the relaxation makes them feel at that very moment. Once this state has been achieved then positive results will follow naturally. Enthusiasm to attend the class is very good – but over attachment for the wrong reasons can be unhealthy. Flattery

The Gita recommends avoiding flattery in the path towards spiritual liberation:

“Scrupulously avoid flattery, even if what you say is pleasant and contains truth. Promoting vanity does not help spiritual growth. The point is to express (even under your own breath) only beneficial words that promote movement toward Divinity.” (Chapter 17, V 15 – page 147)

From this quote, I have concluded that I should avoid flattering students too much and massaging their egos. Yoga is non-competitive and we should not make one student feel that he/she is better than the others. However, having said this, I feel that gentle praise is an important part of teaching yoga and it is essential to give students feedback as to how they are doing.

The importance of calmness

The Gita states:

“Work performed with anxiety about results is far inferior to work done in a state of calmness.” (Chapter 2, Verse 47 – page 21)

This quote backs up the idea of the importance of promoting a relaxed and calm atmosphere in a yoga class. This not only applies to the physical space (dim lighting, comfortable temperature, music etc), but also the manner in which I deliver the class. I do notice a difference in my students’ behaviour and performance when I have made an effort to make the village hall a more relaxed and calm setting in which to practise yoga.

Material objects

The Gita states that we should not be interested in material, or ‘worldly’ pleasures:

“When people pull back from worldly pleasures their knowledge of the Divine grows, and this knowing causes the yearning for pleasure to gradually fade away”. (Chapter 2, Verse 59-60 – page 24)

From this, I gather that yoga is not about having the best equipment or expensive clothes. Therefore a yoga class should reflect this and make people not feel that they need to come dressed in the top of the range yoga gear or with the most expensive yoga mat.

Conclusion

For me, the fascinating thing about the Gita is that while it was written hundreds of years ago, the messages that are presented in the book are still very relevant today and when reading the book, there were many times that I felt that I could identify very clearly with what was being said.

Even though the Gita is a Hindu text, it is still very relevant to people from other religions. As a Christian, I have enjoyed reading it very much, despite there being aspects that I don’t believe in - mainly the references to life after death and reincarnation.

While it can sometimes be a bit of a stretch to apply the principles of the Gita to a western yoga class, I feel that it still resonates truth and if there are ways that I can slip snippets into my class then that can only be a good thing.

A scene at the battlefield of Kurukshetra

Ref: www.newzstreet.com

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Bibliography

Books:

Fraser, Tara (2003) Yoga for You, Duncan Baird Publishers

Hawley, Jack (2001) Bhagavad Gita, New World Library

McCartney, James (1979) Yoga – the Key to Life, Rider

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre (1999) Yoga Mind and Body, Dorling Kindersley

Stephens, Mark (2010) Teaching Yoga, North Atlantic Books

Essays

The Historical Context of The Bhagavad Gita and Its Relation to Indian Religious Doctrines by Soumen De (http://eawc.evansville.edu/essays/de.htm)