Bhagavad Gita (BG) Class – Minutes – 21JUN2010

How others have perceived Gita? Gita has inspired people from various backgrounds.

Recommendations of Gita commentaries – for this audience:

-  Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita : Swami Ranganathananda – 3 part volume of 

RK Mutt

-  Book by Swami Chinmayananda

Went through the last week slides quickly

Most repeated and most important question that BG answers : How do you understand this world of 

dualities? How do you handle them when they happen?

Concept of Yoga – multifaceted – gives the ability to handle dualities

Sloka 2.14: Look inside – manage yourself  – then one can manage anything

History of BG:

-  Earliest work by Shankaracharya

- 

Gita Rahasya – LokManya Tilak

o  Those days our leaders were of that quality!

o  They practised the teachings of Gita in the thick of activities

It is a myth that reading philosophy will lead to withdrawal syndrome. In fact, Gita is about bringing

vitality into whatever we do.

Slide: Gita in the eyes of others

Gita helps one engage in activity and at the same time experience peace and contemplation within.

Slide: What is Gita?

-  Not to have unilateral view – leaders should go through all the views

- 

Gita never recommends not to set targets – but teaches how to handle the outcomes

-  Ideas are profound – maybe difficult to implement

-  Western or modern psychology is largely negative psychology

o  Our Indian philosophy takes root in positive psychology

Shakaracharya’s introductory text to the commentary:

-  Dharma – deals with the equilibrium principle

- 

Addressed :

o 

pravriththi (outward activity) and nivriththi (peace and fulfilment)

o  Abhyudhaya (material attainment) and nishreyas (fulfilment)

Slide: Abhyudaya vs Nishreyas

- 

Weekend getaways are necessary only when work is seen as drudgery

 

o 

A mother never feels drudgery when tending to her child – why?

-  Arthur Schopenhauer’s quote – the world as will and representation

-  At the end of the day – the charm of living and fulfilment is about balance

Slide : Basic framework in Gita

- 

Degree of freedom and joy in work

-  Ideas to unshackle yourself 

-  No world without work – work is unavoidable

- 

Work is distasteful – what to do?

o  Change your perspective – broaden it

  Do not complain – do soul searching – Krishna

- 

It is very difficult to accept this paradigm

- 

Sense of equanimity is supremely important

Chapter 4 deals with our nature.

63 nayanmars, and azhwars – 80% and above are non-brahmins! – they attained godhood

-  This heredity business is very recent – some 300 years

Slide: My key take-aways

- 

Gita is not a work of fancy ideas

Next class – start from Chapter 1.