I first heard of the Gita in high school religion class. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a very good student at that time and foreign religions didn’t interest me at all.
I decided to read this after listening to electronic music where some quotes from Oppenheimer had been added. I was curious about the following:
“We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’ I suppose we all thought that, one way or another”
I had expected some difficult religious tome and was pleasantly surprised that it is in the form of a relatively short story. The God – Krishna – is simply speaking to his friend, a Prince who is having second thoughts about going into battle.
Although the advice on how to live life was interesting, I really wanted to get to the part where Krishna reveals his cosmic form and how the quote from Oppenheimer fits in. To my surprise Oppenheimer had modified and paraphrased it so his quote is quite different from what you find in the book.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the abilities of ChatGPT can lead me down endless rabbit holes so I’ll just briefly mentioned two here.
- I learned the origins of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedic religion and that comes from ancient animism and shamanism beliefs.
- At Ohio State University I used to see a few people in togas with shaved heads dancing and playing tambourines. We just referred to them as “Krisnas” who would invite you to a vegetarian feast. I considered them to simply be very ‘lost’ students, who are easily swayed and looking for an anchor. I never considered them again until now and asked ChatGPT.
ChatGPT said: - That group was part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) — commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement.
- It’s a branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a tradition within Hinduism that worships Krishna as the supreme deity. The movement was founded in the 1960s by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who brought the teachings from India to the West.
But again, let me restrain myself and get to my highlights and comments.
Reading the Gita, we come to better understand life as an inner battle, a struggle for the mind, heart, body, and spirit. And, make no mistake, it is a fight to the death. We learn that our real enemies are not outside but within: our own desire, anger, and greed. This is what makes it so hard. These archenemies have linked forces so powerfully that they are all but unbeatable. We’re losing. The Gita boldly declares that spirituality is the only winning solution. Turn inward, it directs us, and upward. Look no further than the True Self Within.
The inward look appeals to me and is why I’m fond of meditation. This is different from growing up Catholic and always asking the external (God, Jesus) for favors.
“There has never been a time when I, or you, or any of these kings and soldiers here did not exist — and there will never be a time when we cease to exist. Physical bodies appear and disappear, but not the Atma (the soul, the life force) that lives within them.
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” – William Faulkner. I latched on to this entry in the Gita because it could be the past is happening right now. I’m not intelligent enough to expound on this but certainly enjoy listening to scientists explain that time is a dimension and the past, present and future could all be happening at once. “Time is all at once!” I find it fascinating that these ideas were around even before the common era.
“Time is relative!”
Not doing the right thing when it is required is worse than doing the wrong thing.
“When one’s actions are not based on desire for personal reward, one can more easily steady the mind and direct it toward the Atma,the True Self Within. For the person of steady mind, Arjuna, there is always just one decision, but for the quivering mind pulled in a thousand directions, the decisions that plague it are endless, and they exhaust one’s mental strength. People with an unsteady mind inevitably end up failing; those with an unwavering mind achieve great success.
Focus. I think focus has never been more important and more difficult to achieve than our modern times. Our phones are a constant source of distraction with their ceaseless notifications. There are many more decisions to be made, and endless choices. I once heard that too many choices leads to paralysis rather than a better item. People are bewildered these days and it shows. Just turn on the news!
Concentrate on freeing yourself from the tyranny of the so-called pairs of opposites. Release yourself from always trying to evaluate and judge everything. Disentangle from your habit pattern of seeing things as good or bad, lovable or hateful, pleasant or painful, and so forth. The tendency to get trapped in apparent opposites is a common and debilitating malady. Instead, remain tranquil and centered in the Self (Atma).Take care not to seek acclaim or acquire earthly objects.
This is the one who abandons all selfish desires, cravings, and torments of the heart; who is satisfied with the True Self (Atma)and wants nothing outside the Self. This one knows that real bliss is only found within.
“Remember, Arjuna, true knowledge is knowing the Atma, the True Self Within. When you clarify your intellect through either contemplation or selfless action you get to realize the Atma.Both paths lead to realization of Self.
Sacrifice is used here in a very special way: it means offering, helping, and being dedicated to the welfare of all humanity.
“It is mysterious, Arjuna. God established this system but does not operate it. Divinity does not determine the worldly doings of humanity, nor does It instill the sense of doership (ego) into humanity — nor even does It link actions to the consequences of actions. Nature does all this. All actions, all works, all karma, belong to nature, not the Divine. It is humanity that determines its earthly destiny. People seal their own fate.
“The path for those who are climbing to spiritual heights is selfless action (karma yoga). For those who have made the summit (union with God), deep serenity and absence of thought is their way.
I like the ‘absence of thought’ idea. This is similar to Buddhism and the meditation where the goal is “empty mind.” From my relatively short practice of Zen I can understand the tranquility of quieting the mind and how, when I do achieve a few moments of ’empty mind,’ am quite blissful.
“The method of meditation includes locating a clean spot to sit, neither too high or low, covered with kusha grass, a deerskin, and a cloth, in that order.* Then, the meditator strives to still all thoughts and sensations. Thus cleansing the mind returns it to its original state, inviting God to enter.
Just like Zen, except for the fuss about what to sit on.
“While meditating, sit up straight, keep your body still, and keep your eyes from wandering by gazing at the tip of your nose. Or close the eyes and focus on the center of spiritual consciousness between your eyebrows. Remain in perfect calmness with your thoughts fixed on Me, the Divine. 15 “Through long concentration one’s mind ceases its wandering. After some time one develops what is in essence a new sensory faculty known as medhanadi, an intuitive penetrating skill that makes knotty issues of life no longer problems. The yogi with his or her mind constantly on the Divine finds deep serenity, the zenith of Self-realization, and merges with Me.
“Renounce all selfish desires, which are but products of the ego. Use your mind to curb all your senses. Rein in your restless and fidgety mind from wandering outside to seek stimulation and satisfaction. Turn it inward and train it to rest in God. Keep your attention anchored in the Atma, your True Self. Think of nothing else. Then, peace and quiet will gradually arise in you.
“So what should you do? Throughout life, prepare for the death moment. Actually, the moment of death does not mean some future instant in time, it means this very moment! Any moment may be your last, so treat each as the last because your thought at that instant is the foundation on which your next birth is assembled.
“And I see You as birthless and deathless with total, absolute power and strength, as if possessing a million arms. Your mouth is the fire that warms the universe, and Your radiance lights it as though the sun and moon were Your eyes.
“Your vast, limitless presence fills all the space between heaven and earth, and extends far beyond all that. You are all-pervasive! I also see fierceness and terror in You, Krishna, and I watch beings in all the three worlds* tremble.
“O Krishna, it’s breathtaking. No matter how far I turn in any direction, high or low, side to side, I cannot see an end to Your form. All I see is Your vastness brushing the sky and horizons; I lose my sense of direction and feel utterly lost and bewildered. And now, seeing Your measureless might, it’s as though millions of arms and teeth are set to devour everything in sight. “I perceive all the worlds and creatures become as I feel inside, frightened and terror-struck at Your fury. When I crane my neck to look upon Your gaping mouths and grinding teeth I am filled with horror; my peace of mind flees from me. Be gracious, O Krishna, please show mercy! 26-30 “I watch all the enemy forces — the sons of the old blind king, generals, heroes, relatives, others who allied themselves with them — all are rushing headlong into Your immensity as though being devoured. And I watch as vast numbers of our own soldiers and warrior-chiefs also rush heedless into the maw. I hear the frightful cries as these forces are ground up and crushed within You. Like flooded rivers rushing toward the ocean, the heroes on both sides are scurrying, stumbling to their awful fate in You; like moths flitting purposely into the flame, they rush to their doom in You. It is as though You are swallowing up the worlds and licking Your lips, O Lord. Your destructiveness is as a fierce blaze filling the sky, permeating the universe!
The cosmic form I was looking forward to. In the end however, I find that all descriptions of the divine are simply human imagination. I do think we can get a sense of the divine, something just beyond the senses, yet all around us that is very difficult to put into words.
Krishna answers, “I am Time, Arjuna — and now, here at this place of battle, I am the mighty world-destroying Time. With or without you, the warriors are arrayed to fight, and whether on the righteous or corrupt side, they are readied for their ruin and must die. The destruction of enemies is inevitable. It is not possible for an individual person to avert the design of Divinity.
Really? I think this passage has given justification to all kinds of hatred and violence. How about practicing kindness which could change the course of things. I prefer this quote from Gandalf.
“It is not the strength of the body, but the strength of the spirit, that keeps the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and courage can change the course of the world.”
“And yet, remember, Arjuna, that the Spirit (Purusha energy) dwelling in the individual body as Atma is truly Brahman, the Godhead. This Supreme Being is spoken of as the following: the Observer who watches and referees the game of life, the Approver who permits it all to happen, the Supporter who helps it all to happen, the Enjoyer who experiences it all with gusto but knows it is a game, and most important, the Master who holds complete dominion over all the events though being unaffected by any of them.
“The paths to this great knowledge are several. Some realize it by building mind power through meditation (dhyana yoga); others do it by sharpening the intellect through acquisition of knowledge (jnana yoga); and yet others through performing selfless action (karma yoga). Whichever the 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. 25 “For those unable to grasp any of these paths there is another way. By diligently and faithfully listening to their spiritual teachers and worshiping the Divine as instructed, they too will eventually pass beyond the wheel of death and rebirth.
“Indeed, true seers, perceiving Divinity in everyone, do no harm to anyone. The ones who don’t perceive this unity separate themselves from others, seeing some as friends and others as foes. These are the ones who do harm. It is this illusion of separateness that causes all evils perpetrated by humanity! How can one who really knows Atma injure the same Atma in another? As I have often repeated, the true seer of Atma reaches the Godhead and leaves death and rebirth behind.
I really like this quote. I enjoy the idea that we are all divine beings, all part of the whole, having brief earthly experiences.
“One should be aware of which guna predominates. I will describe some of the signs: When sattva rises it is as if the light of the True Self is shining out through all your gates (senses). Your seeing is sharper, hearing is more acute, and thinking and actions steadier, more precise. When rajas takes over your personality it is as if impatience, greed, and longing have sprung to the forefront, as if your own restlessness is compelling you to action. Tamas has taken charge when your mind feels lazy, bewildered, and uncaring.
“The way to traverse the gunas is through steadfast practice of the three paths (yogas) I have prescribed: One, be thoroughly devoted to the Divine One (bhakti yoga); two, faithfully serve Divinity (karma yoga); and three, be constantly aware of this same Divinity in all others and in everything you do (jnana yoga).
“Like a breeze wafting the scent of perfume, the Atma, when it migrates from one body to the next, carries with it the mind and the senses. That means it brings along the intellect, the ego (sense of being a separate identity), and the lower mind; transferring thoughts and tendencies from previous lifetimes.
“I can see your continuing interest, old friend, and will now describe the distinctive qualities and practices of people with Divine tendencies and degenerate (sometimes called ‘demonic’) tendencies. First, the Divine traits: “Fearlessness, purity (of heart and emotions), steadfastness (in pursuit of Atma), charity (alms giving), and control of senses. “Sacrifice (yajna, the spirit of giving), study of scriptures, purification (austerity, tapas, literally to ‘melt’ and recast), straightforwardness (integrity, sincerity), and noninjury (ahimsa, doing no mental, physical, or spiritual harm). “Also on the list of godlike traits are: truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation (turning away from worldly attachments), equanimity, and not slandering. “Compassion, not coveting (no desire), gentleness, modesty, not fickle (no fluctuations of mind), and vigor. “Forgiveness, fortitude (courage, endurance, ‘putting up with’), cleanliness (saucham, clean mind and body), no hatred, and no pride. “All those, Arjuna, are the cardinal virtues and tendencies that reveal the real nature of human beings: their Divinity. 4 “On the other hand are the degenerate qualities, behaviors and moods that render a person less than human: “Pride (ostentation, hypocrisy), pompousness (arrogance), vanity (self-conceit), anger, harshness (coarseness, sternly judgmental), and absence of discrimination (between right and wrong, Truth and not-Truth, Real and not-Real). 5 “The ‘Divine’ behaviors on the longer list lead to liberation; the degenerate behaviors lead to more time on the wheel of death and rebirth. Do not be concerned, however, Arjuna, as your seeds are good; you have brought Divine qualities into this lifetime.
“Those of sattvic temperament revere the gods in heaven. Rajasic people worship power and wealth, even though they may not acknowledge those as their gods. Tamasic people worship the spirits of the dead — ghosts and hurtful deities (those with negative qualities and those who do harm) — which again are in tune with their own disposition.
“Always tell the truth, Arjuna, and present it in as pleasant a way as possible. If you cannot do that, remain silent. If something absolutely needs to be said you must uphold the truth, but find a way to do it that is gentle and obliging.
“Do not hurt others through harsh words. Words can be more painful than physical violence, and the hurt lasts longer. Words meant to excite negativity are an act of violence; shun such words. Abstinence from harmful speech is very important.
“Listen, Arjuna, while I give you the truth. Both terms, sanyasa and tyaga mean renunciation. Renunciation is not a negative process, but rather the positive act of giving up. We are surrounded by examples of this in nature: the sun constantly giving up its heat and light to foster life; a ripened fruit abandoning its parent tree; the mother giving birth to the baby she has carried for so long; students leaving school upon graduation; and grandest of all, the individual soul abandoning worldly entanglements to join Me, the Divine.
I may come back to this post and add more comments. I made in 3/4 of the way through and ran out of steam.
