There is no "divine right to rule" and the Bhagavad-Gita is just another book....

...to justify violence. Yes, that's my point on that kinda thingy. Andybody here who want to discuss the content of the Bhagavad-Gita with me? Alhough I'm certainly not an expert, but I've read that book a few times in different translations.

Anybody?

Care to elaborate on why you think it's just another book used to justify violence?

There's a lot of stuff going on in the Bhagavad Gita. If that's all you glean from it...

I know nothing of the Bhagavad Gita
Interested in your opinion though, why not elaborate

a reply to: NthOther

Care to elaborate on why you think it's just another book used to justify violence? There's a lot of stuff going on in the Bhagavad Gita. If that's all you glean from it...

Ohh...I realy appreciated that book for a long time...untill it dawned on me...that...Krishna, as depicted in the Bhagavad-Gita, compared to Arjuna, is just another war-monger posing as some god. Thank Jed McKenna for that.

a reply to: Raggedyman

I know nothing of the Bhagavad Gita Interested in your opinion though, why not elaborate

I could talk about it for weeks, even month's in a row. But anyway, the basic message of the Bhagavad-Gita, as it starts right in the middle of a battle, where Arjuna, a prince, does not want to fight against his fellow citizens, who are former friends, teachers and also familiy-members of him. But Krishna, as his chariot-driver (his consciouness), convinced him to do so, and that's what that book is all about: The reasons why Krishna (some deity) convinced him (Arjuna, a warrior) to fight against them. It's kind of difficult to explain in a few sentences, because it's not a small book with no interesting content. Just the opposite.

Just read it and come back to discuss it with me.

The battle is a metaphor. Read Eswaran's translation. He sets up each chapter for you. Anything by Eswaran is fabulous. www.amazon.com...

a reply to: HUMBLEONE

The battle is a metaphor. Read Eswaran's translation. He sets up each chapter for you. Anything by Eswaran is fabulous.

Done that, been there. I got the book, translated by him, in my nowerdays very tiny book-shelf.

Nevertheless...what I'm talking about is the overall picture, of some deity, called Krishna, a so called Vishnu incarnation, who is indeed telling Arjuna some very interesting secrets about existence. I don't doubt that fact. But that does not change the fact, that Krishna said, paraphrased, "because you are a warrior, Ajuna, and because you now find yourself in the middle of a battle-field, you have to fight. Otherwise you would be considered as a coward, who refuses to do his duty."

THAT is what I think is wrong, wrong, wrong.

a reply to: HUMBLEONE

I hope you do know that the german nazi-ss did know the content of the Bhagavad-Gita and used it as some means to justifiy, as some "divine right to rule", to do what they did. Do you, "mister Jones?"

Annndddd....was anybody ever able to justify war by using Hermann Hesse's work, Thomas Mann's work or Arthur Schopenhauer's work to justify war? No? How comes?

"The Upanishads are the most uplifting texts I ever read in my life." - Arthur Schopenhauer.

And IF the Bhagavad-Gita is considered as an Upanishad or not, that's some very special topic I also would like to discuss. But not in this thread.

a reply to: HUMBLEONE

Agreed Eswaran is a great translation.

I think you may be getting the idea of the battle wrong.

It may not be that Krishna is OKing his divine right to rule.

It may be framed more in the context that it is a 'righteous', or something like that, duty. Something like fulfilling the will of God, or his spirit.

a reply to: EStreetShuffle

Agreed Eswaran is a great translation.

But nobody can translate away the wrong in it.

a reply to: nOraKat

I think you may be getting the idea of the battle wrong. It may not be that Krishna is OKing his divine right to rule. It may be framed more in the context that it is a 'righteous', or something like that, duty. Something like fulfilling the will of God, or his spirit.

No, I don't think so. I think I get the overall message of the Bhagavad-Gita as good as one can. IF one is not mind-controlled by such teachings and is un-able to get the point.

a reply to: Willingly

In the Gita and in the Rig Veda there is a common theme that one of the greatest things you can do is making something like an offering or sacrifice to God or something like that; not necessarily in short ritual but through life actions.

a reply to: nOraKat

In the Gita and in the Rig Veda there is a common theme that one of the greatest things you can do is making something like an offering or sacrifice to God or something like that

Yes, I don't disagree. But there also is something that is called advaita-vedanta. Which means: A = not, dvaita = divided (or two), Ved = the vedas, anta = the end. So...all together is means: The end of the vedas are not two. Which translates into, in my humble, very very very bad skills in sanskrit:

If you reached the end of all one can do to worship God and the gods, one is free to be one with everything that is not opposing The Divine (Cuteness/Beauty/Goodness/Truth).

And yes, that's a very free translation, but that's how it came across to me.

originally posted by: Willingly
I think I get the overall message of the Bhagavad-Gita as good as one can.

No you don't. Like most people you get stuck at reading spiritual texts from a material perspective.

It's ridiculous, they are SPIRITUAL texts.

The battle described in the Gita (or in Revelations since you seem to be interested in them too) is a SPIRITUAL battle, thus it takes place inside the mind, between the different human drives.

I'm always baffled when people read spiritual texts with a materialistic eye. How can anyone read myths LITERALLY? They are myths, their teachings are symbolic. For a supposed writer, you seem quite oblivious about this.

a reply to: Willingly

Where can I read about Brahma? Hindu scripture doesn't seem to mention him. I started the Gita, it's like reading any scripture with multiple readings required to understand the exo and esoteric interpretations, I don't know much about Hindu.

Brahma is where I would like to start.

a reply to: BattleSausage

You understand it so well, what is it about?

BattleSausage, that name makes it hard to take you seriously. Cleverness is essential when you choose your name.

originally posted by: Barzini
a reply to: BattleSausage
what is it about?

Arjuna is facing doubt and fear in the face of fulfilling his duty. So he turns to his charioter and supreme deity, Krishna (what better image of your higher self, of your divine spark), and asks for advice.

The chariot is the body
The battlefield is the mental plane
Arjuna's duty is dharma

Krishna gives Arjuna a crash course in philosophy and pantheistic spirituality, and explains how to surrender to his divine duty.

The end



Quite a classical mystical teaching if you ask me

originally posted by: Barzini
BattleSausage, that name makes it hard to take you seriously. Cleverness is essential when you choose your name.

I thought you should not judge a book by his cover. Actually those who take themselves too seriously still have a lot to learn.

originally posted by: Willingly
a reply to: HUMBLEONE
"because you are a warrior, Ajuna, and because you now find yourself in the middle of a battle-field, you have to fight. Otherwise you would be considered as a coward, who refuses to do his duty."

THAT is what I think is wrong, wrong, wrong.

What part of "the battlefield is a metaphor" you do not understand?

a reply to: Barzini

Ill have to give it read. Where can I get info on Brahma and Sarasvati.

I believe they are Abraham and Sarah of NT fame and want to see what Hindu scripture says but I've never been able to find anything.