The Beautiful Bhagavad Gita

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e0849df8f1b2.jpg[/atsimg]

"When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous." - Albert Einstein

One of my all-time-favourite books is the metaphysical masterpiece the Bhagavad-Gita which means "Song of the Blessed Lord".

Today many purchase second-rate and pseudo-spiritual books in the new-age/metaphysical section of the bookstore, not realizing that the ideas becoming #1 NY Times Bestsellers were already expressed many thousands of years ago in the Bhagavad Gita. Apart from being a philosophical masterpiece that has been revered by both Eastern and Western scholars, it is also one of the central texts of Hinduism.

The core concepts of the book are:

The Supreme Being / Creator of All-Things (Ishvara)
The Individualized Soul (Jiva)
The Physical Universe, Nature, Matter (Prakrti)
Action/Duty in Service of Universal Law (Dharma)
Time (Kaala)

It also describes the 5 Basic Yogas which are Meditation, Action, Knowledge, Selfless Service and Devotion to God.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a1c6962565f2.jpg[/atsimg]

Some random quotes from the book:

Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed.

Fear Not. What is not real, never was and never will be. What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.

Those who eat too much or eat too little, who sleep too much or sleep too little, will not succeed in meditation. But those who are temperate in eating and sleeping, work and recreation, will come to the end of sorrow through meditation.

Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.

“The power of God is with you at all times; through the activities of mind, senses, breathing, and emotions; and is constantly doing all the work using you as a mere instrument.”

“One who has control over the mind is tranquil in heat and cold, in pleasure and pain, and in honor and dishonor; and is ever steadfast with the Supreme Self.”

“The wise sees knowledge and action as one; they see truly”

“Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists.”

“One can become whatever one wants to be [if one constantly contemplates on the object of desire with faith].”

"Consciousness is eternal it is not vanquished with the destruction of the temporary body"”

“Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable.”

“Unnatural work produces too much stress.”

Those who consciousness is unified abandon all attachment to the results of action and attain supreme peace. But those whose desires are fragmented, who are selfishly attached to the results of their work, are bound in everything they do.

That one I love who is incapable of ill will, and returns love for hatred. Living beyond the reach of I and mind, and of pain and pleasure, full of mercy, contented, self-controlled, with all his heart and all his mind given to Me -- with such a one I am in love.

When the senses contact sense objects, a person experiences cold or heat, pleasure or pain. These experiences are fleeting they come and go. Bear them patiently.

Valor, glory, firmness, skill, generosity, steadiness in battle and ability to rule -- these constitute the duty of a soldier. They flow from his own nature.

Neither in this world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts.

He is not elevated by good fortune or depressed by bad. His mind is established in God, and he is free from delusion.

[edit on 24-2-2010 by Skyfloating]

Coincidentally, I just started reading it yesterday.

Thanks for this thread. Everyone should read the Bhagavad Gita.

I have a copy of this beside my bed. *Everyone* should read it. It has the most extraordinary calming effect of me whenever i pick it up and read some of it. Thank you for adding it here.

Yeah, wonderful book, though I haven`t read all of it yet.

The similarities between it and a lot of what is written in the Law of One series are quite striking.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/94435105b4e3.jpg[/atsimg]

There are three stages to self-realization enunciated from the Bhagavad Gita:

Brahman - The impersonal universal energy
Paramatma - The Supreme Soul sitting in the heart of every living entity. Bhagavan - God as a personality, with a transcendental form.

*

Awesome! Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have read a lot of Ancient books from Enuma Elish to Epic of Gilgamesh to Isis Unveiled, but I haven't read this one . . . . . . yet!

I'm working on reading it right now. Only through the first two chapters, haven't had the focus for the third yet, but it is quite beautiful. I don't think I actually believe in it, but it's full of good thoughts.

My main purpose in posting here is to head off all the people who claim that the epic poem that the Baghvad Gita is an element in contains nuclear warfare. That's an outright myth. will it come up? Probably not. But if it was going to... don't bother

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/85961023cf77.jpg[/atsimg]

Gandhi on the Bhagavad-Gita:

When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad-Gita. I find a verse here and a verse there , and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies -- and my life has been full of external tragedies -- and if they have left no visible or indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teaching of Bhagavad-Gita.

[edit on 24-2-2010 by Skyfloating]

As a researcher of many religions, I am a huge fan of this book.
Much wisdom is contained within, although I do not agree with everything that is written (that applies to everything I read though, hehe)... nice of you to bring some of it to light for others to read, Skyfloating!

Thanks, Skyfloating. I love reading this kind of stuff. I have New Age and 'Old' Age texts around here everywhere, but I don't have that one. I'll look for it on Amazon tonight.

Don't forget the Bhagavata Purana! It is fascinating and an appropriate companion to the Gita.

Originally posted by gazerstar
Thanks, Skyfloating. I love reading this kind of stuff. I have New Age and 'Old' Age texts around here everywhere, but I don't have that one. I'll look for it on Amazon tonight.

I find A Course in Miracles does a better job of answering why "God" would create a Universe that has so much separation, pain, war, death, disease, etc.

Originally posted by caitlinfae
I have a copy of this beside my bed. *Everyone* should read it. It has the most extraordinary calming effect of me whenever i pick it up and read some of it. Thank you for adding it here.

I have a copy of The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara) by Shantideva beside my bed. It too calms me and makes so much sense.

It looks like a trip to Chapters to get this as the quotes "touch" me.

Thank-you very much Skyfloating for making this thread and making me aware of such a book..

Question: Is the Bhagavad Gita part of the Rig Veda or are they completely separate from one another?

Originally posted by Quetzalcoatl12
Question: Is the Bhagavad Gita part of the Rig Veda or are they completely separate from one another?

Rig Veda is a seperate Epic. Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Epic Mahabarata.
Overview

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c270f22b9106.jpg[/atsimg]


Thou hast power only to act not over the result thereof. Act thou therefore without prospect of the result and without succcumbing to inaction

“The mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it.”

“Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction.”

“Sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of self-knowledge. Observe your discipline. Arise.”

reply to post by Skyfloating

New addition to the collection of quotes.

Thanks Skyfloating S & F

Infinity...

Fear Not. What is not real, never was and never will be. What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.

"Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is."

“Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists.”

"Consciousness is eternal it is not vanquished with the destruction of the temporary body"”

“Death is as sure for that which is born, as birth is for that which is dead. Therefore grieve not for what is inevitable.”

"Neither in this world nor elsewhere is there any happiness in store for him who always doubts."

the gita isn't so wonderful after you've read it a few times and thought deeply on it. don't get me wrong, it definately takes a sharp stab at things other religions wouldn't touch but it has it's shortcomings.

1. it doesn't even pretend to answer the question why. you'd think that would be one of the first questions out of arjuna's mouth. why krishna, why in the hell are we doing this? nope, no reason given at all. i guess krishna just likes it this way.

2. advocation of slavery. i don't really get this. makes me wonder about the different translations adn if this was in an orignal version or if these thoguhts were added later.

3. when krishna shows his divine form to arjuna, arjuna sees discus and spears and things of that nature. however he doesn't see helicopters and flamethrowers and hand grenades. this just goes to show that the book is make believe. at least some of it is.

all in all i have a great respect for the book and especially for the concepts it brings to light. it's much eaasier to comprehend then the vedas. but theer isn't much in this book that was written for the year 2000.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/439f4ecece87.jpg[/atsimg]

“A man's own self is his friend. A man's own self is his foe.”

“Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.”

Originally posted by gheybayten
1. it doesn't even pretend to answer the question why. you'd think that would be one of the first questions out of arjuna's mouth. why krishna, why in the hell are we doing this? nope, no reason given at all. i guess krishna just likes it this way.

"Why" implies a linear Cause/Source whereas Infinity/Eternity always was, always is, always will be.

2. advocation of slavery. i don't really get this. makes me wonder about the different translations adn if this was in an orignal version or if these thoguhts were added later.

The idea of action without seeking fruits/results/payment could be interpreted to mean slavery or selfless service. I prefer the latter.

3. when krishna shows his divine form to arjuna, arjuna sees discus and spears and things of that nature. however he doesn't see helicopters and flamethrowers and hand grenades. this just goes to show that the book is make believe. at least some of it is.

Not sure how the book not showing helicopters makes it make-believe? Surely they had to describe things in terms that make sense for the people back then?