Review of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is

Review of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is

This copy of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is was given to me by one of the more ardent Hindus living in residence not far from me during my period of studies in Wollongong in 2004. It is highly regarded by most Hindus as the standard reading and interpretation of vedantic spirituality by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Pradhupada and details the discourse of Arjuna and Lord Krisna on The Battlefields of Kuruksetra. As in human experience, one must often stand opposed to the beliefs and philosophies of one's friends, neighbours, or teachers to follow the right path. As Arjuna faltered in fighting with those who were members of his community, out of concern, fear, respect, and compassion for others, a student of business often has to early decide what is necessary to be learned about business and for what purpose, what path of learning is most fruitful, which sets of ethics and principles need to be assimilated, even if it may bring one into direct conflict with those who are intimately related to personal goals and measures of success which may even be considered best practices. Best can always be improved and made better.

It is in this that my Hindu classmate often challenged me with his systems of beliefs. I would protractedly attempt not only to study my required readings, but on a parallel investigate those issues which I felt were also important, often ideas and theories which require more of a learner, easy explanation for why and how so many theories, regardless of their relevancy, often lie dormant and unexplored among students of any discipline. Especially the contemplation of cross-cultural learning, not only as a theory, but in a practice of it to profitable self-discovery.

Even he would insist that I would rise from a night of reading to an early morning sunrise and walk along the beaches of Wollongong when the city is most still, and sit among the exotic local flora and fauna in the beautiful public parks there to contemplate the path and object of success in life. His insistence was that the path explored in Baghavad-Gita is adequately success in life and the afterlife. So it recounts not only an intellectual battle for discernment between success in the material versus the needs of the spiritual world, this text explores the universal human desire for self-realisation and aspects of selflessness which add bounty to the totality of human experience. It is a path with perhaps many followers but fewer adherents or living embodiments of its message. As one of the world's most sacred texts, it bears pride of place next to all other holy books.

The Bhagavad-Gita investigates and explains ways of being, liberation from worldy desires, the derivations of karma and transcendentalism and its impact upon possible knowledge of the Supreme. In all aspects it acts as a spiritual foil which harbours little if any distinction between the purposes of religious supremacy, or an argument of one faith over another in terms of adequate spiritual fullfillment. Thus many points of the description of karma might easily be applied to the spiritual well-being of any major religious faith. Furthermore the Bhagavad-Gita demonstrates the benefits of attaining enlightenment, the ways, and the means, as to the attachment of a spiritual guru or teacher. Furthermore, it takes great strides to illustrate the qualities of wisdom, peace, detachment, spiritual enlightenment and bliss or grace, attainable by all, some would say simply desired by all, but actively pursued by so few.

This text explores the dynamics of practice towards meditative yoga, means by which to control the mind and the senses to nurture a spirit of Paramatma in the heart and attain samadhi or full conscious knowledge of the Supreme. Such aspirations are well regarded, but reading this book might not necessarily be the single key to such experiences. One would necessarily practice and develop such skills with consistency and dedication. However, even without attaining such spiritual development, it is nice to know that such a path exists at any opportunity and is here recounted. Further descriptive passages related to illustrating the cosmic universe also describe an inter-relatedness of all spirit and linkage to devotional service to the great divinity of the Supreme.

In such terms, this book is as relevant to a Christian as any other book of faith. I am firmly convinced that Christians say they seek the same things as the Bhagavas-Gita claims are possible for a human to experience and attain even in a lifetime or a series of lifetimes. However as Gandhi may be paraphrased, so many are aware of the correct path and so few take the steps to follow it as few ever desire to be that good. Cross-culturally, referring to the Bhagvad-Gita is far from likely to detract from the religious values of its readers. But it helps describe the spiritual opulence possessed by the truly faithful and will only enrich the meditations of those who turn to it in hopes of making living connections between the self, one's community, the material world and the cosmos of spiritual existence.