Gita and the role of individual...

[Guest guest]

Swami Yogeshananda

Re: Re: Question about Bhagavad Gita

 

I have not seen any response to your question from anyone on the list.

Perhaps I missed it. I had not intended to answer, but someone should.

How did you form the impression that the Gita " worked to redefine an

individual's role in society " ? How do we know it was not defining what was

already existent in society?

Further, what makes one think that the revelation of Sri Krishna's message

necessarily accomplished any change in society, improvement or otherwise?

 

 

Swami Yogeshananda

 

~~~~I will attempt to answer this esoteric question....jay~~~~~~~~~

 

Bhagavad Gita gives the answer to an important question

that social sciences accept as 'a priori'

 

The central question is:-

Why bother to be good or do good to others?

 

The answer social science gives is: Somehow as 'intelligent animals'

we have learnt the importance of how good of all -- translates as good

for the individuals (ourselves). This forms the basis of laws of ethics and

morality. That is why we should do good to others. (Or conversely why

we should not hurt others - just as we do not want others to hurt us).

 

There is a technical loophole in this approach. If I am told that somehow

" I can get away with immoral gains " (and that nobody will be any the wiser!)

due to some very special circumstances, then technically there is nothing

to stop me from breaking the moral code!

 

In a way the basis of morality in social science has become:-

" I do not want others to hurt me so I will have to obey the rule of not

hurting others. " This is pure commerce! The spiritual element is missing.

 

Gita teaches: -

Lead a life that is not 'ego-centric' but 'God-centric'. It shifts the

centre

of gravity of bothering with the needs of the ego ('me and mine') to living

in

accordance with a more universal principle called 'God'.

 

So now there is no question of " I do good to others so that somehow

I benefit or escape the wrath of others " .... In the Gita the 'ego' has

been made secondary to a more primary principle. We have to stop

appeasing this 'ego' but have to appease a greater principle called

'God'. And it is this principle that demands good of all.

 

jay

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

In the concluding verse of the Gita, Sanjaya has summed up the

whole issue:

 

" Wherever there is Krishna, Lord of Yoga,

 

Wherever there is Arjuna, the Archer,

 

There will surely be

 

Splendour, Victory, Wealth, and

 

Righteousness; this is my conviction. "

 

In Sw. Vivekanada's motto for the Ramakrishna Mission:

 

'Atmano mokshArtham [ niHshreyas]

 

jagaddhitAya cha '. [abhyudaya]

 

the same idea is expressed.

 

If Gita can inspire the likes of Vivekananda, Gandhi, Tilak,

Aurobindo, Vinoba Bhave, the Acharyas [shankara-Ramanuja-Madhva],

any ordinary mortal can benefit from even a little study of it.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ramakrishna, " Vivekananda Centre " <vivekananda@b...>

wrote:

> Swami Yogeshananda

> Re: Re: Question about Bhagavad Gita