Bhagavad Gita essay
Feb. 29th, 2008 05:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetFound out yesterday that my Bhagavad Gita essay for Intro to Eastern Religions got something like 92%. This is one of two papers that I went ahead and had loads of fun on, and I wasn't expecting anything higher than a 'B' on it. I am the happy.
So, in celebration, I decided to post it. Familiarity with the Gita and with Hinduism in general is helpful, but hopefully not 100% necessary.
"Where Krisna is lord of discipline
and Arjuna is the archer,
there do fortune, victory, abundance,
and morality exist, so I think."
And so the sacred hymn
was set, for the moment, aside
and, having done this much,
the master addressed the student:
"Speak now, my pupil," he declared.
"Let me know the innermost
meditations you have reached
upon the completion of this text.
"Reveal to me what lessons
you have gleaned from these words,
what wisdom you have found
within their syllables.
"Speak!" And the pupil regarded
the master, his tongue locked in shyness,
for what could he say? At last,
in his uncertainty, the student found his words.
"Master," he replied with utmost humility,
"it is truly a great work that reveals to us
the wisdom of Vishnu through
his avatar, Lord Krishna.
"It being so great a work, however,
it is only natural that I should not
find full understanding of it.
Perhaps you would answer me a question?"
The master was pleased by this.
That is pupil should ask a question of the
text showed he had an understanding of it.
The master did not linger on his enthusiasm.
"Speak!" he prompted, "Speak so that you might learn!"
And the student at last raised his question:
"Master, please help me to comprehend:
What is Arjuna's relationship with Lord Krishna?"
The master was struck dumb. Never
in his wildest dreams did
he think his student had so
little sense about him as this!
In the student's eyes, the teacher's
great form grew still, breath
coming slowly and skin
drawing tight at his hands.
Truly it could not be so bad,
the student hoped, that the master
had gotten the idea to stop teaching;
he hung his head shamefully, awaiting judgement.
Calling upon the teachings of the sacred work,
the master breathed deeply and released his anger.
He should be calm in all things,
even in having an idiot for a pupil.
He addressed the learner before him:
"First you must tell me what you think,
what insight you have found in the hymn
of Krishna and Arjuna's fellowship."
"Teacher," the student replied with patient reverence,
"I am sure that I do not know. Please show me."
But the master remained firm, so at last
the student answered: "Krishna is Arjuna's chariot driver?"
"An admirable start," the teacher announced;
perhaps this student was not such a fool after all.
"But not too admirable," he continued, for worry
that the student would be overcome with pride.
"Indeed, Lord Krishna served as chariot driver.
But, my student, if Vishnu, and so Krishna,
is indeed lord of all things, why then is he
a servant rather than a commander?"
The pupil was truly confused now. "I do not know,"
he replied with honesty, and the master
breathed deeply and did not allow himself disappointment.
It had, after all, been too good to be true.
"Very well," he said at last, "then allow me
to teach you. Krishna, Lord Vishnu,
may know what tasks we are to perform,
and assigns us our dharma at birth,
"But this duty is for us and us alone
to carry out, as servants of Vishnu.
Vishnu may send his avatars to guide us,
but never can he do our appointed tasks in our place.
"No, it is we who are assigned
to carry out our duty, and truly
duty will be carried out, even if
in the end it is not we who perform it.
"Vishnu knows best where to assign us,
where each person can best carry out
the task laid out before him. It is not
for us to question his will, only to obey.
"Now, my student," and the master regarded him
measuredly. "Do you understand it now?
Do you see what Lord Krishna's place
is among us, and with Lord Arjuna?"
"Truly you are a great teacher," the pupil enthused,
"for I now understand that Lord Krishna's place
is to teach us, to show us the way when
we are wrong, and to help us accomplish our dharma.
"And that is why he could not be a leader,
for surely if he were a general or a king,
for surely if he were any of these things,
our feelings would interfere with our judgment,
"And it would be harder to make
the right decision," the pupil finished. The master coughed,
having not thought of this wisdom but finding no
immediate flaw in it. "Yes, of course," he answered.
"But I still do not understand," the student continued.
"Surely we know that Lord Krishna offers sound advice,
but what of Lord Arjuna? How was he to know
that Lord Krishna told him to act appropriately?"
The master thought of calm, serene things, for surely
no one had ever taught such a troublesome pupil as this!
But if he was to teach, then teach he would,
and assure this student would learn well from him.
"It is true that Lord Arjuna was doubtful at first,
not wishing to complete a dharma he thought unpleasant,
but the wisdom in Lord Krishna's words
could not be ignored or looked past.
"Remember also that Lord Arjuna and
Lord Krishna had traveled long together,
and Arjuna already knew that Krishna
spoke wisely and offered sensible council.
"Indeed, any doubt that still remained in Arjuna
was washed away when he saw Krishna's true form,
Vishnu's infinite unmanifest being through the window
of his avatar. He could not turn a deaf ear then.
"As for us," the master continued, getting into it.
"We should take Arjuna's example and face our dharma,
even under the burden of great unpleasantness,
for truly it is a holy task to do one's duty.
"And we should not question this duty,
though sometimes we may wish to," he added,
not untruthfully. "But even then we need
only to remember to trust in Krishna."
The student observed his master, swollen with
the influence of the great hymn, and smiled.
"Truly you are beyond what I could have
hoped of a teacher!" he declared.
And the master set aside pride for tranquility,
as he had been taught, and also disappointment
when the student said, "There is just one more thing
I do not understand. Help me, master?"
"Yes, what is it, my pupil?" the master asked,
resigned to his dharma. And the student leaned forward.
"Tell me, master," he said. "Once Lord Krishna convinced
Lord Arjuna to do his duty… What happened in the battle?"
The master did not sigh wearily at this,
for he only needed to do what must be done,
but for the first time (and certainly not the last),
he began to think longingly of Sannyāsī.
---
The first paragraph is a direct quote of the final paragraph of the translation we were working from in class (Barbara Stoler Miller). Sannyāsī is the time in life where a Hinduist can give up worldly possessions and lifestyles to live as a wanderer in the forest, IIRC.
The teacher loved it ♥
Anyhow, I've got study buddies shortly, so I'm leaving this entry here.
So, in celebration, I decided to post it. Familiarity with the Gita and with Hinduism in general is helpful, but hopefully not 100% necessary.
"Where Krisna is lord of discipline
and Arjuna is the archer,
there do fortune, victory, abundance,
and morality exist, so I think."
And so the sacred hymn
was set, for the moment, aside
and, having done this much,
the master addressed the student:
"Speak now, my pupil," he declared.
"Let me know the innermost
meditations you have reached
upon the completion of this text.
"Reveal to me what lessons
you have gleaned from these words,
what wisdom you have found
within their syllables.
"Speak!" And the pupil regarded
the master, his tongue locked in shyness,
for what could he say? At last,
in his uncertainty, the student found his words.
"Master," he replied with utmost humility,
"it is truly a great work that reveals to us
the wisdom of Vishnu through
his avatar, Lord Krishna.
"It being so great a work, however,
it is only natural that I should not
find full understanding of it.
Perhaps you would answer me a question?"
The master was pleased by this.
That is pupil should ask a question of the
text showed he had an understanding of it.
The master did not linger on his enthusiasm.
"Speak!" he prompted, "Speak so that you might learn!"
And the student at last raised his question:
"Master, please help me to comprehend:
What is Arjuna's relationship with Lord Krishna?"
The master was struck dumb. Never
in his wildest dreams did
he think his student had so
little sense about him as this!
In the student's eyes, the teacher's
great form grew still, breath
coming slowly and skin
drawing tight at his hands.
Truly it could not be so bad,
the student hoped, that the master
had gotten the idea to stop teaching;
he hung his head shamefully, awaiting judgement.
Calling upon the teachings of the sacred work,
the master breathed deeply and released his anger.
He should be calm in all things,
even in having an idiot for a pupil.
He addressed the learner before him:
"First you must tell me what you think,
what insight you have found in the hymn
of Krishna and Arjuna's fellowship."
"Teacher," the student replied with patient reverence,
"I am sure that I do not know. Please show me."
But the master remained firm, so at last
the student answered: "Krishna is Arjuna's chariot driver?"
"An admirable start," the teacher announced;
perhaps this student was not such a fool after all.
"But not too admirable," he continued, for worry
that the student would be overcome with pride.
"Indeed, Lord Krishna served as chariot driver.
But, my student, if Vishnu, and so Krishna,
is indeed lord of all things, why then is he
a servant rather than a commander?"
The pupil was truly confused now. "I do not know,"
he replied with honesty, and the master
breathed deeply and did not allow himself disappointment.
It had, after all, been too good to be true.
"Very well," he said at last, "then allow me
to teach you. Krishna, Lord Vishnu,
may know what tasks we are to perform,
and assigns us our dharma at birth,
"But this duty is for us and us alone
to carry out, as servants of Vishnu.
Vishnu may send his avatars to guide us,
but never can he do our appointed tasks in our place.
"No, it is we who are assigned
to carry out our duty, and truly
duty will be carried out, even if
in the end it is not we who perform it.
"Vishnu knows best where to assign us,
where each person can best carry out
the task laid out before him. It is not
for us to question his will, only to obey.
"Now, my student," and the master regarded him
measuredly. "Do you understand it now?
Do you see what Lord Krishna's place
is among us, and with Lord Arjuna?"
"Truly you are a great teacher," the pupil enthused,
"for I now understand that Lord Krishna's place
is to teach us, to show us the way when
we are wrong, and to help us accomplish our dharma.
"And that is why he could not be a leader,
for surely if he were a general or a king,
for surely if he were any of these things,
our feelings would interfere with our judgment,
"And it would be harder to make
the right decision," the pupil finished. The master coughed,
having not thought of this wisdom but finding no
immediate flaw in it. "Yes, of course," he answered.
"But I still do not understand," the student continued.
"Surely we know that Lord Krishna offers sound advice,
but what of Lord Arjuna? How was he to know
that Lord Krishna told him to act appropriately?"
The master thought of calm, serene things, for surely
no one had ever taught such a troublesome pupil as this!
But if he was to teach, then teach he would,
and assure this student would learn well from him.
"It is true that Lord Arjuna was doubtful at first,
not wishing to complete a dharma he thought unpleasant,
but the wisdom in Lord Krishna's words
could not be ignored or looked past.
"Remember also that Lord Arjuna and
Lord Krishna had traveled long together,
and Arjuna already knew that Krishna
spoke wisely and offered sensible council.
"Indeed, any doubt that still remained in Arjuna
was washed away when he saw Krishna's true form,
Vishnu's infinite unmanifest being through the window
of his avatar. He could not turn a deaf ear then.
"As for us," the master continued, getting into it.
"We should take Arjuna's example and face our dharma,
even under the burden of great unpleasantness,
for truly it is a holy task to do one's duty.
"And we should not question this duty,
though sometimes we may wish to," he added,
not untruthfully. "But even then we need
only to remember to trust in Krishna."
The student observed his master, swollen with
the influence of the great hymn, and smiled.
"Truly you are beyond what I could have
hoped of a teacher!" he declared.
And the master set aside pride for tranquility,
as he had been taught, and also disappointment
when the student said, "There is just one more thing
I do not understand. Help me, master?"
"Yes, what is it, my pupil?" the master asked,
resigned to his dharma. And the student leaned forward.
"Tell me, master," he said. "Once Lord Krishna convinced
Lord Arjuna to do his duty… What happened in the battle?"
The master did not sigh wearily at this,
for he only needed to do what must be done,
but for the first time (and certainly not the last),
he began to think longingly of Sannyāsī.
---
The first paragraph is a direct quote of the final paragraph of the translation we were working from in class (Barbara Stoler Miller). Sannyāsī is the time in life where a Hinduist can give up worldly possessions and lifestyles to live as a wanderer in the forest, IIRC.
The teacher loved it ♥
Anyhow, I've got study buddies shortly, so I'm leaving this entry here.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 12:12 am (UTC)Ok, dear, takes this internet, you've deserved it...but if you remember Krishna's words, you shouldn't become tied to the fruit of your action, so don't takes this internet as yours but uses it to accomplish your dharma. Xp XD
(God, and now, I should resist to the temptation of finishing the Bhagavad Gita, befor eto read the Dhammapada...DAMN YOU! Xp XD)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 10:18 pm (UTC)I shall do my best to set aside such unwholesome things ;)
(X3 Uh, good luck? You can reward yourself with a re-read later, complete your assigned task for now!)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 10:21 pm (UTC)So, like Krishna, you've mades me act, without acting yourself...which is normal since you're the Atman as well that him.XD
(YEAH INTELLECTUAL PSEUDO WANK)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 01:35 am (UTC)m-my culture
no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-02 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 06:52 pm (UTC)Knowledge: Zilch.
Appreciation: ♥!
Now am curiouser tan before about these things. XD
no subject
Date: 2008-03-01 10:21 pm (UTC)I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a copy at the Gutenberg Project, if you decide you're interested enough :3