Blog Entry #2 Telling the Story of the Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita ; A Walkthrough for Westerner
In the story of the Bhagavad Gita by Jack Hawley it brings spiritual wisdom and inspiration through an event of which a man known as Arjuna is cornered in making an important decision. Through the help of a close friend, Krishna is able to guide him through this difficult stage in Arjuna's life making him "aware of his true reality" (Hawley 167). With series of spiritual knowledge given to Arjuna he is now able to  proceed with confidence unlike before.

                                        The Four Paths of Yoga, ways to be one with God                              

The story contains complex spiritual teachings that can pass as both religious and philosophical content. My first impression on the Bhagavad Gita was attention grabbing as it "is the bases, the source, the reservoir of practical spiritual knowledge from which others rise" (Hawley xii). This brings an important topic to the role of religion and how it shapes human society as it has been around for centuries.

As the Bhagavad Gita not only provide the teachings of spirituality but it also implement ranks and divisions amongst people in society. The people are divided into four groups called the Seers, Leaders, Providers, and Servers. As the text states "No particular group of people is superior to any other..." but the early civilization of the Indus shows differently (Hawley 159). 

It is evident that there was a caste system during the Vedic Age with similar ranks in correlation to the Bhagavad Gita but with the Seers at the top. Ranked at the top, the Seers are the gifted ones who can connect with God and this plays a crucial part in how important religion is during this time period. The Bhagavad Gita is impactful as people can not only use it for spiritual development but as a guide to social construction as well.

        

Bhagavad Gita, Krishna

 The Bhagavad Gita may appeal to readers as it brings multiple eye opening spiritual advices that can help benefit ones own spiritual journey. In the text it provides 4 pathways to obtain  unity with God which are known as Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti Yoga. 

 As all paths will lead you to unity with god it will teach one to   let go of their desires and worldly attachments. The text in depth   teaches one to how find true joy and peace by getting rid of desire, anger, and greed as those are the components that block us from reaching our True Self (Hawley 55). Achieving inner peace is anyones goal and can be beneficial to ones daily life. Overall, anyone can benefit from this book whether it be religiously or philosophically.

Works Cited

Blossom. (2020, August 2). Yotube . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3dbMlo971k.

Hawley, J. (2011). The bhagavad gita: A walkthrough for Westerners. New World Library.

Indus Valley Civilization Caste System. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2021, from http://world-history-education-resources.com/indus-valley-civilization/system-civilization-indus-caste.html.

The four paths of yoga. Trinetra Yoga. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://trinetra.yoga/the-four-paths-of-yoga/#:~:text=There%20are%20four%20main%20paths%20of%20Yoga%20%E2%80%93,integrated%20if%20true%20wisdom%20is%20to%20be%20attained.