This is a short and concise discussion about the philosophy of Gita. The author summarizes each chapter and then pieces together all the metaphysical elements. His analysis is profound, absorbing, and captivating as he supports his interpretation by quoting verses from Upanishads, numerous poets and philosophers.
The book is divided into threes sections; the commentary of Gita, Teachings of Buddha and Jesus as related Gita philosophy, and finally some interesting stories about Bhagavadgita.
The summary of the book is as follows: Krishna teaches yoga of knowledge or Samkhya yoga in chapter 2; the essence is that the physical reality pervades as Life Immortal. The body is perishable, but the soul is deathless and immortal. Soul is neither killed nor kills, but is beyond the birth and death, it is constant and eternal. The knower of this truth neither slays nor slain.
In the process of evolution, birth is the passing of the soul from a lower to a higher body during soul's journey of reincarnation. Cause is the effect silently and secretly involved; and effect is the cause actively and openly evolved. Evolution according Sankhya philosophy can never come into existence from nothing (zero); the appearance of what `is' can only from an existence of what "was." Life is the manifestation of divinity on earth. Life is eternal, it existed before birth and it will exist after the death. Beyond birth and death it is infinite and immortal. Death has no separate existence by itself; it is mere decay of body. When the consciousness is divinely transformed, death is a meaningful departure and not extinction. Krishna taught the principles of Sankhya, by asking Arjuna to take defeat and victory as one; similarly joy and sorrow, and gain and loss as one. Fighting, therefore will not incur sin. Having taught the knowledge (Sankhya), Krishna teaches the path of action (yoga). Action is a right and not the outcome; the fruits of action should not be the object, and Sankhya is detached meditative knowledge and the Karma is the dedicated selfless action. They use different paths but arrive at the same goal.
Krishna expresses his deep appreciation for the path of knowledge but insists on the necessity of action. Both paths are important since knowledge feels that the world is within the real world and action feels that the world is without the real world. The path of knowledge enters inside from outside, and the path of action enters outside from inside. This is the difference, but the apparent duality is not the whole truth. Action must not have an objective or desire. If desire is transformed into aspirations, life reaches the Supreme.
Krishna teaches Arjuna that He is birth-less and deathless and He is the Lord of all beings. He manifests in the physical universe through His own Maya keeping His Prakriti (nature) under control. Maya is a deceptive illusion. Prakriti is the material cause as well as original cause of everything in the manifested creation. Purusha is the silent face and Prakriti is the activating smile. Purusha is pure and witnessing consciousness, but Prakriti is evolving and transforming the material consciousness.
Nature has three qualities, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas; the harmony, activity and inactivity respectively. A Satvic individual has a heart of gold, and his breath is pure. He is luminous, infallible and unparalleled in fortitude. A rajas quality imparts a dynamic passion who likes to possess this world. He cherishes two things in life; fight and conquest. He can also break and destroy. An individual with Tamas quality is sinful, ignorant, an in death and destruction. Those who understands the origin of action in these three-fold qualities of Prakriti and at the same time understands Purusha who is beyond all qualities has arrived at the point of immortality. Krishna states; I am This, I am That, and I am Everything; He adds further, He is the best, highest, and mightiest in everything. He is self-seated in all beings; He is the beginning, middle and also the end of all beings. In the process of cosmic evolution, he is unveiling and manifesting His own perfection.
Self knowledge is the knowledge of universal oneness. Divine perfection may be found only on the fertile soil of universal oneness. Serve humanity and know divinity, since divinity looms large in humanity, you will soon realize God's immortality in you and your immortality in God. God in man and man in God can only announce the truest embodiment of perfection. Krishna in His cosmic manifestation, says, Time am I; Time, the mighty destroyer am I. Time is an instrument of the soul. Time is a field of circumstances and forces meeting and working out a resultant progression whose course it measures. Our effort may be personal, but Time appears as a resistance and in direct conflict with us. When the divine is working and the personal are combined in our consciousness, it appears as a medium and condition.
Matter and Spirit are beginning-less. Matter is the primordial substance and it is ever changing possessor of infinite qualities, which grows and evolves. All actions arise from Prakriti (matter). The spirit is static, which can see, it can witness, and it is consciousness. It is the reality in man and he is perceiver of matter. He who has realized the spirit's (Purusha's) eternal silence and matter's (Prakriti's) cosmic dance may live in any walk of life. Realization of the Supreme Spirit may be achieved through meditation or knowledge (Sankhya Philosophy), or by the yoga of action & selfless service.
Spirit is in matter, it experiences the physical existence (a mortal life), but it is action-less and transcends space and time, but without Purusha there is no manifestation and no universe. Spirit is self-existent and all pervading, whether within the body or without the body. To know Purusha and Prakriti are one and the same is to know the truth. The truth of divinity in humanity is manifested as either the divine nature or human nature. The human soul has gloriously succeeded in emptying the all ignorance-night into his transcendental soul of eternal light. The transcendental soul has triumphantly sung the song of infinity, eternity and immortality in the aspiring heart of human consciousness.
The book is divided into threes sections; the commentary of Gita, Teachings of Buddha and Jesus as related Gita philosophy, and finally some interesting stories about Bhagavadgita.
The summary of the book is as follows: Krishna teaches yoga of knowledge or Samkhya yoga in chapter 2; the essence is that the physical reality pervades as Life Immortal. The body is perishable, but the soul is deathless and immortal. Soul is neither killed nor kills, but is beyond the birth and death, it is constant and eternal. The knower of this truth neither slays nor slain.
In the process of evolution, birth is the passing of the soul from a lower to a higher body during soul's journey of reincarnation. Cause is the effect silently and secretly involved; and effect is the cause actively and openly evolved. Evolution according Sankhya philosophy can never come into existence from nothing (zero); the appearance of what `is' can only from an existence of what "was." Life is the manifestation of divinity on earth. Life is eternal, it existed before birth and it will exist after the death. Beyond birth and death it is infinite and immortal. Death has no separate existence by itself; it is mere decay of body. When the consciousness is divinely transformed, death is a meaningful departure and not extinction. Krishna taught the principles of Sankhya, by asking Arjuna to take defeat and victory as one; similarly joy and sorrow, and gain and loss as one. Fighting, therefore will not incur sin. Having taught the knowledge (Sankhya), Krishna teaches the path of action (yoga). Action is a right and not the outcome; the fruits of action should not be the object, and Sankhya is detached meditative knowledge and the Karma is the dedicated selfless action. They use different paths but arrive at the same goal.
Krishna expresses his deep appreciation for the path of knowledge but insists on the necessity of action. Both paths are important since knowledge feels that the world is within the real world and action feels that the world is without the real world. The path of knowledge enters inside from outside, and the path of action enters outside from inside. This is the difference, but the apparent duality is not the whole truth. Action must not have an objective or desire. If desire is transformed into aspirations, life reaches the Supreme.
Krishna teaches Arjuna that He is birth-less and deathless and He is the Lord of all beings. He manifests in the physical universe through His own Maya keeping His Prakriti (nature) under control. Maya is a deceptive illusion. Prakriti is the material cause as well as original cause of everything in the manifested creation. Purusha is the silent face and Prakriti is the activating smile. Purusha is pure and witnessing consciousness, but Prakriti is evolving and transforming the material consciousness.
Nature has three qualities, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas; the harmony, activity and inactivity respectively. A Satvic individual has a heart of gold, and his breath is pure. He is luminous, infallible and unparalleled in fortitude. A rajas quality imparts a dynamic passion who likes to possess this world. He cherishes two things in life; fight and conquest. He can also break and destroy. An individual with Tamas quality is sinful, ignorant, an in death and destruction. Those who understands the origin of action in these three-fold qualities of Prakriti and at the same time understands Purusha who is beyond all qualities has arrived at the point of immortality. Krishna states; I am This, I am That, and I am Everything; He adds further, He is the best, highest, and mightiest in everything. He is self-seated in all beings; He is the beginning, middle and also the end of all beings. In the process of cosmic evolution, he is unveiling and manifesting His own perfection.
Self knowledge is the knowledge of universal oneness. Divine perfection may be found only on the fertile soil of universal oneness. Serve humanity and know divinity, since divinity looms large in humanity, you will soon realize God's immortality in you and your immortality in God. God in man and man in God can only announce the truest embodiment of perfection. Krishna in His cosmic manifestation, says, Time am I; Time, the mighty destroyer am I. Time is an instrument of the soul. Time is a field of circumstances and forces meeting and working out a resultant progression whose course it measures. Our effort may be personal, but Time appears as a resistance and in direct conflict with us. When the divine is working and the personal are combined in our consciousness, it appears as a medium and condition.
Matter and Spirit are beginning-less. Matter is the primordial substance and it is ever changing possessor of infinite qualities, which grows and evolves. All actions arise from Prakriti (matter). The spirit is static, which can see, it can witness, and it is consciousness. It is the reality in man and he is perceiver of matter. He who has realized the spirit's (Purusha's) eternal silence and matter's (Prakriti's) cosmic dance may live in any walk of life. Realization of the Supreme Spirit may be achieved through meditation or knowledge (Sankhya Philosophy), or by the yoga of action & selfless service.
Spirit is in matter, it experiences the physical existence (a mortal life), but it is action-less and transcends space and time, but without Purusha there is no manifestation and no universe. Spirit is self-existent and all pervading, whether within the body or without the body. To know Purusha and Prakriti are one and the same is to know the truth. The truth of divinity in humanity is manifested as either the divine nature or human nature. The human soul has gloriously succeeded in emptying the all ignorance-night into his transcendental soul of eternal light. The transcendental soul has triumphantly sung the song of infinity, eternity and immortality in the aspiring heart of human consciousness.
Reference: Commentary of the Bhagavad Gita: The Song of The Transcendental Song by Sri Chinmoy
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