The Bhagavad-Gita is the Gospel of Hinduism. Its authorship is attributed largely to the ancient Indian scribe, Vyasa, who was typically seen as an avatar for the God Vishnu. While only a very small segment of the Hindu holy book, the Mahabharata, the Gita has been looked at through the ages as one of the great religious classics. Many past political leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, have drawn heavily upon the wisdom it contains. Today, the Bhagavad-Gita is still read by Hindus and philosophers alike as a continuing source of inspiration and reflection.
Similar to The Old Testament of the bible, the Gita is an allegorical story rather than an abrasive exposition of doctrine. The story itself centers on a major war that is about to occur in India. The leader of one side, Arjuna, sees loved ones and kinsmen across the battlefield, and upon realization of the fact that he will have to kill them, he slumps into sadness and refuses to fight. His chariot driver, Krishna then relates to him the many lessons of the book.
The first lesson, or yoga, that Krishna tells to Arjuna is the Yoga of Knowledge. In this, Krishna stresses to Arjuna that he need not be upset by the notion of killing his kinsmen. This is due to the fact that one can never have their soul, their atman, harmed. Krishna explains that since the atman never dies, is never born, and is truly eternal, then it is unnecessary to worry about one’s body. He analogizes that, “Worn-out garments are shed by the body: Worn-out bodies are shed by the dweller within the body. New bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments.”. That is to say, a physical body is simply a shell for the all-important atman.
This revelation is significant on multiple levels. For one, it provides hope and perspective for those in physical or mental pain. If an individual can distance themselves from a life of hardships that is beyond their control, they will live a happier life. Additionally, if one believes that the atman is paramount over the body, it allows them to accept death more comfortably, as is Arjuna’s position.
The Bhagavad-Gita continues with Krishna providing Arjuna with many more yogas on things including meditation and proper action. It’s not until the end, however, that the key philosophical and religious teaching of the text is brought forth.
The final yoga that Krishna reveals is The Yoga of Mysticism. This principle can be contrasted to The Yoga of Knowledge in various ways. In this teaching, Krishna grants to Arjuna a mystic experience. That is, Arjuna is permitted to see God and the way in which all things are one with God. It is something of a mysterious passage, as stated by Krishna himself, “Although I am not within any creature, all creatures exist within me. I do not mean they exist within me physically. That is my divine mystery. You must try to understand its nature.”
This section of the Gita continues with Krishna’s divulgement of the way that everything is singular and that through mysticism an individual can experience the bliss of direct union with God. The reason, he says, that we aren’t able to enjoy such a union at all times is because of The Veil of Maya, or simply Maya.
The Yogas of Mysticism and Knowledge are similar in ways. When one knows their atman, as taught by the Yoga of Knowledge, they are able to break away from their ego. It is because of man’s ego, his illusionary sense of self, that all suffering occurs. Since the atman is eternal, and the physical body is merely a vessel, all pain imposed upon us a construction of said ego. When one trains themselves to see beyond the ego, the atman is allowed to flourish. A kind of liberation is achieved and the suffering inherent in life is forgotten.
This liberation is necessarily the mystic experience that Krishna imparts to Arjuna in The Yoga of Mysticism. From this we see that these two yogas are linearly connected. Once The Yoga of Knowledge is mastered, one is able to advance to The Yoga of Mysticism.
When an individual experiences a moment of liberation through mysticism and views oneness, there is little else for them to dwell upon. Like the characters in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, when the figure is freed from being chained to the wall, only seeing shadows across from them, they have little desire to go back to such an existence. Likewise, one that has realized the oneness of God has little desire to go back into the cave.
The gospel of the Bhagavad-Gita teaches six different yogas. These are only two, but they can be identified as the two most critical of the text. They provide a framework for living a more fulfilling life. Whether one reads the Gita literally and takes its lessons as a means to become closer to God or it is read as a collection of philosophies for the sake of thinking differently, the Gita provides insight to real, and metaphoric, liberation.
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