The Mahabharata is one of the great texts of Asian Philosophy. It is one of the two main texts that influenced the philosophies and culture of India and Southeast Asia (1). It is an epic that had great historical significance and encompasses much of the ethics and religious teachings of the Hindu culture through story and lesson (2). Within the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita. It is located in the middle of the epic within a section containing only about 700 verses (3). In comparison to the entire Mahabharata, this is only a small subset. Overall, The Bhagavad-Gita is symbolizes the struggle between ‘ego’ and ‘higher nature’ (4). The underlying themes in this text are used as tools in the teachings of Yoga; the teachings of unity of the mind and body, calmness, practice and spirituality (5). The Gita speaks of awareness and what one needs to do to achieve enlightenment, while also providing the steps to do so.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Yoga and Sankhya are discussed. Sankhya encompasses the idea that purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (nature) joining in unison is the bases for the universe. The purusha refers to atman. Atman is the Self or the eternal person. Prakriti is what is fundamentally natural. The three gunas sattva, rajas, and tamas demonstrate this. Sattva is peace and serenity, like sunlight. Rajas is activity and restlessness like lightning, and laziness and stupidity like a rock (6). The major theme in this is that most would assume that enlightenment is sattva, but even peace and serenity have to be overcome.
To really understand the difference between Sankhya and Yoga more explanation is necessary. Sankhya and Yoga is like knowledge and action. Although they seem separate, they are rooted in ...
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... can focus their attention on God and the self. (8)
The Asanas are the poses that provide discipline to the body and the mind through a physical means. The places focus on the distribution of energy. Going into the pose creates it, holding the pose organizes it and circulates it through the body, and coming out of the pose holds and keeps the energy. When these poses become rhythmic and effortless, the body, mind and self come together to isvara pranidhana, which is devotion to God. Pranayama controls the mind while pratyahara detaches one from the world around them like their senses and perceptions. Within breath control one can move to the stage of pratyahara to move inward and detach from their senses and desires. (8)
These last three are very interconnected and are the meditative stages. The Bhagavad Gita provides instructions on how to achieve this:
In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
Yoga is a discipline with a scientific background that was developed over 2000 years ago. In this system of self-development the restless mind is calmed and energy is placed into constructive channels. It is not a religion as some people may be led to believe. It is a philosophy of life. The lessons learned are just as relevant today as they were when they were first created, still keeping the main principle that before you can train your mind to reach a higher consciousness you must first discipline your body. Yoga's popularity is largely due to its wide range of benefits, including therapeutic effects, muscle toning, energy increasing and concentration of the mind.
The founder of Buddhism was a man named Siddharta Gautama. He was born as a prince of a small kingdom located near today’s Nepal, around 500 B.C.E. (Gurinder 1). According to the legends, Siddharta was raised in the lap of luxury. He was given the finest clothes, riches, and a mansion for every season (Fisher 136). Despite having anything his imagination could conjure, he was unconvinced of their value (136). As the story continues, he was presented with the four sights that were being kept from him (136). These sights included death, sickness, old age, and a monk seeking lasting happiness rather than material possessions (136). After these sights, Sidhharta began his long path to enlightenment. After six years of searching, he had reached his goal of an ultimate consciousness called Nirvana, or enlightenment that is above ordinary human states of mind (Gurinder, Numrich, Williams 1-2). After his discovery of the ultimate consciousness, he was given the title of Buhhda, which means “Enlighten One” (2).
Upon the reading of chapters 1-6 of the Great Scripture of Hinduism, The Bhagavad Gita (the 'Lord's Song';), I am completely and utterly fascinated. The story's emphasis on selfless acts, devotion, and meditation is like no other I have ever encountered before. Through the narration of Sanjaya and the conversation of Sri Krishna (Vishnu incarnate) and Prince Arjuna, the principles of Hinduism are eloquently illustrated.
Hatha yoga enhances the capacity of the physical body through the use of a series of body postures, movements, and breathing techniques.
This modern day translation of the Bhagavad Gita, written by Barbara Stoller Miller, focused briefly on Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War. It was a fairly short yet in depth description of Hindu beliefs and the conflicts that humans encounter when deciding which path to follow. The translation is in poetic form, and is divided between eighteen teachings, or chapters if you will. Each teaching focuses on one discipline of the mind, revealed through the Hindi god Krishna, to the man seeking knowledge at the time of his life’s most crucial stage, Arjuna.
Hiltebeitel, Alf. Rethinking the Mahābhārata: A Reader's Guide to the Education of the Dharma King. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2001. Print.
Nirvana is a word that is commonly used in Buddhism with varied meanings depending on the use. It means the state of blowing out from certain detractors in life. To “blow out” has great meaning and refers wholly to the extinguishing or dispelling of oneself from certain characters that are considered to be iniquitous. It is characterized by peace of mind and it saves man from the sufferings, the cycles of rebirth, and death. Nirvana could only be achieved by individuals who observed the laid down rules and detached themselves from sin. Moksha is a common belief in the Hindu religion and it describes a state where one’s soul connects with god’s soul. In the Hindu religion, achieving moksha removes one from the cycle of life and death, which is the state of reincarnation as one moves from one life to the next. In essence, moksha is a state of unification of one’s soul with that of the creator, therefore achieving oneness of atman and Brahman. This essay discusses the various similarities and differences that exist between Buddhist Nirvana and Hindu Moksha.
Yoga is the practice of active stretching and also involves the art of meditation. No one knows when this practice started, but it predates written history. Various stone carvings have been found in archeological sites in the Indus Valley depicting figures in Yoga positions. These carvings are thought to be dating back to at least 5,000 years or more. The most common mistake people make is associating Hinduism with Yoga; Yoga, however, came along way before Hinduism evolved into a religion and incorporated the practices and ideas of Yoga into its religion. Yoga as a tradition has always been passed down from teacher to student through word of mouth and practical demonstration. Therefore, the practice of Yoga and its techniques are based solely on the combined experiences of individual spanning over thousands of years. One of the earliest documents about Yoga was written by a scholar named Patanjali; He established the most widely recognized theories and practices used in Yoga called Yoga Sutras dating between the 1st or 2nd century BC or as late as the 5th century AD. The method he compiled is known as “Ashtanga Yoga,” or the eight limbs of Yoga. This practice is what is commonly known today as Classical Yoga. The eight steps are:
Atman supplies light to the intellect itself and therefore it is above all these instruments utilized by it.” Personally, among the three margas (karma-bhakti-jnana) in Hinduism to attain Kaivalya, I am attracted and influenced by the karma marga or also called as kriya yoga. Karma means work or action and involves connecting with God by performing one’s duty. Bhagvad Gita is an example of Karma Marga, Mahatma Gandhi is a great example of the notion. The main idea of Karma yoga is – do your duty and do not be concerned with the results.
The goal of Buddhist meditation is to detach oneself from desires and objects which are the cause of suffering. Other forms of meditation, while differing in terms of their metaphysical grounding (1), effectively separate the individual from the transitory nature of the world. In prayer, the effort is largely mental, but Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Zen meditation also involve the body. Body positioning is important to the meditation, and in Zen, the object is to have as little tension as possible in the body. "The body has a way of communicating outwardly to the world and inwardly to oneself. How you position your body has a lot to do with what happens with your mind and your breath . . . Although [Zen meditation] looks very disciplined, the muscles should be soft. There should be no tension in the body" (2). The correlation of physical states with mental states in meditation reinforces the correspondence between neural functions and behavior.
The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless example of how Hinduism can be applied and seen in Indian life. It also enforces the example of how Hinduism is the heart of India by demonstrating the qualities of ancient Indian culture. These beliefs although outdated, are also seen manifesting in many important values, such as Buddhism, which will be discussed later. It is in this document that both sets of beliefs which provide the foundation of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs are combined.
Also with abundance of history relating not only to Hinduism but as well as the backdrop of the story which was the beautiful city of Hastinapura, located on Ganges River, gave me a topographical sense where the city was located therefore providing a connection within me and the epic. There are many topics in which I can analyze and respond about the epic but I will discuss the author Vyasa who is said to be credited for the writing and his important role in the epic also I will describe the epic The Mahabharata and how dharma and fate influences its characters throughout the story and elaborating on the dice game which eventually lead to the declaration of war between the Kauravas and Pandavas clans. Another topic is how dharma is still used to influence society today in India.
Yoga could be described as the practice of holding different poses, and using diferrent breathing techniques that strengthens the mind and body, by bringing the practitioner into a new state of awareness. The practice of yoga increases blood flow to internal organs, brings more oxygen to the cells in your body, while strengthening and calming the nervous system. There are many different types of yoga. In the United States the most widely practiced form is known as Hatha, which is a combination of poses taken from all types of yoga b...
For Hinduism, the ultimate liberation is returning to Braham. According to Bhagavad Gita, there are three ways of practice that lead to liberation.¬¬¬¬. These are janna-yoga (the way of knowledge), bhakti- yoga (the practice of devotion) and karma-yoga (the course of action). In other words, one can practice any of these methods to achieve union with God. This paper I will analyze some important aspects of bhakti-yoga and how it can lead one to attain ultimate liberation—return to Atman. In doing this investigation, I hope to help the reader broaden their knowledge on liberation in Hinduism. As Radhakrishnan says we may climb the mountain from different paths, but the view from the summit is identical for all.