Posted: December 29th 2009
logicel
I regard the Gita as predominately focusing on the monotheist aspects of Hinduism, especially with its inclusion of bhakti yoga, that is, loving devotion to god. Therefore, being an atheist, the very undercurrent of what often is an intriguing and somewhat psychologically comforting story, especially when chanted, does not speak to me directly.
And the only way I could indirectly acquire any wisdom from this inspirational text, would be to consider it allegorical. Several major interpreters do regard it in this manner, hence it being the basis of pacifist tactics despite it being a call to arms if taken literally with the condoning of 'just’ war by no one other than Krishna (god).
The Gita can be perceived as a kind of a dark horse or even a Trojan one for the West. Gandhi, inspired greatly by the Gita in his construction of his civil obedience strategy which weakened considerably the British Empire, in turn inspired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who, let’s say, put a rather large dent in the social/political acceptance of racism in America. Does the holy book of the Christians, often touted as a force for good, come even close to being indirectly linked to such achievements?
The focusing on the eternal soul, the atman, as being the true reality, is what I consider a potent self-medicating ploy in order to sustain oneself in difficult situations. It can also be a type of psychological coercion for people to put themselves willingly in dangerous situations so the powers-to-be can reap the fruits of those sacrifices.
What we need to be inspired by is how finite our lives are. Maybe then, we will live within our means without puffing up ourselves with such vainglory as believing we possess eternal bits like a soul and in the existence of a supreme being to which those bits will go a-cleaving to eventually. We can be emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually (minus the supernatural) grounded and kept humble by the reality for what we have evidence.
Posted: January 1st 2010