When I started reading Bhagavad-Gita, I was very much annoyed at Krishna, and I thought Arjuna was a very loyal character by insisting that he did not want to fight in the war. I admired him for knowing it was wrong. I expected him to stand up for his belief and not let himself be convinced by Krishna. But then as we continued reading the teachings and understanding them, I actually agreed with Krishna in some points and some of the values he talked about, I could totally get them and maybe apply them. As long as I didn't remember that it was all about convincing Arjuna of his wisdom, therefore that he should fight in war. For example, one of the points Krishna talked about that I really liked was this one:
“But when a man finds delight
within himself and feels inner joy,
and pure contentment in himself,
there is nothing more to be done.” (45)
But right after he said this, he started talking about action and how we should be “detached” from everything. I don't believe you should be detached. In fact, I think that to understand ourselves and our surroundings better, we should actually attach ourselves to matters or issues. But in general, I think that with Bhagavad-Gita I learnt a lot about how a different culture might view war, humanity, and values in comparison to how we view war, humanity, and values. I can't say I agreed with this book in all that it stated, but I saw a different perspective that was definitely interesting. When Arjuna said, "Krishna, my delusion is destroyed, and by your grace I have regained memory; I stand here, my doubt dispelled, ready to act on your words.”(145), I thought it wasn't necessarily that Arjuna was going to fight in the war but rather that he is not in doubt anymore about what he should do and is doing what he thinks is right according to Krishna's teachings. I think all that Krishna said left options open for Arjuna.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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