Happy New Year All!
We enjoyed reading Light on Life so much as a group last year and hope you did too. To start 2020, we’ve decided to delve into the Bhagavad-Gita. We’ve posted a short description (here) to offer you the background of the text.
Rather than asserting one authoritative reading of the Gītā and one interpretation, we encourage you to read and explore commentaries on the Bhagavad-Gita that resonate with you. We will have a chance to have an interactive discussion and share questions and reflections with the group. Some recommended commentaries are by Eknath Easwaran, Barbara Stoler Miller, and Graham M. Schweig – but these are not the only ones (citations here). The introduction to each translation will give you a good idea of the perspective of the translator.
For our first meeting, please Chapter I, Chapter II and read your translation’s introduction – as many of the nuances of the text will be addressed and provide a good foundation for understanding.
Chapter I: Chapter I begins on the physical battlefield, waiting for a catastrophic war to begin – Arujuna assesses the burdensome scene in front of him and describes to his charioteer, Krishna what he sees.
Chapter II: At the start of the chapter Sri Krishna calls out Arjuna’s vicissitude. As Arjuna’s spiritual teacher, it’s his duty to rouse Arjuna from his despair and set him on the path of correct action by means of knowledge and understanding.
Arujuna answers by asking the perennial questions about life and death. Does he have a soul? Does it survive death? Is there a deeper reality than the one we perceive in the world around us? If so, is it possible to know it directly, and (for Arjuna is always practical) what effect does such knowing have in everyday life? In his response, Krishna touches on almost all the main themes and concepts present in the Gītā giving the reader an overview of the sixteen remaining chapters. (Krishna’s dialog II.55-72.)
See you on 16 January 2020!!
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