The Beautiful Bhagavad Gita

Originally posted by WatchRider

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Originally posted by RRokkyy

The Bhagavad Gita was a beautiful teaching in its time.

There is now a NEW TEACHING.

Its still just as useful today as it was thousands of years ago. There are 100 000+ people trying to plug their own particular teaching as "The NEW teaching" - but who knows how many come close to the quality of the original.



[edit on 25-2-2010 by Skyfloating]

It is in the ancient wisdom of the original teachings that there is wisdom...

It is in the original mind that there is wisdom not the original teachings.

Teachings are just a tool.....

reply to post by Skyfloating


There are a bunch of different translations and versions of this book... is there any you would recomend?

Originally posted by Wisen Heimer
There are a bunch of different translations and versions of this book... is there any you would recomend?

I would not recommend any published by ISKCON because they put a spin of their belief-system on it. Any others posted in this thread or elsewhere are fine from what I can tell.

[edit on 26-2-2010 by Skyfloating]

Originally posted by gheybayten

1. it doesn't even pretend to answer the question why.

I'd take a guess to say you're prisoner of your representation of the world and that you've missed the point man because the book is very precisely proposing you a path toward the answer you're after.

it can't be spelled out to you, that's the thing you might not be able to undesrtand.

There are three stages to self-realization enunciated from the Bhagavad Gita:

Brahman - The impersonal universal energy
Paramatma - The Supreme Soul sitting in the heart of every living entity. Bhagavan - God as a personality, with a transcendental form.

above knowledge is meditation

reply to post by Skyfloating


"Yes, the Vedas could predate the Sumerian Culture. At the very least they occured at the same time. "

That brings me to my last observation to date..The Sumerian culture based on engravings appear to be of semitic orign apart from the occasional "reptialian" appearance of some characters. And the Vedic deities seem uniqe based soley on their skin color. So we have two ancient "super races" of appearant different genetic lines ..that may have been co-existing at the same time with close to the same level of sciencitific knowledge. It would seem to me to indicate that these two early "races" were competitors for domination of earth. As the Suumerian culture is long since dead.. and the Vedic-Hindu culture is still very much alive..I guess the blue bloods won! hehe So the best place to search for the origins of "man" homo sapiens would be..India and Vedic-Hind culture.



[edit on 27-2-2010 by jbmitch]

reply to post by jbmitch


The Blues beat the Reptilians and that is recorded biblically as the serpent vs God? Interesting idea.

reply to post by CuteAngel


Yes this topic is too complex for a person to accept these things at face value. You didnt get my point. When that divinity or that formless supreme being speaks through a body and uses that body totally for it's purpose that body is nothing but divine incarnate. Even if they didnt say it. Yes they also regarded constellations as gods or elements as gods, but that doesnt mean each and every character is some sort of metaphorical representation of nature. That too would be a blunder. Epics werent written on each and every God. Vishnu represents the dormant energy within each of us, that's why he shown lying down with his eyes closed. This dormant energy or male energy is supposed to be woken up by us in order to go up spiritually, through all the seven chakras, with the help of the female or moving energy which helps push the dormant energy up, i.e., his consort Lakshmi.

I dont know how you are putting all the gods under the category of solar gods as Rama was of Suryavanshi heritage, those who claim they are from the sun and Krishna was of Chandravanshi heritage, those who claim they are from the moon. HOWEVER, it is true that hindus do harness more of solar energy and muslims harness almost only lunar energy.

Ultimately, it's faith and experience. I am not claiming that ive seen any of this, but YOU cant categorically decide what the other person has seen or
not seen. The ancients wrote some very wise stories as you say, i think taking everything metaphorically would be as stupid as taking everything literally.

[edit on 28-2-2010 by Waftohush]

Thanks for the reminder Sky..
I have a copy on my bookshelf with my other religion/spiritual works, and I have not picked it up to glance it's pages in quite a while.
Time to blow off the dust...

reply to post by Skyfloating


"The Blues beat the Reptilians and that is recorded biblically as the serpent vs God? Interesting idea."

Well its an interesting transition from "super races" fighting for dominion of the surface if the earth..to "Abrahamic Version" of the begining of life on earth. If you give any credience to the "Native American" legends of how the "earth fathers" after suffering some defeat,,retreated to the inner earth. These "Earth Fathers" are shown as having reptilian facial features as depeicted by the Kachina Dolls of the Four Corners area of the American Southwest.

Makes me say Hummm, appearantly the Annunki are sometimes depecticed as having reptilian features in some of the Sumerian stella and clyinders recovered from the musem in Bagdad. Versus the Semetic features of some of the Mayan "First Fathers"...


[edit on 28-2-2010 by jbmitch]

I hope this is on topic.
I was reading this thread the night of the quake (I'm Chilean), then I came to brush my teeth and turn off the computer when it started.
Anyway, my bookshelf dropped some books, and since we splited our collection when my mom left me to get married with a guy in the south, I really don't know what books I have. She was very into mysticism like a decade ago...
and guess what. In the middle of the dissorder I found a copy of the book!. An old one, even with illustrations. I was about to start it tonight but a couple of friends lost their flat and I've been denying ignorance on ATS about our quake all day... so my mind has been busy... when everything stays calm again I'm so reading it, I really loved what was posted by Skyfloating and I was about to buy a new copy tomorrow!

Sometimes one needs to see the good on the bad, and even when like 20 crystal wineglasses where broke, I found this little jewel among my books

reply to post by Wisen Heimer


I have been reading and rereading the Gita for around 35 years. I've read more different translations than I can remember, but my very favorite is The Bhagavad Gita, Its Feeling and Philosophy by Swami B.V. Tripurari. His knowledge of all things Vedic, word-for-word translations of the Sanskrit, and eloquent purports of each verse make this the most illuminating and authoritative Gita I've read. It's available from Amazon.

After decades of interest in Hindu philosophy, recently I've been enjoying the esoteric mysticism of Vernon Howard, J. Krishnamurti and Eckhart Tolle. I highly recommend any of them. They dwell on the same philosophical ideas as the Gita, but strip away the Hindu cultural/historical influences (delightful though they are). For me, the message conveyed by these modern mystics is more direct. The Gita has always inspired me to study yoga, but esoterics has led me more directly to contemplation. It's all good though.

reply to post by Waftohush



"I dont know how you are putting all the gods under the category of solar gods as Rama was of Suryavanshi heritage, those who claim they are from the sun and Krishna was of Chandravanshi heritage, those who claim they are from the moon."

Does this imply a "split" within the Pantheism of the Vedic culture..were they at odds with one another? Where the wars that are depicted isolated to just the Hindu pantheon,,versus another culture like the Sumerians or Mayans ( if the time lines even match up for these ancient cultures).

And is there a prophetized return of these deities in the Vedic Cultures as there is with the Mayan and Sumerian culture?

[edit on 1-3-2010 by jbmitch]

reply to post by ::.mika.::


"
Brahman - The impersonal universal energy
Paramatma - The Supreme Soul sitting in the heart of every living entity. Bhagavan - God as a personality, with a transcendental form. "

Sounds like the "Trinity" of mainstream christianity.

reply to post by CuteAngel



"Its not exactly as you say it is. The blue and green colors do not signify aura or calmness as you think it does. It has something to do with evolution.
There is nothing to say that Krishna as well as Rama are from India, they could have very well been from Egypt or some where else. The epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha are NOT exactly how it happened. "

Through what authority do you make these statements,,are you classically educated in the Vedic text through some recognized august educational body i.e. the University of Bangor. You speak in absolutes, as if you are the definitive source of knowledge. Or is this conjecture and you are just strongly opinionated?

Originally posted by jbmitch
reply to post by ::.mika.::

 

"
Brahman - The impersonal universal energy
Paramatma - The Supreme Soul sitting in the heart of every living entity. Bhagavan - God as a personality, with a transcendental form. "

Sounds like the "Trinity" of mainstream christianity.

Gita is way older than Christianity my friend.

Originally posted by jbmitch
Brahman - The impersonal universal energy
Paramatma - The Supreme Soul sitting in the heart of every living entity. Bhagavan - God as a personality, with a transcendental form. "

Sounds like the "Trinity" of mainstream christianity.

The Christian Trinity probably is identical with this Hindu concept and similar concepts in other Religions.

[edit on 1-3-2010 by Skyfloating]

Originally posted by jbmitch
reply to post by CuteAngel

 

" There is nothing to say that Krishna as well as Rama are from India, they could have very well been from Egypt or some where else. The epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha are NOT exactly how it happened. "

Through what authority do you make these statements,,are you classically educated in the Vedic text through some recognized august educational body i.e. the University of Bangor. You speak in absolutes, as if you are the definitive source of knowledge. Or is this conjecture and you are just strongly opinionated?

There is lot of references in the scriptures about mentioning of the places where they were born (I mean Rama and Krishna). Based on scriptures Rama was born in Ayodhya and Krishna was born in Dwaraka, both these places are very well with in the boundaries of India. These are not just opinions my friend. I can read and write Sanskrit. The epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are not just stories; those are considered lessons for life in our culture and we still try to practice those lessons.

I dont know why a recognition from a body or University which has nothing to do with the culture has to validate it. How would they even know why Rama and Krishna are depicted in blue color? There are several different scriptures giving different color to Krishna like some saying peacock green, some saying blue black, some saying black as rain cloud etc..

I would just take all those valuable lessons from it rather arguing on the color and appearance of the Gods. Well you know God = Belief or strong assumption.

reply to post by Waftohush



I guess some are more interested in stories, rituals and worship as well as other practices. I am more interested in philosophy, metaphysics as well as meditation. And I believe that is what is important, nothing else.
Brahman is the eternal ocean of existence, Vishnu is the lotus that opens up in brahman to give rise to creation ( i.e the original agent/the sustain-er) or can be said the aspect of him that acts as the original agent or the aspect of him that desire came upon in the first place but even though it is the original agent it remains untouched like a dew flowing over the lotus. Out of that lotus sprang the first creation (i.e) brahma ( which is also equivalent to OM).
Which families Rama and Krishna were born into are not of any importance, what is important is that they both talked about brahman and worshiped him.
Now you can see why Vishnu is depicted as resting on top of the eternal ocean of existence and the from the lotus with the monosyllable OM, brahma emerges i.e the first creation. In essence Vishnu is the Lotus or the part as well as aspect of brahman that acts as the original agent but even though it is the original agent it remains untouched.

reply to post by jbmitch

Through what authority do you make these statements,,are you classically educated in the Vedic text through some recognized august educational body i.e. the University of Bangor. You speak in absolutes, as if you are the definitive source of knowledge. Or is this conjecture and you are just strongly opinionated?

The same authority with which you make posts.

For person questioning my authority on vedic scriptures you surely lack on what info the vedas contain.
The vedas has something to do with nature worship, it talks about the various properties of nature i.e the elements of nature and also worship of God by nature. It has NOTHING to do with the knowledge / worship of Brahman (the most high), it does not talk about brahman. The vedas contain very less to no authority.
The mahabaratha and ramayana are epics and do not come under the vedas as it does not impart any knowledge of the divine just epics with some morals.
A holy scripture is something that ought to impart sacred knowledge, the knowledge which tells you which is rite and which is wrong, it shows you the path (i.e) it provides you with knowledge about the kingdom of heaven, it tells you who or what God is, how he is known and our purpose here and now. It teaches how to evolve.
The only texts that provide that info (i.e) talks of brahman and imparts knowledge of brahman to a certain degree are the bhagvat gita, the upanishads as well as the Brahma sutras. They are the real holy scriptures.
The philosophy, metaphysics as well as process of evolution is given by them.
You dont need other people to tell you, God gave you a brain, he gave you a mind to comprehend with, a soul so as to enable you to function. Make use of these things. You dont need the so called people claiming themselves to be teachers (i.e) the gurus, the babas, so on and so forth. The manuscripts are available for you to learn. The only real teachers are people like krishna, rama as well as other people who gave the holy scriptures/wrote them down as well as your soul, nothing else you need. When the 'self' is ready the 'self' shall show you/shall know.

reply to post by Skyfloating


Brahman / Brahm: literally translates to "In awe of him / unknown"
He is described as "the primordial one/the unmanifested one (i.e him as a whole has not yet been created) / infinity (as well as infinite possibilities)/the eternal ocean of existence".
Brahman is not worshiped of men, i.e he is not someone who demads worship. He is seldom worshiped by men, he is very rarely known.
One of the metaphors / symbols of him is the eternal tree i.e is the tree eternally existing and the universe a mere reflection of him. He is someone who is known at the end of ones existence / purpose.
NO, its not the same as the christian trinity...