Philosophy about East Asia Religions
Friday, September 28, 2018
Hinduism Part II
The Bhagavad Gita
It is part of larger text ( the largest text), the Mahabharata
A collection of tales of heroes and gods
Similar in some ways to Homer’s lliad and Odyssey
Does not have a single named author
Claim: that is a text that emerges as Hinduism wrestles with the success of Buddhism
In particular, the emphasis on the Middle Way and the non-necessarily f the ascetic life
Character:
Arjuna Warrior: a heroic archer with a special bow
Krishna Charioteer: God incarnate
Trimurti: a kind divine trinity, the three most fundamental gods
Creator: Brahman
Sustainer: Vishnu
Destroyer: Shiva
Each of the Trimurti (and other deities) have many avatars (visible, material incarnations)
Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu
Often portrayed in iconography with blue skin
The Story So Far
Arjuna is fighting on one side of a war, but closely related to people on the side
Torn between his role as a warrior and his role as a friends / family member
Krishna’s advice; fight!
He is a warrior (as determinate by his caste)
Killing is not serious as Arjuna thinks it is, because of reincarnation
Sidenote about Caste
In Indian codify (especially at the time of the Gila), there are four castes (and the Dalit)
Which caste you are born int determine your place in the world
It is the warrior castes job to fight in just wars/battles
Krishna’s advice on how to fight
The problem you are having (suffering from indecision) comes from your attachments
You should act, not to win or get glory, but merely because it is your duty
Act in a desire-less way
(note the similarity to Buddhism)
Another aspect of living well submission
Rather than acting on desires, do what someone else tells you to do
Write submitting to husband
students submitting to teacher
Soldier submitting to general
But is not submission sometimes an opportunity for abuse?
submission is not always good, in those situations you a=should not submit
To whom should we submit?
Has virtue
Acts too good causes / reasons
(hello plato, a philosopher who has mastered the appetitive and spirited parts of the soul)
Knowledge (perfect)
Submit yourselves to God
Every human will fall you, so your submission to humans will always be conditional
Which god?
It does not really matter
But do no try to submit to all / many of them, be dedicated to a single, personal God
Henotheism: practical monotheism, with a deeper pantheism underneath it:
Krishna suggests the Arjuna submit to Krishna
But other deities would do
problem for next time
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