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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