Bhagavad Gita Sparknotes

Jane Ellis
Professor Adam Miller
Comparative religion September 20, 2010

Bhagavad-Gita

Throughout the Bhagavad-Gita, one reoccurring theme was detachment through the practice of discipline, creates an evenness of mind. To obtain joy you need to let go of the desire of joy itself. The detachment of one’s own desires is called liberation and the only way to get there is through discipline. The verse from the second teaching is important to an overall understanding of the Gitas sense of liberation, because it focuses on finding balance within oneself through the practice of discipline.

The passage I have chosen is taken from the second teaching verse 48:
“perform actions, firm in discipline relinquishing attachment; be impartial to failure and success- this equanimity is called discipline( Gita-38).”
The passage is taken from Bhagavad-Gita, which is a sacred Hindu text. The Bhagavad was written in the first century A.D and is part of the Mahabharata. This book starts on the battlefield of Kurakshetta, where two brothers are battling over their families’ kingdom. The Gila is the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna leading up to the battle. Grief and pity right before the battle overcomes Arjuna, which is the youngest brothers’ son. The god Krishna explains to Arjuna his dharma duty to fight so he can restore his own karma. The overall themes of the text are understanding dharma, how to be liberated, and a love beyond desire. Im going to focus on how Krishna explains the path of liberation.

This passage proposes stepping outside the praise of success or the condemnation of
failure, a person will find liberation through the practice of discipline. The argument in standard format is;
Reason 1: perform actions firm in discipline relinquishing attachment
Reason 2: be impartial to failure and success
Claim: this equanimity is called discipline
When looking at the first reason “perform actions firm in discipline relinquishing attachment (Gita-38).” This extends the thought that you need to separate ones greed and follow through without faulting. Being consistent in practicing detachment from seeking money and monetary things will enable a clear path to dharma. The Gita repeatedly states that there are four paths, which you can choose to obtain what Krishna calls dharma. All four of the yoga paths all center around one fact; being disciplined within yourself. This is the only way to get to a state of liberation and balance. Without this calmness of mind, a person cannot be connected with God. When a person is no longer seeking personal gain or success, they focus on the course of action. The second statement is justified by the following “be impartial to failure and success (Gita- 38).” The definition for Impartial means not to be effected by the “action” good or bad. This is a very important part in practicing discipline. Since you have to act without wanting personal gain from the actions. The only way to be liberated from yourself is through being impartial to the fruits of your actions. The most important word in this verse is “equanimity” meaning an evenness of mind, to be serene, to be balanced. It pulls all the above reasons together , to be be impartial and detached you achieve equanimity. You will become disciplined; and from that gain inner balance.
My standpoint helps support this by stating to detach yourself is to be of a disciplined mind. Also in the second teaching Krishna says “A man of inner strength whose sense experience objects without attraction and hatred in self control, find serenity (Gita-42.” Krishna comes back to this point repeatedly throughout the text. You can find joy in your desires and find joy in a loved one. Theses joys are all temporary and false. Eventually a person is going to realize that that immediate joy is not enough and that looking to please yourself is a black hole. People are far too concerned with what could have been, or what was. The moment of now passes without detection. You have to discipline your mind to focus on this moment and not to worry or care about the fruits of the actions you make in your day-to-day life. This discipline is a hard task for people, and does not come natural to us. People without realizing have 500 ideas go through their mind in a single second and before they notice they are not in the present but stuck thinking in the abstract. Desire clouds your mind and makes it impossible to concentrate on the moment you are in. With discipline of mind, a person can calm his mind and acknowledge the task at hand. Krishna says “without discipline, he has no understanding or inner power without inner power he has no peace, and without peace where is joy (Gita-41)? “ The thing that everyone is looking for is right in front of him or her, and it is that moment. Being disciplined, your mind is at ease and it sees the raindrop falling on the flower instead of rushing through it trying to get to work. Yamamoto has a famous quote saying; There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road.
But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking.
This understanding extends to everything (Yamamoto Tsunetomo -Hagakure).
My argument brings up a very important part in the text. There can be no liberation or joy without possessing a balanced and disciplined mind. A movie called the Peaceful Warrior released in 2006 is based around this idea of discipline and being liberated from ones desires. From the start of the movie, Dan is a college student but is more focused on winning the gymnastic National Championship. He has all the physical abilities and power but cannot get over his psychological restlessness. He randomly meets an older man at a gas station and Dan quickly becomes drawn to him. Dan nicknames this old man Socrates because of his knowledge and calmness. Dan wants to learn how to have his mind calm and be at peace with things, so he can win his championship. The main concept of the old man’s “Socrates” philosophy is that one must live entirely in the present moment. Another important teaching was that at no time is "nothing going on" and the idea that the only appropriate time is the present. The old man makes Dan do a lot of work and slowly Dan stops complaining about doing it and Dan slowly learns to appreciate every little moment. He views the journey toward a goal as more meaningful and significant than the attainment and learns to put all his effort into the present moment. Doing this dissolves Dans anger and foggy mind and increasing his gymnastic ability. Krishna says that discipline will dissolve ones sorrow and then a person can finally find joy. This story backs up the idea that all Dan wanted was to be the best he could be at gymnastics, that the desire is what destroyed him. When he finally let go of his desire and found joy and with joy came liberation. Throughout the lesson, Dan learns absolutely nothing about his mentor, other than the philosophy, Socrates' belief that service is the noblest action possible. This is why he chooses to work as a car technician. Allot like how Krishna comes into the Gita as a servant, and shines his philosophy unto Arjuna. The Bhagavad-Gita focuses on how we can escape from the attachment we have with our desires.
That liberation is not possible for those who remain amidst in themselves. A person can only overcome the limitations of ones’ own desires through the path of self-discipline and a calmness of mind. Only a balanced mind can establish a union with God and
liberation.

Work cited

The Bhagavad-Gita. Trans. Barbara s. Miller. New York: bantam dell, 2004. 1-42. Print.

Tsunetomo, Yamamoto. Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai. Trans. William S. Wilson. N.p.: Kodansha International, 2002. 1-192. Print.

imdb.com. IMDB, 2006. Web. 22 Sept. 2010.