Spiritual Enrichment

 

In the line of spiritual progress and for the cultivation of true knowledge the most interpreted creation from the Indian context was the Bhagavadgita. It is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that was developed as an inseparable part of the epic Mahabharata (chapters 23 to 40 of book 6 of the Epic called the Bhishma Parva), dated to the second half of the first millennium BCE. It was also identified as a typical of the Vedic synthesis having integration of Vedantic, Sankhyic and Yoga Philosophy of Indian origin. It is considered to be one of the Holy Scriptures for people of places developed and ruled by Aryans[1]. The philosophical issues and doubts developed in the mind of a warrior amidst a battle field were attended efficiently by lord Krishna. His discourse on various spiritual issues went on far beyond the scope of the war with which the fellow warrior was dealing[2].  Theistic scholars interpreted the term Bhagavadgita as “Rhe Words of God[3].”  The Iswara Gita, Hari Gita, Ananta Gita, Vyasa Gita and some other creations are the diverged dimensions of the same creation represented by Veda Vyasa in the epic[4].  The basic creation of the integrated spiritual teachings in the form of a poetic dialogue is developed primarily by sage Veda Vyasa[5]. Different saints might have added different parts in the holy book time to time to make the creation enriched one. That is why gradual integration of Vedantic, Yogic and Sankhya philosophy went on continuing through ages[6]. Perhaps with the same effort of integration of various teachings the epic Mahabharata was also growing. Along with different evidences it is confirmed that the holy book was compiled by many authors and was also enriched time to time by many saints[7].

Second century BCE would be the probable time when the compilation of the Gita came in practice and the series of modifications went on periodically afterwards[8]. Probably the latest date of compilation of the holy book would be around the first century CE[9]. The holy book was compiled during the age when ethics of war was under a question mark and importance of renunciation was gaining popularity[10].

The Bhagavadgita principally deals with the spiritual ascent of an individual through ladders of duties and enlightenment of the self through gaining proper culmination of knowledge, devotion and services as are required for attainment of renunciation[11]. It is a great synthesis of impersonal spiritual monism with the personal god[12].  700[13] verses of Bhagavadgita are structured in several ancient Indian poetic meters incorporated in 118 different chapters. Different chapters are interpreted differently by thinkers and philosophers time to time.

The main focus of the discussion will be on the way Acharya Vinoba developed a comprehensive thought process alongside the normal confluence of the conversation between the God and the warrior. It was judged accordingly to work out the relevance of the teachings of Gita on the basis of present day context. War like situation is still there in and around us and us all aspire for an abled guidance from masterly instructions for overcoming the situation. The Upanishadic concept of absolute reality, a sharp deviation from the ritual driven Vedic Religion, is advanced by teachings of the Gita[14]. A focus upon a neuter principle is also advanced by this holy book at different places[15]. Atman[16] as a foundational concept is established by the principles of the Gita[17].  It also accepts Atman as a pure, unchanging and real essence of the self. An effort to combine Sankhya and Vedanta Philosophy with a clear apprehension of addressing the individual refinement through culmination of knowledge, devotion and performed actions is dealt efficiently in the holy book. It was, in that context of an effort to linking up different schools of philosophy, can be considered as an effort of reviving the spiritual faith of people during epic age.

“Atman = Brahman” as duly developed by Upanishads has maintained the central position in the Bhagavadgita[18]. The paths of knowledge, devotion or actions (performing duties) lead ultimately to renunciation. The perfect combination of the entire three paths determines the basic human nature of an individual[19] .  Gita upholds the necessity of performing duties in society[20] . One should not escape or try to keep aside from the Karma or performing duties in society.

The simplicity and normal confluence with which lectures delivered by Acharya Vinoba Bhave has made the critical parts of the holy book easy to assimilate and internalise alongside the ever changing context of the society. It can be considered as an address to the world. Because of that reason the entire lecture series having combination of eighteen chatters are duly incorporated along with the recent study.

We directly gain such a spark of the accumulation of the divine power within ourselves through cultivation of knowledge. Saints in olden time wanted to simplify the holy teachings for the purpose of making such teachings easy to assimilate for individuals of different walks of life. A state of confusion regarding duty of an individual in a society may develop at any time. It may even spoil the credential of an individual in society. Such a state of confusion may even give birth to a self-centered apprehension of doing things. Such a state of self-centered conduct may further lead to a state of violent ego. Person getting inflicted with such a state of violent ego may give birth to a conflict. It is also true that one can overcome the situation of the development of such a state of violent ego through cultivation of true knowledge. Bhagvadgita insists on gaining such kind of true knowledge which can ignite the mind with a feeling of the divine omnipresence.

Teachings of Bhagvadgita has its root duly converged from some prominent sources like Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga Philosophy and Sankhya Philosophy. Gita has successfully brought culmination of all the major schools of Indian philosophy for making the teachings of the Gita widely applicable and perpetually relevant. Gita also narrates the nature of conflicts and the role of knowledge, devotion and action to address such conflicts at different fronts. A warrior should attend a war for safeguarding the dependent ones; a saint should remain indulged in worshipping the holy master; a teacher should cultivate the true knowledge and also should pass on the same to the fellow students. Duty of a warrior should not be taken up with priority by any priest. Performing the duty in particular depends on the state of mind for which the intellectual sanction is ensured. Without putting oneself in a definite role in society one cannot confer about the type of duties to be accomplished at any instances. We simply put ourselves in a war front as a warrior and start delivering our duty as a perfect warrior. Swadharma (or duty of an individual in particular) is the state of mind for which the preparedness and knowledge acquisition was accomplished.

On the basis of the above discussion we can easily consider The Gita as a holy book of instructions and self-actualized guidance for which we often rely upon the Divine. We can coin any name for our Divine master, but only name cannot alter its identity and character in particular. Our feelings pass on silently for accepting the supremacy such a guiding force having adequate hold upon our understanding and awareness. It will even facilitate us for attainment of some sort of completeness in due course of time.

Spirituality became disconnected from traditional religious groups and institutions in due course of time;[21] got prominence in social and political movement of different kinds. Vedic texts and epics were translated in other languages which influenced growth of spirituality beyond the scope of religion and tradition. Role of The Bhagavadgita cannot be ignored in this regard; it was the mostly interpreted source of Holy Scriptures of Indian origin; a balanced scripture which was developed to integrate thought process of Veda, Sankhya and Yoga philosophy to elaborate possibilities and scope of spiritual ascent duly availed to aspirants from all walks of life. Spirituality was there in Asian religions in the form of secret teachings.[22] Neo- Vedanta concept and universalism of thought process was also explored during instances of global conflict to bifurcate Spirituality while remaining independent of culture and traditions dully inflicted with religion, custom and traditions.[23] Contribution of saints like Sage Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Acharya Vinoba and others cannot be ruled out. Advaita Vedanta was the central doctrine of the development of Spirituality during colonial rule in India. Exchange of ideas between western world and India paved a path of further development in this field for seeking subtle convergence in development of spirituality; it became more oriented on subjective experience;[24]  instead of accommodating oneself in the restricted ontological context.[25] Meditation became a strong tool leading an individual to experience self actualisation.[26] Traditional doctrine encompasses spiritual progress through three distinct paths: the way of Knowledge, the way of devotion and the way of offering selfless services; there may be various combinations of all the three specified paths; even follower of all the three paths can have such eligibility.[27]  Jnana Marga (the path of Knowledge) is the way of seeking self-realisation under the sincere guidance of a spiritual master (Guru).[28] The scope of this volume of publication is to encompass development of spirituality through practices of knowledge and Science (Jnana- Vijnana). Ultimate objective of practices of Yoga is to attain renunciation of the world; a state where universal truth can be realised; where stability of memory and intellect on the Divine subject can be ensured due to diffusion of mind; where spheres of the bodily existence of the senses on worldly manifestations can be experienced as exhibits of the Divine.[29]

 

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[1] Davis, Richard H. (2014), The 'Bhagavad Gita': A Biography, Princeton University Press, ISBN 9780691139968

[2] Sargeant, Winthrop (2009), Christopher Key Chapple (ed.), The Bhagavad Gītā: Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-1-4384-2841-3

[3] Swami Prabhavananda; Christopher Isherwood (2002). Bhagavad-Gita: The words of God. Signet Classic. ISBN 978-0-451-52844-5.

[4] Sharma, Arvind (1986). The Hindu Gītā: Ancient and Classical Interpretations of the Bhagavadgītā. London: Open Court. ISBN 978-0-8126-9013-2.

[5] Fowler, Jeaneane D (2012), The Bhagavad Gita: A Text and Commentary for Students, Eastbourne: Sussex Academy Press, ISBN 978-1-84519-520-5

[6] Upadhyaya, Kashi Nath (1998), Early Buddhism and the Bhagavadgītā, Motilal Banarsidass Publ, ISBN 978-81-208-0880-5

[7] Minor 1982, p. xxxiv, Quote: "Therefore, instead of the traditional view of authorship, many scholars have argued that the Gita is not the work of one author but a composite work.".

[8] Fowler, Jeaneane D (2012), The Bhagavad Gita: A Text and Commentary for Students, Eastbourne: Sussex Academy Press, ISBN 978-1-84519-520-5

[9] Upadhyaya, Kashi Nath (1998), Early Buddhism and the Bhagavadgītā, Motilal Banarsidass Publ, ISBN 978-81-208-0880-5

[10] Arthur Llewellyn Basham (1991). The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism. Oxford University Press. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-0-19-507349-2.

[11] Robin Gill (2017). Moral Passion and Christian Ethics. Cambridge University Press. pp. 129–130. ISBN 978-1-107-17682-9.

[12] Raju, P.T. (1992), The Philosophical Traditions of India, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited

[13] Minor 1982, pp. l–li, Quote: "The current text of the Bhagavad Gita is well-preserved with relatively few variant readings and none quite serious. This is especially remarkable in the light of the numerous variants for the remainder of the Mahabharata, some of which are quite serious. Secondary insertions are found in individual manuscripts of the Gita, but these are clearly secondary. The number of stanzas in the Gita is 700, a number confirmed by Shankara, and possibly deliberately chosen in order to prevent interpolations."

[14] Zaehner, R.C. (1969), The Bhagavad Gītā, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-501666-1

[15] Zaehner, R.C. (1969), The Bhagavad Gītā, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-501666-1

[16] Atman is a Sanskrit word which refers to the Good Self or Self extent essence of the individual.

[17] Fowler, Jeaneane D (2012), The Bhagavad Gita: A Text and Commentary for Students, Eastbourne: Sussex Academy Press, ISBN 978-1-84519-520-5

[18] Fowler, Jeaneane D (2012), The Bhagavad Gita: A Text and Commentary for Students, Eastbourne: Sussex Academy Press, ISBN 978-1-84519-520-5

[19] Franklin Edgerton (1952). The Bhagavad Gita, Part 2. Harvard University Press. pp. 44–45 with footnotes, context: pp. 30–54 (Part 2).

[20] Fowler, Jeaneane D (2012), The Bhagavad Gita: A Text and Commentary for Students, Eastbourne: Sussex Academy Press, ISBN 978-1-84519-520-5

[21] Snyder, C.R.; Lopez, Shane J. (2007), Positive Psychology, Sage Publications, Inc., ISBN 978-0-7619-2633-7

[22] McMahan, David L. (2008), The Making of Buddhist Modernism, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-518327-6

[23] Roy, Sumita (2003), Aldous Huxley And Indian Thought, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd

[24] Waaijman, Kees (2000), Spiritualiteit. Vormen, grondslagen, methoden, Kampen/Gent: Kok/Carmelitana

[25] Saucier, Gerard; Skrzypinska, Katarzyna (1 October 2006). "Spiritual But Not Religious? Evidence for Two Independent Dispositions" (PDF). Journal of Personality. 74 (5): 1257–92. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.548.7658. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00409.x. JSTOR 27734699. PMID 16958702. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2013-03-05.

[26] Houtman, Dick; Aupers, Stef (2007), "The Spiritual Turn and the Decline of Tradition: The Spread of Post-Christian Spirituality in 14 Western Countries, 1981–2000", Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 46 (3): 305–320, doi:10.1111/j.1468-5906.2007.00360.x

[27] John Lochtefeld (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Rosen Publishing New York, ISBN 0-8239-2287-1

[28] Feuerstein, Georg (2003). The deeper dimension of yoga: Theory and practice. London: Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-935-8.

[29] Harung, Harald (2012). "Illustrations of Peak Experiences during Optimal Performance in World-class Performers Integrating Eastern and Western Insights". Journal of Human Values. 18 (1): 33–52. doi:10.1177/097168581101800104. S2CID 143106405.

Levin, Jeff (2010). "Religion and mental health: Theory and research". International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies. 7 (2): 102–15.;

Meyer-Dinkgräfe, Daniel (2011). "Opera and spirituality". Performance and Spirituality. 2 (1): 38–59.

Ishavasyopanishad

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