Thursday, October 11, 2018
Most Core I classes this week are reading the Bhagavad Gita, the classic Hindu text, part of the larger Mahabharata. The Gita, which means "Song," is a sacred text, but not Scripture, in the Hindu tradition. It is an epic based on Scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads, as explained in the introduction to the text for Journey of Transformation. In the spirit of Nostra Aetate, we know that all religions seek and convey truth. This text explores some of the basic questions examined in the course, such as how humans can find peace, goodness, and closeness to God in a world that is constantly offering distraction and temptation.
Though in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths, there is no belief in reincarnation, the idea of moving toward oneness with God in love and devotion as the way to escape the temptations of this world surely must resonate with many believers. Dr. Sanyal points out that the Gita recommends three "yogas" -- ways of approach -- knowledge, unselfish action and devotion. She compares the detachment advocated in the Gita with the unselfish love of a mother for a child or a doctor's unselfish dedication to finding a cure for cancer. The key idea is to live a life untainted by selfish pursuits, ruled by desire and ego.
The Gita is one of the oldest texts we cover in the Core, and often students find it complicated, but interesting. We are grateful to Dr. Sanyal for sharing her insights into this text, in the generous spirit she shows to her colleagues and students in English and the Core.
Categories: Campus Life , Education