Reading Archives - Page 5 of 16 - Madhu Bazaz Wangu
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Reading

The Fifth Teaching

Posted on March 26, 2010
in Meditation, Reading
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The Fifth Teaching Renounce and Celebrate 1 Arjuna: Krishna you praise renunciation of action and action; tell me with certainty which is the better of these two. 2-13 Krishna: Renunciation and action both affect the good beyond measure; but of the two, action surpasses renunciation of action. The man of eternal renunciation is one who neither hates nor desires; beyond dualities, he is easily freed from bondage. Simpletons separate philosophy and action, but the learned do not; applying one correctly, a man finds the fruit of both. Men of action reach the same place that philosophers attain; he really sees who sees philosophy and action to be one. Renunciation is difficult to attain without action; a sage armed with action soon reaches the infinite spirit. Armed with discipline of action, he purifies and subdues the self, masters his senses,...

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The Fourth Teaching

Posted on March 12, 2010
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Knowledge in Action 1-3 Krishna I taught this undying discipline to the shining sun, first of mortals, who told it to Manu, the progenitor to man; Manu told it to the solar kings. Royal sages knew this discipline, which the tradition handed down; but over the course of time it has decayed, Arjuna. This is the ancient discipline that I have taught to you today; you are my devotee and my friend, and this is the deepest mystery. 4 Arjuna But you were born countless years later than the birth of the sun god; how is it possible that you taught this doctrine to him? 5-42 Krishna I have passed through many births and so have you; I recall all those lives, but you recall only this one, Arjuna. I am unborn, deathless, the infinite lord of all beings,...

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Sanskrit Terms in the Gita

Posted on February 26, 2010
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Sanskrit Terms in the Bhagavad Gita Atman lies at the core of every human personality. The purpose of life is to experience this inner reality. Hindus believe that each human being feels this reality. It is same from person to person. In the climax of meditation, when consciousness is focused and withdrawn from the body and mind, the sense of a separate ego disappears. During these moments one may discover a core of consciousness that is atman. Brahman is the utterly transcendent God. It is changeless, infinite, indivisible reality. In humans it resides as Atman. The Self within each human being is not different from Brahman. It is a changeless reality beneath the world of "name and form." Dharma is that law or duty that maintains the cosmic unity and...

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The Third Teaching

Posted on February 26, 2010
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Selfless Action 1-2 Arjuna: If you think understanding is superior to action, Why, Krishna, do you urge me to engage in this horrific action? You confuse me with inconsistent words. Tell me, what I must do to achieve the highest good? 3-35 Krishna: In this world there are two main paths to do good: for philosophers, the yoga of understanding (jnana); for active people, the yoga of action (karma). A man cannot avoid action by abstaining from action; Neither does he attain success by renunciation. No one exists for even an instant without acting; However unwilling, every being is compelled to act by the three qualities of nature, gunas. He who controls his actions but cannot control sense-objects is deluded. His search for the deepest truth is bound to be unsuccessful. But the superior man is he whose mind can control the senses....

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The Second Teaching

Posted on February 12, 2010
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The Self-Discipline 1-3 Arjuna sat dejected, filled with pity; his eyes blurred by tears. Krishna said: Why this cowardice in the time of crisis, Arjuna? This ignobility and shamefulness is foreign to the ways of heaven. This impotence is unnatural in you. Banish this petty weakness from your heart. Raise and fight, Arjuna! 4-8 Arjuna said: Krishna how can I fight against Bhishma and Drona when they deserve my worship? I would rather beg for scraps of food than eat meals smeared with the blood of elders. We will not want to live if we kill the sons of Dhritarashtra. In the presence of conflicting sacred duties I cannot think clearly. I feel piteous. Please be my teacher, tell me what I seek! I don't know how to get rid of my grief that is clouding...

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The First Teaching: The War Within

Posted on January 29, 2010
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1-10 Dhritarashtra, Kaurava's blind father, asks Sanjaya to tell him about the battle that is about to begin. Sanjaya says: Your son Duryodhana tells his teacher, Drona, to look at his other pupils, Pandavas, the mighty archers and many other brave kings, all commanding great chariots. He tells Drona of the superb men and mighty leaders on their side that include Drona's son and many others who are risking their lives for prince's sake. All brave warriors bear weapons and all are skilled in the ways of the war. Duryodhana boasts that his army is limitless and says that the army of Pandavas is limited. 11. At this moment the great sire Bhishma roars his lion's roar and blows his conch horn. Upon hearing the sound Duryodhana is delighted. 12. At once conches and...

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The Bhagavad Gita: An Introduction

Posted on January 29, 2010
in Being in Nature, Reading
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The Bhagavad-Gita, the "Song of the Lord," is a poem in the form of a dialogue. Although considered an independent sacred text it is part of the sixth book of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The dialogue is between the warrior prince Arjuna and Krishna. Krishna is an incarnation of the cosmic power that has descended to the earth to restore order in times of chaos. He is Arjuna's charioteer, friend and teacher. At the beginning of the text Arjuna, the warrior prince, is endowed with physical prowess and intellectual tenacity. By the end, Krishna makes him aware of his Self, a spiritual heart. The dialogue takes place on a battlefield. The war that is about to begin is between two sets of cousins: five sons of Pandu, Pandavas and one...

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Lessons Learnt II: Dhammapada

Posted on January 8, 2010
in Being in Nature, Reading
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Lessons Learnt II: Dhammapada What we think, say or do have consequences. Sooner or later they come back to us. It may take years before we see the results of our thoughts, words and actions but they do come back--both good and bad. What we are today is the result of the choices we have made. 1. Observing Life's Impermanence The First Noble Truth, as taught by the Buddha, is that life is suffering, it is impermanent. Happiness and sorrow follow one another like shadow follows the body. The aim of human life is not so much the worldly happiness but the end of all suffering. We suffer because we thirst (in Sanskrit, trishna) for possessions, people and places. We constantly try to satisfy our cravings. It is fine to...

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Twenty-Sixth Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on December 4, 2009
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Twenty-Sixth Chapter: Dhammapada The Brahmin 383. Cross the river, brahmin, conquer all your passions. Go beyond the world of dualities and know the deathless nirvana. 384. Cross the river, brahmin, conquer all your passions. Go beyond your likes and dislikes and all fetters will be broken. 385. Who is a genuine brahmin? The genuine brahmin is the one who has no likes or dislikes, and who is beyond fear. 386. Who is a genuine brahmin? The genuine brahmin is the one who has trained his mind to be calm and reached the supreme goal of life. 387. The sun shines in the day, the moon shines in the night. The warrior shines in the battleground, the brahmin in meditation. But the Buddha shines day and night in the radiance of love for all. 388. The...

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Twenty-Fifth Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on November 27, 2009
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Twenty-Fifth Chapter: Dhammapada The Monk 360-61. Train your eyes and ears, train your nose and tongue. Senses are friends when they are trained. Train your body in deeds; train your tongue in words and train your mind in thoughts. When a monk trains himself he leaves sorrows behind. 362. The true monk is the one who has trained his hands, feet and words to train others. He meditates deeply, finds inner joy and lives in perfect peace. 363. The true monk repeats the sacred verses, lives a humble life, and explains dharma in sweet words. 364. The true monk follows the dharma, meditates on the dharma, rejoices in the dharma, and therefore never falls away from the dharma. 365. The true monk is the one who is content with the offerings he receives and is...

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