After doing the readings and seeing the class lectures, reflect on all the material we went over and write a response to it – your reactions, new information you may have learned, were surprised by or felt was significant, critiques, revelations (did the video change your previously held views or perceptions?), etc. Do any of these ideas relate to your own life or beliefs? Be specific rather than general (e.g. use examples from videos/readings in your discussion). You will be graded on grammar/spelling as well, so please write them as professional and academic papers. These should be 400 words minimum (no maximum) and uploaded to Canvas as a word doc, pdf, or txt file.READ: Excerpts from Miller’s translation of The Bhagavad Gita – Intro (pgs. 1-10); Ch. 1-4 (pgs. 23-57); Ch. 9-12 (pgs 85-112)
For this week, you primary focus should be doing a deep reading of the selected chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. Take your time and read this primary scripture carefully. Answer the following questions:
1. Based upon our understanding of the Post-Vedic Brahmanical Synthesis from last week, how do you see the Bhagavad Gita dealing with the tension between the goals of Dharma vs. Moksha? What innovations does the Bhagavad Gita provide in regards to resolving this tension?
2, How does Krishna reconcile the paths of action (Karma Yoga), the path of devotion (Bhakti Yoga) and the path of knowledge (jnana yoga)? Ultimately what does Krishna say is the best path in this day and age?
3. The Bhagavad Gita was written over 2,000 years ago. What lessons from the text resonate most with you, and do you think any are relevant to modern life or can be applied to contemporary issues? Discuss any ideas/concepts from the text that you thought were significant or interesting to you.