December 26, 2011
Guest post by my son, Jayendra. Comments on this blog will be emailed to him for a response
In a shocking development, prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk are trying to get the Geeta banned on the grounds that the Bhagavad Geeta teaches "extremist" ideals.
The Geeta is in fact, the total opposite. Krishna tells Arjuna to fight because it is his duty as a kshatriya to fight for Dharma or righteousness. Arjuna does not want to fight because on the opposing side are his cousins, uncles and grandfather. Although these may appear to be valid reasons not to fight, Krishna reminds Arjuna that although war is a horrendous thing, it is required to protect those who cannot protect themselves. In a more modern example, one can look at World War II. The USA was content to not take an active role in the help and protection of its allies in Europe until they themselves were bombed. If Arjuna, as a general in the Pandava army, had run away from the war to meditate and take sannyasa, the Kauravas would have destroyed the Pandava army, and eventually come to kill Arjuna anyway. Therefore, Krishna was telling Arjuna to fight because it was Arjuna's duty to protect those who can't protect themselves. If the US had taken an active role in World War II much earlier, how many more lives could have been saved?
The Geeta applies to all of us, because we all face battles in our everyday lives. When we are faced with a conflict between what is right and what we want to do, Krishna says that righteousness is the way to go. In the specific example of Arjuna in the middle of the battlefield, Krishna's advice was to fight, but before the war, even Krishna went to the Kauravas, with a peace treaty. The Geeta never advocates hatred, either. Anger, likes, and dislikes are repeatedly denounced in the Geeta by Krishna.
Seeing all of this, it is hard to understand why the Geeta would come under the label of "extremist".
Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post.
Guest post by my son, Jayendra. Comments on this blog will be emailed to him for a response
In a shocking development, prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk are trying to get the Geeta banned on the grounds that the Bhagavad Geeta teaches "extremist" ideals.
The Geeta is in fact, the total opposite. Krishna tells Arjuna to fight because it is his duty as a kshatriya to fight for Dharma or righteousness. Arjuna does not want to fight because on the opposing side are his cousins, uncles and grandfather. Although these may appear to be valid reasons not to fight, Krishna reminds Arjuna that although war is a horrendous thing, it is required to protect those who cannot protect themselves. In a more modern example, one can look at World War II. The USA was content to not take an active role in the help and protection of its allies in Europe until they themselves were bombed. If Arjuna, as a general in the Pandava army, had run away from the war to meditate and take sannyasa, the Kauravas would have destroyed the Pandava army, and eventually come to kill Arjuna anyway. Therefore, Krishna was telling Arjuna to fight because it was Arjuna's duty to protect those who can't protect themselves. If the US had taken an active role in World War II much earlier, how many more lives could have been saved?
The Geeta applies to all of us, because we all face battles in our everyday lives. When we are faced with a conflict between what is right and what we want to do, Krishna says that righteousness is the way to go. In the specific example of Arjuna in the middle of the battlefield, Krishna's advice was to fight, but before the war, even Krishna went to the Kauravas, with a peace treaty. The Geeta never advocates hatred, either. Anger, likes, and dislikes are repeatedly denounced in the Geeta by Krishna.
Seeing all of this, it is hard to understand why the Geeta would come under the label of "extremist".
Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post.
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