Bhagavad Gita, The

The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Indian scripture that has captivated the hearts and minds of millions worldwide. Composed over two thousand years ago, its timeless wisdom and profound teachings continue to resonate with seekers of truth and spiritual liberation. For Westerners encountering the Gita for the first time, its unfamiliar concepts and Eastern philosophical framework can seem daunting. This walkthrough aims to provide a simplified and accessible introduction to this sacred text, highlighting its key themes and essential teachings. Background and Setting The Gita is a dialogue between Krishna, an incarnation of the divine, and Arjuna, a warrior facing a moral dilemma on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. As the battle rages, Arjuna is overcome by doubt and confusion. Krishna guides Arjuna through various teachings, ultimately revealing the true nature of reality and the path to liberation from suffering. Key Themes * Karma and Dharma: The Gita emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one's duties (dharma) without attachment to the fruits of actions (karma). This concept of selfless action promotes moral conduct and inner peace. * Samsara and Moksha: The Gita recognizes the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). It offers the path of liberation (moksha) through knowledge, devotion, and meditation. * Spirit and Matter: The Gita distinguishes between the eternal, unchanging spirit (atman) and the impermanent, changing material world (maya). It teaches that the spirit is our true identity, beyond the limitations of the body and mind. * Bhakti Yoga: The Gita advocates for the path of devotion (bhakti) as a powerful means of spiritual realization. It encourages surrender to the divine and unwavering love for God. Essential Teachings * Do Your Duty: Perform your actions with dedication and without concern for personal gain. * Control Your Senses: Master your senses and resist distractions to attain inner peace. * Meditate and Practice Self-Knowledge: Cultivate inner silence and seek knowledge of yourself and the divine. * Surrender to God: Let go of your ego and attachment to outcomes, placing your trust in the divine will. * Aim for Selfless Action: Engage in activities that benefit others, not just yourself. Approaching the Gita as a Westerner While the Gita is rooted in ancient Indian traditions, its teachings can be universally relevant. Westerners may find it helpful to approach the Gita with an open mind, seeking to understand its core messages rather than strictly adhering to its cultural context. Consider the Gita's philosophical concepts as invitations for reflection and personal growth. Its teachings on karma, dharma, and detachment can help us navigate our own challenges and find greater purpose and fulfillment in life. Conclusion The Bhagavad Gita is a profound and transformative scripture that offers invaluable insights into the nature of reality, the human condition, and the path to liberation. For Westerners, it can be a source of inspiration, wisdom, and guidance on the journey toward spiritual awakening. By embracing its teachings and applying them in our daily lives, we can unlock our potential for inner peace, clarity, and a deeper understanding of our place in the universe.

Very well written bringing the Bhagavad Gita to life in a easily readable concise way

I would recommend everyone to read this spiritual guide, several times, especially the modern generation fully consumed by materiaistic world

Speaking as someone who was raised as a Christian in America, this is my favorite version of the Gita. Compared to other versions, the author tells the story in a simple, interesting way, and often shares or re-shares the meaning of words I’d never heard of before, which is helpful.

This is a very enjoyable and accessible version of the Bhagavad Gita. Thank you very much, Jack Hawley, for writing this and performing this. It's accompanied by peaceful, meditative music that enhances concentration and elevation of the spirit. I appreciate the preface, forward, introduction and afterword. The forward speaks about the universality of the Gita, and puts some of the concepts in a useful context. The introduction speaks to the historical context and how it relates to a modern and Western life, and how this "walkthrough" was written. Thank you for sharing how this project effected you and your wife during this project. I look forward to listening many more times. _/|\_ Also, making this available as an MP3 audiobook without DRM is really, really appreciated. It's the only way to actually own a recording, and it makes playback more convenient in many situations. (I hope Amazon decides to permit DRM-free audiobooks on Audible someday too, so we can also enjoy nice features like Whispersync and convenient access from multiple devices from cloud storage and an app specialized for seeking within content and annotating.)

Jack Hawley’s The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners is life-changing, a spiritual, instructive, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand... and profoundly mind-blowing guide that speaks directly to the soul. Despite the many notes I’ve made, I’ll be rereading this promptly and perhaps every day hereafter.

One of the most famous of all religious texts, The Bhagavad Gita has been inspiring people to live meaningful lives for over two thousand years. This particular translation makes the profound (and still revolutionary!) ideas truly accessible for modern people. You have to concentrate and want to understand divinity and the greater, mysterious truths underlying life. I enjoy reading a few paragraphs a day and mulling them over. Even though I've read different versions of The Bhagavad Gita dozens of times over the last fifty years, it still feels good and necessary to reflect again on the teachings. At first, when I read this as a college student, I agreed with Arjuna at the beginning of the story (when he was shaking and confused!) that war is wrong; of course we shouldn't attack and kill anybody, much less old friends and family members. Krishna's teachings evaporated for me at that time. I simply didn't recall them after I finished my religion course. Much later I understood how war is a metaphor for simply taking action, and that Krishna was encouraging Arjuna to carry on with his duties and understand that most of this world is an illusion. He tells Arjuna that even as a mighty warrior, he cannot actually kill anyone, since the spirit is eternal. This and the other teachings in this slim volume bring a deep contentment. My sincere gratitude to the author for this translation.

C'est un livre tellement extraordinaire qu'il faut lire plusieurs fois, surtout pour l'harmonie pour l'état d'esprit qu'il installe dans votre quotidien. Essayez, vous verrez ....

This book overflows with knowledge and wisdom and is a wonderful translation of the great book the Bhagavad Gita. The deep wisdom taken from the original texts are easy to absorb in this well written book. It is the kind of book that I will read it again in the future to refresh myself of these universal spiritual truths.

Me gusto el servicio que me proporcionaron y la rapidez del envío.

Nice summary book for the beginner of the spiritual journey. Author’s interpretation is in alignments with few more books on Geeta.

Von den vielen Ausgaben dieses wichtigsten indischen Textes, die es inzwischen gibt, zeichnet sich diese durch sehr gute Lesbarkeit, gute interpretatorische Übertragung und tiefes Verständnis des Sanskrit-Originals aus. Für die Erstbegegnung ist es m. E. die empfehlenswerteste Ausgabe. Wer tiefer einsteigen will in diesen zeitlos schönen und vielschichtigen Text, der findet in der Yogananda-Ausgabe das Meisterwerk dazu. Im Gegensatz zu manchen Ausgaben auf dem Markt ist dieser "Schnelldurchgang" durch die Gita weder einseitig (wie die unsägliche Ausgabe "Bhagavadgita wie sie ist", die eine unerträgliche Hetze gegen Andersdenkende im Kommentar zu fast jeder Sloka hat), noch ist sie "Flachland": sie wird diesem zeitlosen Text in sprachlich wunderschöner Weise und in der Darbietung seines Inhaltes voll gerecht. Und sie hat - gegenüber der zweibändigen Ausgabe Yoganandas - den Vorteil, dass sie immer in der Westentasche zur Überbrückung von Wartezeiten und Erbauung zwischendurch bereit steht. Die Gita ist ein Buch, das über der Einengung der Einzelreligionen steht. Statt Verbotslisten und Drohungen weist sie ganz praktisch und positiv den Weg. Sie zeigt auch für die heutige Zeit und Menschen, wie der Weg dessen aussieht, der Vollkommenheit anstrebt - und dies nicht in klösterlicher Abgeschiedenheit, sondern im Alltag des Hier und Jetzt. Und dies ohne den sonst oft vorzufindenden moralinsauren Unterton. Eines der Meisterwerke der spirituellen Literatur und der Philosophia Perennis hat in dieser Ausgabe eine sehr gute Neubearbeitung gefunden.