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A review by sidharthvardhan
The Bhagavad Gita by Simon Brodbeck, Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
2.0
'Just do it and don't hope.'
Rarely can we call a religious book over rated while being sympathetic to the religion itself (all religious books are by definition over rated, that is in their nature); but if there ever was one book that was most over rated it would be this one. The book gained popularity only during British rule.
The book in its narrative smashes together glorifying accounts of Krishna and a wide array of Indian philosophies. With so much of subjects covered, the philosophy of this book is made so flexible and loose that you can read it to draw whatever conclusion you wish to draw.
Arjun's killing of his relatives and Gandhi's path of non-violence - both find justification in the book. You can destroy the world if you do so selflessly. Robert Oppenheimer quoted it (wrongly) while he talked about the decision to drop atom bomb.
'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'
The central idea that 'It is duty to act and the results are not to desired' is a good one and as near as truth we can get, when we are worried about success of actions (and is reason for all my stars).
However, as to what actions must be taken (what is right thing to do?), the book is ambiguous.
Krishna's answer to question of ethics is selfless action (there are others discussed too, but this one is most popular and only one I'll discuss). He wants you to do everything that is required of you (i.e., your Dharma, which by the way, is famously said to be 'subtle' somewhere else in Mahabharata) but take no enjoyment in actions. (Drink your whisky but try not to enjoy it.) Anything(good or bad), including murders is forgiven to those who act selflessly.
And what is reward of being good(Krishna's definition)? Gita like all Hindu texts is based on this most pessimistic (and silent) assumption that there is something inherently wrong with world and one must get out of it as quickly as possible - and since God (with capital 'G') is continually recycling our souls, we must find our exit in methods told in the book itself. You follow Krishna's instructions and you are relieved of cruel world.
Still, I suggest reading Gita if you base your life on Karma because chances are you don't understand it - most people take Karma to mean a balance of actions and reactions. Karma is far from Newton's third law; and you are not rewarded according to your actions. You may be a good guy and still suffer and you may be the bastard who own the wall street. Krishna was smart enough for to understand that.
Nowhere Gita says you are center of world and the equations are build around you. It says, much like Adidas, 'Just do it'. In one sentence, we can summarize the whole book as 'Just do it and don't hope.' A nice thing to say if you friend wants to propose his love but not when he is planning to kill her upon being rejected.
Rarely can we call a religious book over rated while being sympathetic to the religion itself (all religious books are by definition over rated, that is in their nature); but if there ever was one book that was most over rated it would be this one. The book gained popularity only during British rule.
The book in its narrative smashes together glorifying accounts of Krishna and a wide array of Indian philosophies. With so much of subjects covered, the philosophy of this book is made so flexible and loose that you can read it to draw whatever conclusion you wish to draw.
Arjun's killing of his relatives and Gandhi's path of non-violence - both find justification in the book. You can destroy the world if you do so selflessly. Robert Oppenheimer quoted it (wrongly) while he talked about the decision to drop atom bomb.
'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'
The central idea that 'It is duty to act and the results are not to desired' is a good one and as near as truth we can get, when we are worried about success of actions (and is reason for all my stars).
However, as to what actions must be taken (what is right thing to do?), the book is ambiguous.
Krishna's answer to question of ethics is selfless action (there are others discussed too, but this one is most popular and only one I'll discuss). He wants you to do everything that is required of you (i.e., your Dharma, which by the way, is famously said to be 'subtle' somewhere else in Mahabharata) but take no enjoyment in actions. (Drink your whisky but try not to enjoy it.) Anything(good or bad), including murders is forgiven to those who act selflessly.
And what is reward of being good(Krishna's definition)? Gita like all Hindu texts is based on this most pessimistic (and silent) assumption that there is something inherently wrong with world and one must get out of it as quickly as possible - and since God (with capital 'G') is continually recycling our souls, we must find our exit in methods told in the book itself. You follow Krishna's instructions and you are relieved of cruel world.
Still, I suggest reading Gita if you base your life on Karma because chances are you don't understand it - most people take Karma to mean a balance of actions and reactions. Karma is far from Newton's third law; and you are not rewarded according to your actions. You may be a good guy and still suffer and you may be the bastard who own the wall street. Krishna was smart enough for to understand that.
Nowhere Gita says you are center of world and the equations are build around you. It says, much like Adidas, 'Just do it'. In one sentence, we can summarize the whole book as 'Just do it and don't hope.' A nice thing to say if you friend wants to propose his love but not when he is planning to kill her upon being rejected.