geeta

[Guest guest]

Namaskar,

 

Greetings from www.esamskriti.com. Have just uploaded excerpts from "Perennial

Psychology of the Bhagwad Geeta" by Swami Rama. It has excerpts chapter wise

from the book (125 word pages) with a Glossary of Sanskrit terms. The book

compares Indian and western philosophy as well as gives you the Indian meaning

of western terms like Sin, Discipline and Sacrifice. The foreword is below. Log

on to the philosophy section.

 

With Prem and Om sanjeev

The Holy Geeta entered my life in the autumn of 1993. I was sitting in Chennai’s

Taj Coromandal one evening not knowing what to do when I happened to see the

Holy Geeta by Swami Chinamayanandji. Something attracted me and I got down to

reading it. In eight years am on my third read now. It has become my best

friend. When I am feeling low, confused or lonely I open the Gita, read a few

pages and feel content thereafter. The beauty is that the interpretation of

various slokhas is different every time I read it. May be it has to do with the

stages and situations in my life. The one by Swamiji is very good for a

spiritually evolved person. What I like in the one by Swami Rama is that it is

easy to understand.

A bit about Swami Rama. Swamiji founded the Himalayan International Institute of

Yoga Science and Philosophy, the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust in India and

many centers across the world. A student of both Himalayan cave monasteries

European universities, he founded the Himalayan Institute to create a bridge

between the ancient teachings of the East and modern scientific approaches of

the West. Visit them at www.himalayaninstitute.org.

Some people associate the Holy Geeta with Sanathan Dharam. To my mind it has

universal application, shows us how to handle the problems of life, be happy

inspite of ups and downs, perform duty without being attached to the fruits of

action etc. The Geeta is eternal, as relevant today as it was thousands of

years ago.

For your convenience I have reproduced the book verbatim. The format is as

follows. It starts with an introduction followed by excerpts from individual

chapters. Each chapter consists of slokhas with commentaries. Besides

explaining the slokha, the commentary highlight the comparison between eastern

and western psychology. It has my comments in brackets to help you distinguish

it from the original text.

"The Bhagawad Gita is the fountainhead of eastern psychology and this commentary

is designed to draw out its psychological concepts and make them accessible to

all students. These profound insights are intertwined with philosophical

concepts, so the task undertaken here is to separate the psychological

principles and to explain them their practical application. The word philosophy

is a compound of two words, philo and Sophia, which means ‘love for knowledge’.

There are 18 chapters in the Gita each describing a different aspect of the

process of self-transformation. The aim of the Gita is to teach the aspirant

how to establish equanimity in his internal life and in his activities in the

external world, to help him develop that tranquility within, and to explain the

art and science of doing actions skillfully and selflessly.

The book aims at helping you understand your inner potentials, it is not

possible to function effectively and harmoniously in the external world, for

all the things happen within before they are expressed externally. Sri Krishna

modified and simplified the Vedic and Upanishadic knowledge with the Geeta.

Modern psychologists attempt to help the client modify his conscious attitudes

and unconscious behaviors, but their analysis lacks the depth and profundity

found in the Gita. Most modern therapists do not explore the purpose and

meaning of life. They do not go to the root of the problem but analyze it

without understanding the fundamental cause. By contrast Sri Krishna presents a

philosophical foundation for understanding the purpose of life and the way to

live life harmoniously, and he offers Arjuna practical advice on living and

coping with the world".

The Holy Geeta has changed the way I think, my attitude to life and the world at

large. The site www.esamskriti.com is a manifestation of the influence Geeta has

had on my life. You are able to read excerpts from the Holy Geeta due to the

Herculean efforts of my assistant Ajay who has typed 125 word pages as if it

were part of his Dharma. Ishwar please makes his dreams come true and bless

him.

The essay has the following chapters –

Arjuna’s despondency.

The Way of Self Knowledge.

The Yoga of Action.

Knowledge of Renouncing Fruits.

Knowledge of Renunciation and Action.

The Path of Meditation.

Knowledge of the Absolute in its Entirety.

Knowledge of the Eternal.

Knowledge of the Royal and Secret Path.

The Glorious Manifestations of the Lord.

Yogic Vision.

The Yoga of Devotion.

Knowledge of the Field and the Knower.

The Profound Knowledge of the Three Gunas.

The Eternal Tree of Life.

The Destiny of the Sages and the Ignorant.

Three Modes of Conviction.

The Wisdom of Renunciation and Liberation.

Glossary of Sanskrit terms.

DiscovDiscover your Indian Roots at - http://www.esamskriti.comLong Live

Kshatriya Dharam.Generate Positive Vibrations lifelong worldwide.Aap ka din

mangalmaya rahe or Shubh dinam astu or Have a Nice DayUnity preceedes Strength

Synchronize your efforts, avoid duplication.