With all due respect Share, I don’t think Arjuna was a real character that
reached enlightenment on some battlefield (Kurukshetra) in ancient India .
Though there may indeed have been a mythical battle, and a character called
Arjuna and Krishna , they were only used loosely by Vyasa to convey an
*allegory* representing the struggle between good and evil we all must wage (an
inner Armageddon).
MMY in his translation seems to suggest Arjuna was an actual character that
actually gained enlightenment from Krishna in the middle of an actual war, this
is silly to say the least, and is only an ‘eXoteric’ explanation (much like
taking the Bible literally). The Bhagavad Gita is just an allegory!!
Arjuna merely represents me or you and Krishna the Soul or pure consciousness.
Kuruk shetra is a Sanskrit word meaning the *field of the body* upon which this
battle is waged by every individual (Arjuna) that comes to earth to learn the
lessons of life. MMY *hints* at this in his translation but never really
unfolds the true beauty of Vyasa’s story which requires understanding Sanskrit
and context to discern the true meaning of the words. (See Swami Yogananda’s
Gita for a complete unfoldment of the ‘eSoteric’ meaning).
A mere conversation between Krishna and Arjuna leading to Arjuna's
enlightenment in the middle of a real war?...sorry, it never happened!!
---In FairfieldLife@{{emailDomain}}, <sharelong60@...> wrote:
Richard, my favorite teaching about the gunas is in Ch 4, vs 35 of Maharishi's
commentary on the Gita. He explains that delusion in the state of tamas guna
can be overcome by an increase in rajas; delusion in rajo guna can be overcome
by an increase in sat guna; but delusion in the state of sattva, which is
Arjuna's situation, can only be overcome by transcending.
For me this teaching goes well with Maharishi's idea that the mind can't have a
mood on an abstract basis. What this means to me is that our moods are already
present in our physiology, and then the moods get expressed in behavior.
In this sense we have a good amount of control over our moods just by taking
good care of our body: staying rested, eating healthy foods, getting adequate
exercise. I find that when my body is cruising along in a settled state, then
my moods are pretty even also.
On Monday, December 30, 2013 12:00 AM, Richard Williams <punditster@...> wrote:
The Bhagavad Gita is concerned with three constituents: sattva, rajas and
tamas. The idea is to transcend these three qualities. According to MMY: "The
authorship of action does not in reality belong to the "I". It is a mistake to
understand that "I" do this, "I" experience this and "I" know this. All action
is performed by the three gunas born of Nature."
The implications of these passages indicate that the nature of the mind is
appreciated as it is, separate from activity. The "goal" of TM does not consist
in acieving anything or reaching anything, but simply in recognizing what
already is the case, that the "I" is essentially uninvolved with activity.
Here, the ONLY criterion is internal: is the self cognized as independent of
action - the causal nexus.
"The Vedas concern is with the three gunas. Be without the three
gunas O Arjuna, freed from duality, ever possesses of Self."
According to Anthony Campbell, free will is "A choice, either determined or
not. If it is determined, it is not free. But if it is determined, to what are
we to ascribe it? Would a freedom based on mere chance be an alternative to
causal determinism? The solution to this question is simple: incorporate into
your model of free will, the mechanics of causal contact itself, contact all
related forms of information in proper proportion, past, present, and future,
i.e. universal causal contact based on contact with Being vis-a-vis TM."
That is to say, Campbell quoting Schrodinger: "Every conscious mind that has
ever said or felt "I" IS the person who controls the motions of the atoms
according to the laws of nature." So, there is authorship of action; causal
contact; and free will.
"But he who knows the truth about the divisions of the gunas and
their actions, O mighty armed, knowing that it is the gunas which
act upon the gunas, remains unattached."
Works cited:
'Seven States of Consciousness'
by Anthony Campbell, M.D.
Harper & Row, 1974
p. 181
"On the Bhagavad Gita"
by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
International SRM Publications, 1965
Verse: 27; p. 220; Verse 45: p. 90: Verse 14; p. 259.
