The Vedanta as Old/New Paradigm: The Gita on Human Action and Life’s Purpose II

by

Contents

00:00—04:50
04:51—10:30
10:31—21:15
21:16—24:42
24:43—35:05
35:06—38:06
38:07—41:20
41:21—43:00
43:01—50:10
50:11—54:10
54:11—55:37
55:38—58:18
58:19—59:32
59:33—1:00:52
1:00:53—1:03:26
1:03:27—1:08:30
1:08:31—1:17:40




Introduction
Gandhi and the Bhagavad Gita 
Introduction to the Gita Theory of Action, karma yoga and detachment
Airplane story 
Detachment 
Stories of Gandhi’s ashrams (detachment and nonpossession): the ashram food, pencil stub story
Question about dharma, svadharma, determinism, and karma 
Question about Gandhi’s view of the world and how most people are living 
More from the Gita: action, inaction, sacrifice, service, and renunciation
Himsa, intention and karma. Stories: Gandhi kills a calf
Sufi story: warrior is about to be killed, his would-be killer becomes angry and so cannot kill him. 
Karma and Perpetration Induced Traumatic Stress (PITS) 
Ahimsa and war in the Gita
Story of William Penn and George Fox, “Wear thy sword as long as thou canst.”
Theory of action: 1. inaction not possible 2. choose the right act 3. use right means 4. be detached
Action and the three gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva
Slideshow: Gandhi in South Africa, 1893-1914

Readings

Section IIc of the course reader:

  • Gandhi’s religious Vocabulary: some terms
  • Sonnleitner, Michael. “Gandhian Nonviolence: Levels of Satyagraha” [Excerpt]
  • Gandhi, M.K. “Nonviolence- The Greatest Force”
  • Gandhi, M.K. “Five Great Yajñas”

Bhagavad Gita Ch. 1-2, 4, 6, 18
Continue reading Search for a Nonviolent Future through ch. 8 at your own pace

Resources

Sri Ramana Maharshi (jnana yogi)
Sri Ramakrishna (bhakti yogi)
Sri Arabindo (raja yogi)
MK Gandhi (karma yogi)
Article by Michael Nagler, “Spirit and Science in the Vedanta,” in Tikkun Magazine
Rachel MacNair on Perpetration Induced Traumatic Stress