comparing the bhagavad gita and the buddha · episode from that long epic in the gita, krishna, an...

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Comparing the Bhagavad Gita and the Buddha TheMahabharataisIndia’sgreatestepic.Throughitsnearly100,000verses,wehearechoesofthebattlesthatrivalAryantribesfoughttogaincontroloftheGangesRiverregion.Fiveroyalbrothers,thePandavas,losetheirkingdomtotheircousins.Afteragreatbattlethatlasts18days,thePandavasregaintheirkingdomandrestorepeacetoIndia.InoneepisodefromthatlongepicIntheGita,Krishna,anavatar,orhumanform,ofthegodVishnu,adviseshisfriend,thewarriorprinceArjuna,abouthowtoobtainmokshaandeternalhappiness.ThisoneconversationonitsownbecameoneofHinduism’smostimportantandsacredtexts,theBhagavadGita,whichmeans“SongoftheLord.”Thoughtheearliestversionsmayhavebeenaroundcenturiesearlier,itisestimatedthatthetextprobablyreachedsomethingofa"finalform"bytheearlyGuptaperiod,aboutthe4thcenturyCE.ClarifyWhatistheBhagavadGita?Fromwheredoesitoriginate?“Thatdevotee(worshipper)ofmine,whohatesnobeing,whoisfriendlyandcompassionate,whoisfreefromegoism(self-centeredness),andfrom[theideaofownership],towhomhappinessandmisery(sadness)arethesame,whoisforgiving,contented,constantlydevoted,self-restrained,andfirminhisdeterminations(choices),andwhosemindandunderstandingaredevotedtome(Bhakti),heisdeartome.Hewhoisnotbotheredbytheworld,andwhotheworlddoesnotbother,whoisfreefromjoyandangerandfearandannoyance,hetooisdeartome.Thatdevoteeofmine,whoisunconcerned,pure,assiduous(hard-working),unbiased,freefromdistress,whoabandonsalleffortstotakegainsfromtheworld,heisdeartome.Hewhoisfullofdevotiontome,whofeelsnojoyandnohatred,whodoesnotgrieveanddoesnotdesire,whoabandons(bothwhatis)likedand(whatis)disliked,heisdeartome.Hewhoisthesametofriendandfoe(enemy),asalsoinhonoranddishonor,whoisthesameincoldandheat,pleasureandpain,whoisfreefromattachments,towhompraiseandblamearealike,whoisquiet,andcontentedwithanything[thatcomeshisway],whoishomeless,andofasteadymind,andfullofdevotion,thatmanisdeartome.Butthosedevoteeswho,fulloffaith,andmakingmetheirhighestgoal,resorttothisholypathforreachingimmortality(Moksha),asstated,theyareextremelydeartome.”SummarizeWhatqualitiesdoesKrishnasayaredeartohimandthatwillmakeapersonachievemokshaafterdeath?HINT:Therearetwomajorcategoriesintowhichallofhisrecommendationsfall.IntheBuddha’sfirstsermon,orreligiousspeech,helaidoutthefourmainideasthathehadcometounderstandinhisenlightenment.HecalledthoseideastheFourNobleTruths:

1. Lifeisfilledwithsufferingandsorrow.2. Thecauseofallsufferingispeople’sselfishdesireforthetemporarypleasuresofthisworld3. Thewaytoendallsufferingistoendalldesires.4. ThewaytoovercomesuchdesiresandattainenlightenmentistofollowtheEightfoldPath,

whichiscalledtheMiddleWaybetweenindulgingdesiresandextremeself-denial.

TheEightfoldPath,aguidetobehavior,waslikeastaircase.FortheBuddha,thosewhowereseekingenlightenmenthadtomasteronestepatatime.Mostoften,thismasterywouldoccurovermanylifetimes.ByfollowingtheEightfoldPath,anyonecouldreachnirvana,releasefromthecycleofrebirthandunionwiththeuniverse.HereishowhedescribedtheMiddleWayanditsEightfoldPath:

SummarizeAccordingtotheBuddha,whyislifefullofsuffering?WhatwayoflivingdoesBuddhasaywillhelpapersonachievenirvanaafterdeath?SynthesizeWhatcommonthemesrunthroughtheteachingsofbothKrishnaandBuddha?CompareWhatconceptdoesKrishnaemphasizethatisnotreallyamajorcomponentoftraditionalBuddhism?EvaluateWhichapproach,non-attachmentordevotion,doyouthinkiseasierfortheaverageperson?AnalyzeConsideringthepopularityofBuddhisminIndiaduringtheMauryanEmpire,doyouthinktheintroductionoftheGitaintoHinduteachinghelpedshiftIndiatoHinduismduringtheGuptaEmpire?Explain…ApplyConsiderwhatyouknowaboutMahayanaBuddhism.HowdidMahayanaBuddhismchangefromtheearlierversiontobecomemoreappealingtothecommonmassesofpeople?