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Rather than being the reward for one's earthly obedience to God, and therefore a destination in and of itself then, as it is within Islam, Christianity and Judaism; arrival at nirvana and therefore the ceasing of further reincarnations comes from finally reconciling non-attachment in one's present life with personal responsibility in one's present life - as Krishna advises Arjuna to do now, on the eve of this war.
Holden further points out that during Krishna's conversation with Arjuna, Krishna, with his words from Bhagavad-Gita 2.12 "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be" (qtd. In Holden)
Krisna [sic] is telling us that death is not an end - life itself continues, and always will, as it always has. The implication here is that reality is not what it appears to be to the senses, or even to the common sense view. Not only are we being told birth and death are other than they appear, but that God himself is eternal, and we are like God - but, significantly distinct entities. We are individuals that are not God, although they are with God. ("On the meaning of Krisna's [sic] statement to Arjuna: "Never was there a time when I did not exist
Holden further observes: "This is quite a different concept of causation than the... idea of life of beginning and ceasing to be -... Krisna seems to be asking us to overcome our senses via the rational mind -... applying a rational argument for why we should not believe what we perceive to be true..." ("On the meaning of Krisna's statement to Arjuna: "Never was there a time when I did not exist..."). In this way Krishna encourages Arjuna to see the cyclical rather than linear essence of life and death through a lens of earthly rationality rather than having Arjuna deny the familiar in order to begin to understand the essence of divine life according to Krishna.
Arjuna's fighting in this battle then, which he wishes, rationally, not to do but which Krishna illustrates that...
While Krishna does not deny to Arjuna the importance of earthly rationality, Krishna nevertheless shows Arjuna how Arjuna's current resistance to fighting on this battlefield, based on earthly attachment, must be overcome in order to eventually reach nirvana, the ultimate spiritual state of mind within which all further reincarnations cease.
Events on earth are but part of a much greater cyclical whole, Krishna further illustrates to Arjuna while giving him a brief glimpse of the perfection of the divine beyond earth. Arjuna's participating in the battle is also a part of his overcoming attachment, as one must do in order to ultimately arrive at nirvana.
Works Cited
The Bhagavad-Gita. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Vol. a. Sarah
Lawall et al. (Eds.). New York, Norton: 2002. 1011-1028.
The Bhagavad-Gita first century B.C." In the Norton Anthology of World
Literature, Vol. a. Sarah Lawall et al. (Eds.). New York, Norton: 2002. 1010.
The EAWC Anthology: The Bhagavad-Gita. Trans. Ramanand Prasad. The American Gita Society. Retrieved June 19, 2005, from: .
Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Holden, Nigel J.A. "On the meaning of Krisna's [sic] statement to Arjuna: "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." Athenaeum Reading Room. 12 Nov 2007 http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/holden06.htm
Keay, John. India: A History. New York: Grove Press, 2000.
Minor, Robert N. Modern Indian Interpreters of the Bhagavadgita [sic]. Albany,
New York: State University of New York, 1986.
Sargeant, Winthrop. The Bhagavad G-t?. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994.
Works Cited
The Bhagavad-Gita. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Vol. a. Sarah
Lawall et al. (Eds.). New York, Norton: 2002. 1011-1028.
The Bhagavad-Gita first century B.C." In the Norton Anthology of World
Literature, Vol. a. Sarah Lawall et al. (Eds.). New York, Norton: 2002. 1010.
The EAWC Anthology: The Bhagavad-Gita. Trans. Ramanand Prasad. The American Gita Society. Retrieved June 19, 2005, from:
Holden, Nigel J.A. "On the meaning of Krisna's [sic] statement to Arjuna: "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." Athenaeum Reading Room. 12 Nov 2007 http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/holden06.htm
Reincarnation A Key to Understanding Hindu Reincarnation When one thinks of the concept of a divine trinity, the first thing that most Americans would think of would be the Christian trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. However, there are other equally important trinities within other religions, for the number three has had religious relevance since ancient times. The sanctity of the number three might arise from the fact that it can
In a world that is concerned with only the here and coupled along with instant gratification, it should not be a surprise that reincarnation is understood by few. What many fail to see is that reincarnation is actually makes more sense than many other teachings. For instance, with reincarnation, we can see how thing corresponds with one another. In this way, we can see how one generation is connected
At the end of the arduous cycle is the ultimate reward. Full enlightenment comes with the end of the cycle of birth and death -- Nirvana, where the individual soul can rest. It allows for the filtering of souls which have not earned the right to relax and enjoy the spiritual realm. It also allows those individuals who have earned their spiritual freedom to enjoy an existence not plagued
We can easily see how this belief would not just set the Druze apart from fundamentalist Muslims, but could possibly be interpreted as a heresy by the more strict fundamentalists. All of these things considered, the religious definitions and boundaries of the world begin to be obscured, because there is a message of good, sharing, shedding the flesh of earthly wants and desires that is reflected in the Hindu message
260). This cosmological discussion is one reason Origen is said to have "created, indeed embodied, the first model of a scientific theology;" his approach to the notion of metempsychosis, like nearly all of his theological work, is rooted in a steadfast determination to distinguish "between the dogmata of the church tradition and the problemata which were to be discussed" according to reason, logic, and a prototype of the scientific
25. How does New Age spirituality differ from that of Eastern mysticism? Although the New Age readily embraces Eastern mysticism, it diverges from the old Eastern traditions because the New Age is more of a "hybrid spirituality," (131). The New Age combines Eastern and Western mystical beliefs. Eastern religions are not tailored for the modern world so the New Age mutates Eastern traditions to best suit the needs of the modern