Gita, chapter 2 on the atman, the eternal spirit self
Beginningless, endless 12; immortal 18-21
Reincarnates 13, 22, 27-28; until one moves beyond rebirth
51
Is in the full, true sense 16
Pervades the cosmos 17
Invulnerable to material assault 23 “Weapons do not cut
it, fire does not burn it, waters do not wet it, wind does not wither it.”
Fixed, immovable 24
Unmanifest 25; rarely seen or heard 29
Rarely spoken 29
Inconceivable 25 no
one really knows it 29
Immutable 25
Therefore do not grieve over “killing” but do your Duty
with its earthly and/or heavenly reward 30-38
Gain the understanding and escape the bondage of action 39
beyond mere greedy ritualism 41-44, beyond the triad of natural qualities, and
dualities and mundane rewards 45; act
without craving, possessiveness, or individuality 71
Which makes the Vedas super-fluous 46
Established in yoga, perform actions 48
Exchanging desires for contentment of the self within
himself 55 or in the self by the self
From insight 55, awake in the night 69
In equanimity 56-57 and serenity 65, 70
Beyond the senses 56;
controlling the senses 61
In death, find the peace of brahmanirvana.
Chapter 3
Note. The eternal spirit self does not act. Action proceeds from the gunas, the material strands. (If one may speak broadly of types, this doctrine is typical of Eastern religion in contrast with Western religion.)
Chapter 4
Note the teaching that Krishna is an incarnation of God: God manifest in the flesh, as a human being.
Note that God is said to incarnate in every age. This has left the door open for various individuals to claim that they are that one.
Krishna indicates that all paths lead to him. Note the implications of this teaching for the way a Hindu would regard members of other religions.
The technique of self-restraint discussed here, sometimes taken to extremes of self-denial, is fairly typical of very devoted individuals in many religions. Question: is this really heroic devotion or is it a mistake? Might there be a self mastery which would be a spontaneous consequence of spiritual transformation, rather than the product of self-examination and self-control?
Note the importance assigned to having a teacher. The Sanscrit word for “teacher” is guru. Traditionally, the teacher is worshipped as a manifestation of God.
Chapter 5
Note the idea of all beings being equal, a roach or a human being, which, for example, would mandate that the golden rule be applied to one’s relations with the animal kingdom.
Reflect on the theme of oneness with God and friendship with God as presented here. Cf. 6.20, 6.27, 6.31.
Chapter 6
Is there a way to interpret 6.6 as an indication of a non-self-coercive way toward self-mastery?
Chapter 7
Those who choose other gods go to them, not to me (Krishna). Reflect on the relation of this to the thought highlighted in chapter 4.
Chapter 8
Note the cosmology of endlessly repeating cycles of manifestation coming forth from the unmanifest and returning to the unmanifest.
Chapter 9
Note that the apex of wisdom is to find God within. 9.13
What is the import of the fact that God is referred to as father and mother? 9.17
Here Krishna says that all worship—no matter to whom it may be directed—ultimately comes to him, and that he accepts all genuine worship. In other words, it’s the sincere spirit of worship, not the particular God-concept that is being held in the mind of the worshiper that determines its success in reaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead (to use the phrase of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabupada). 9.23-25
Consider the teaching of mercy at 9.30.