Bahagavad Gita -- Chapter 6

This is more directed to I-Ching, but anyone is welcome to participate.

I would like to engage you in discussion over chapter 6. Does this source work for you? http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/chapter-06.html. If not, please provide a link to the best online translation.

[Thinker108]

You can always discuss with me. Are you aware about I ching
6th chapter is the deepest chapter of Gita. It is the subject of realization, not of discussion.

I am aware.

I-ching stated that bhagavad gita was one of his highest ranked spiritual texts. So I want to engage him on the essential aspects of it.

I have a method to my madness. :)

I think there are a few key passages in the text that we can meditate upon and allow their deeper understanding to seep into us. I was thinking of going through the chapter verse by verse. I'm not looking to create argument, I'm looking to see how I-ching understands the text and how it has impacted how he relates to the world.

[zipzip]

I have never read this, but heard alot about it. Chapter 6 sounds interesting.

Can anyone of you direct me to a website where I could read this online?

zipzip

I linked to a text in the original post, you have to click on verse by verse. This seems to use the most plain english for the translation.

Here is another text translation:

http://www.realization.org/page/namedoc0/gita/gita6.htm

Namaste,

I'm not really sure how much there is to discuss with this chapter. I mean it's pretty straightforward. Did you have a particular thought in mind?

Aum Hari Aum!

It is straight forward. I'm actually opening this up to anyone, but in particular I was hoping that I-Ching would join us. I think there is value in walking through this chapter a verse at a time and absorbing the implications and effect of each verse into us with some discussion in between. I started this thread with intent of understanding how I-Ching understands this chapter. I will PM him and see if he will join us. If not, we will continue this thread a verse at a time, probably 1 every 2 days so that people have time to contemplate and interact. I will post the verse and ask a couple initial questions to help people engage the verse. We will start around July 6th.

We need to pick an English translation to use still.

Hari Hari Topology,

I'm with you, but not sure where you are going with this. Prefer a good argument. :)

Originally Posted by I-Ching

Hari Hari Topology,

I'm with you, but not sure where you are going with this. Prefer a good argument. :)

I am happy that you will be joining us. You quote the Gita and you have said it was one of the most truthful books you have found. Chapter 6 is a complete description of the process of realization, obtaining enlightenment, and achieving 'oneness' with whatever ultimate reality there is.

I am wanting to walk through this chapter with you (and others are welcome to walk through it with us) because I want to see how you understand it. No one can question that you love to argue and butt-heads with others. Presumably (at least in your mind) you do it from a position of Truth. Well this chapter is the most direct chapter of the professed Truth you claim. I wish to methodically reveal your understanding so that I may understand how you understand.

Would you please provide a link to an English translation of chapter 6 you feel best expresses the truth of the chapter?

I will spell out the ground rules for the interaction with the chapter and with each other in my next post.

I recommend http://www.asitis.com

My understanding is that the Bhagavad-Gita is divided into three parts, the first 6 chapters discuss karma, the 2nd 6 chapters discuss bhakti and the 3rd 6 chapters discuss jnana.

The sixth chapter is discussing the dhyana-yoga. Dhyana means meditation. It is at the top of the yoga ladder before bhakti-yoga which is culmination of all the yogas. The word yoga really means bhakti-yoga since bhakti encompasses all the other yogas and at the same time is goal of all yogas. So chapter 6 can be seen as a discussion of meditation within bhakti or meditation that culminates in bhakti. Astanga-yoga which is described is chapter 6 is practiced by the kind of yogis that lrenounce the world, externally at least, and live in the mountains. The successful astanga-yogi will come to the point of paramatma realization, then God in the heart will instruct the yogi to do this and do that, at which point the yogi will come to the point of bhakti. The human being in Kali-yuga are not qualified to practise this path and most attempts at are simply farce, which is why you see many “yogis” in India smoking ganga. The recommended process is bhakti-yoga which is practised primarily through chanting the Names of God. In order to know the Will of God you don’t have to attain Paramatma realization, or rely on the opinion of an imperfect human being, you can use the I-Ching.

Krishna summarises the first six chapters with this verse:
"And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. "
So he basically declares that the bhakti-yogi is the topmost.