Week 13 Reading Diary: Bhagavad Gita continued

Bhagavad Gita by Edwin Arnold

For the rest of week 13, I finished reading the last chapters of the English version of Lord Krishna's Celestial song, the Bhagavad Gita. Like I previously stated, I know two of chapters of the Gita by heart. During middle school, when I went to Sunday school, my class was given the task of memorizing chapters 9 and 15. For this section of reading, I decided to focus on chapter 12, Of Religion of Faith, and chapter 15, Of Religion by Attaining the Supreme. Chapter 12 involved Lord Krishna telling Arjun about faith. Lord Krishna tells Arjun that the most pure Yogis are the ones who have worship with ultimate faith and focus all their energy on Him (Krishna). A true Yogis devotion is one that is motiveless and full of intense love for God. Lord Krishna explains that a devotee should become formless when praying, so that he can feel the existence of the self alone. Chapter 15 is said to summarize the entire essence of the Gita and the Vedas. Chapter 15 begins by talking about an upside-down tree, symbolizing the nature of the world. The root of the tree symbolizes the eternal essence. The growths of the tree symbolizes our existence in the world. The growth of the trees symbolizes sense objects. The sense objects generate desire, which generates actions, which bind us to the tree branches. In order to end this cycle of desire and action, one must go to the source of the tree, God. 

(Lord Krishna reciting the Gita to Arjun. Source: Wikimedia Common)

Bibliography. Bhagavad Gita, Edwin Arnold. (1885)