Phil 170 - Bhagavadgita Paper

Monica Lis-Planells

10-15-17

PHIL 170

Mr. Matt

 Bhagavadgītā Paper

Introduction

        In the Bhagavadgītā, Krishna- or the Gītā- explains what the paradox of action is and how to be liberated from Samsara through this paradox.  In this paper I will demonstrate how the Gītā’s own words are the best philosophical objection to His proposal and how it also refutes it.

Analysis

        The paradox of action is the idea of trying to get moksa -liberation, freedom- from Samsara.  The only problem is such: you must follow or do actions to get moksa except all action points away from moksa, and is what keeps you in Samsara, or prison (Schweig, 64).   There are steps to get out of Samsara, the first is to realize that you are in Samsara.  After this is where the paradox begins. We act because it is dharma- or the duty- to do so which keeps you stuck in Samsara (Schweig, 65).  The Gītā then goes on to explain the two ways to resolve this paradox.

        The first is to become a renouncer of the world (Schweig, 65).  A renouncer is one who is a spiritual seeker and does not engage in the world.  By not engaging in the world around them they are not being stuck in Samsara (Schweig, 57).  Except by not doing actions they are not living a dharamic life which is the way to get out of Samsara (Schweig, 59).  The Gītā does not particularly like this reason because the ideal person is one who is totally engaged in the world (Schweig, 67).

        The second idea is that of liberating actions, which are dharamic actions, and that it is not whether you act but how you act (Schweig, 53).  A liberating action is not only moksa from Samsara, but also yoga- a spiritually freeing action- that makes you bind yourself to the divine and that is the ultimate goal in this religion (Schweig, 70).  By being established with the Divine you are able to see your true Self- atman- and change the motivational desires from the fruits of action to either: dharma, bhakti- selfless offering- or lokus songraha- the wellness of the world (Schweig, 71-72).

         The Gītā explains that there are four types of yoga: karma- action, jnana- knowledge, bhakti- devotion, and raja- controlling mind and body ,or meditation; also everyone will fit into a specific yoga allowing everyone to reach Bruhman- in simplest terms Heaven (Schweig, 76-78, 88).  This was revolutionary because it meant anyone can get out of Samsara, not only the wealthy or what class you are from (Schweig, 72).  By this explanation the four yoga’s are connected into the paradox not because they are a part of it but because they refute it, it is one of the only ways to get out of Samsara.

Critical Evaluation

        Even though the four yogas were a revolutionary idea at that time, the Gītā contradicts his own idea of escaping Samsara.  It is His teaching of action in inaction and inaction in action; mainly the teaching of inaction in action (Schweig, 64).  The Gītā explains to Arjuna that when choosing not to act for or against something is an action in itself (Schweig, 64).  That it is better to act dhramaic then not to act at all (Schweig, 65).  The other side of this teaching is that there is inaction in action.  What the Gītā means here is that the true Self- or atman- never acts and that it is not the agent or doer- the karata- in the action; it is the body and mind- jiva- that is the karata (Schweig, 64).  The atman never acts so it is not trapped and does not enter Samsara, meaning that the atman is already free.

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