RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
ORIGINAL: Sacredstar
Surrender all deeds to me. All problems will be solved by my grace. Pride will lead only to your moral ruin. If, filled with pride, you say, 'I will not fight,' it is all in vain. You are foolish. Fight you will, your nature will make you fight. Your karma will make you fight. You will fight in spite of yourself."
-Mahabharata, Book Six: Bhishma (P. Lal)Here Krishna is understanding human weakness is he not and asking for Ajuna to surrender all to the Grace of GOD.
Yes, exactly. But here the human weakness is NOT wanting to fight. It's his dharma at that time to do it. "Karma" here isn't in the negative context, more like dharma.
But the wise do not grieve neither over the living nor over the dead. Never did I not exist, nor did you nor these kings. Nor shall we ever cease to exist in the future.
-Bhagavad Gita 2.11 and 2.12Would he say this about a world war?
Well, I'm not Krishna. But from all else he's written as saying (which I don't believe 'Krishna' said, but others wrote this as a song), about a world war he'd say (1) It shouldn't happen, it's a tragedy; (2) If an evil empire DOES begin one, then resist, and indeed we never really cease to exist. I've often thought that's where I last came to a so-called end. But here I am again.
On your other post, I doubt right now that all children would grow up as saints if taught those principles, but it would help a lot. However the problem in RE is that it cannot be what is called "confessional" - that actually means "preaching" or like a Hindu pandit or Christian minister teaching RE from their perspective. Because they don't see objectively, are seeking often to convert, and are often not objective about facts etc. Therefore RE in the UK anyway has become "academic". But there's still much room there for moral arguments to be raised.
The US response to RE's problem in state schools of being to "convert" and sway children, sadly, has been to ban RE from state schools. The UK basically leads the world in its approach to RE.
But there's room for spiritual schools outside the state schools of course, or Sunday School, etc.
Even more off-topic, but here are some surprising statistics. The world wars were not shaped in terms of casualties as many people think. First WWI:
[link= http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWdeaths.htm ]http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWdeaths.htm[/link]
Remember that was "the war to end all wars". 20 years later we got:
[link= http://www.hitler.org/ww2-deaths.html ]http://www.hitler.org/ww2-deaths.html[/link]
I looked those up since I'm reading the incredibly moving "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks.
V
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
It is not about conversion or preaching to me. It is about children growing up in an holistic culture. Children learn what they live and my view is that we are promoting the power of love more and more which is imperative for perfect health and world peace.
The principles that we are discussing here can be shared and lived from the day that they are born.
My own son is no saint! However, he lives a life of non-violence and in tune with his GOD self because this is what he lived in the environment in which he grew up. Being true to himself a free spirit living in harmony with the universe.
If only education could take this on board
"Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart. '
Mohandas Gandhi
I really must get on with some other work now. Thank you David for helping me to clarify further my thoughts and feelings about the Gita and its great value to humanity.
being love
Kim xx
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
On RE, Kim, I was just giving a real thumb-nail sketch of the heated debate that's been going on since about 1965 - 40 years. RE used to be Christianity only and often done by devout Christians. You'd get the stuff sometimes about the world being 6,000 years old or whatever.
In the 60s the debate opened up about teaching other major religions too, and this happened. Then in the 80s another change. Since then the emphasis has been on not "teaching facts at" children, but allowing them into the discussion, and letting them think for themselves about the religions covered.
There's great political strife about how RE should be taught in the UK. The academics want it as it is now; but there's a strong Christian element working through MPs who try to get it all back to 1960 through Parliament. It's a tug of war the academics are always just winning. So I was just mentioning all that.
V
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
Yes I understand I don't envy you one bit! However, I am sure that your classes will be stimulating to say the least. 😉
I think its great if RE can be multi-cultural and inter-faith perhaps RE could be called comparative religion. I feel each main scripture has a very powerful and important piece of the jigsaw puzzle and when we allow people to put them all together WOW what a whole!
After all when we teach geography we don't just teach about one country! Or in history about one nation so what do the elite and church fear? Freedom I guess. 😀
So much seems to be proposed at the moment from what I read front page news this week it looked like floodgates were opening up in education at last giving choice back to the people. You are probably arriving at just the right time! 😉
being love
Kim xx
PS Yes I also read somewhere that they are trying to bring in a bill so that one cannot say or write anything adverse about any religion publicly! Smells of the Orwell state again! Just imagine it could be slander or libel for speaking against a specific religion, a criminal act indeed! You really would think they have enough to police already!:D
Have you ever been to the religion museum in Glasgow it is a real treat and great for children to visit and experience the diversity of all of the religions.