Exam Questions:
1. Describe the setting of the Bhagavad-Gita. To what extent and in what
ways was Gandhi influenced by the Gita? What challenge did it pose
to his doctrine of non-violence, and how did he meet it?
a. Not the whole story, the setting = Kuru
RELG 353
Why is Gandhi important? He impacted 1/200 Indians during his time =
300,000 million and what is now 1Billion people
o The most influential figure in modern history
Sharma says that westerners view Gandhi as a historic figure (his impact
on nonv
Gandhi:
Born in 1869 when British are at zenith of power
Mutiny = major event (1857-58)
o Allegedly in 1857, a group of Englishmen were thrown into a
black hole in Calcutta, which gave the British a moral reason to
intervene British way of legitimizing
Autobiography: First 9 Chapters
Before Gandhi started writing, consulted his co-workers
o Some opposed this project, saying was not an Indian thing to do
Rama Krishna said not only have I seen God but I can show him to you.
He also said I can see Him as
Story of Shravana Kumar comes from scripture Ramayanan:
o Hero of epic Ram is about to be crowned king. When news is
brought to king that one of 3 wives was sent to tantrum chamber,
king went to chamber to see what was wrong. Queen had
accompanied king in
RELG 353
Gandhi was a Modh Bania (=belonged to Vasisya varna and Modh jati)
o Grocer family
In the west, we have a caste system = citizenship
o Even if you move to Afghanistan, you will likely also marry a
Canadian living there unless you met an Afghan h
Another important remark, debating what mother meant when asked him not
to eat meat
Another important remark: his friend asks, what is the value of a vow
made before an illiterate mother and ignorant of conditions here?
Gandhis response
Another importan
Rama marries Sita after winning a competition hosted by Sitas father
(competition to win Sitas hand in marriage)
o Rama managed to pick up and string Sivas bow after all else
contenders had failed
o Read story of Ramayana to understand story about how Si
The role of the Guru:
o If he is genuine, the Guru takes personal responsibility to convey
an insight (Sharma gives the example of when as a school boy, his
teacher made his bowl of rice and spoon as an analogy for that
days lesson)
Three moderns have le
The Bhagavad Gita:
Sharma summarized the Gita very briefly. It is much more clearly
narrated on Wikipedia at http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita
What is important about the Gita is:
o Gandhi found the 2nd chapter particularly poignant: If one
Pond
3 parts of the mind: knowing, feeling, and willing (=decision-making
side)
o Often one part is more pronounced than the others:
o Academics = knowing; athletes = feeling; politicians = willing
o Based on our different temperaments, which allows us to have
-Gandhi saw law as being mediation, it is about shortening the
arguments, versus western structure of adversarial law. He argues
that the investment should be made into medicine - in to helping
people, however was really into homeopathy and environmentali
Krsna tells Arjuna to think of fighting in war not out of personal interest
but as acting on behalf of God
o Reorienting your goal: from personal interest to interest of society
or interest of God
o Ex: boy who went down with the ship b/c he was told to s
GANDHI
1750s to 1850s: British attempt to establish rule
1850s: Indian rebellion against British rule
o Mutiny is quelled and British rule is firmly established
o Large territories governed by Indian governors, under British
supervision
Country is disar
