Essential Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita: Ancient Truths for Our Modern World
By Jack Hawley
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About this ebook
The book is organized into chapters that address five important questions spiritual seekers have been grappling with for millennia: Who am I? Why am I here? Who, or what, is the Divinity many call “God”? What is my relationship to that Divinity? Is it even possible to live a spiritual life, and if so, how?
Each chapter begins with an introduction by Jack Hawley. The teachings from the Gita follow, arranged under headings relevant to today's seekers, such as “Being the Real You,” “Seeing Divinity in Ordinary Humans,” and “Finding Happiness.” The ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita lives on, helping us today as it has helped countless millions of people through the ages.
Jack Hawley
Jack Hawley, PhD, lives, studies, and lectures half of each year in an ashram in rural southern India, where the values of the Gita are very much alive. When not in India, he brings these ancient yet current ideas to leaders and organizations in the West. His books include the classic Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners; Essential Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita; and Reawakening the Spirit in Work: the Power of Dharmic Management. His website is www.GitaWalkthrough.com.
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Book preview
Essential Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita - Jack Hawley
Essential Wisdom
of the
BHAGAVAD GITA
Also by Jack Hawley
The Bhagavad Gita:
A Walkthrough for Westerners
Reawakening the Spirit in Work:
The Power of Dharmic Management
Roadmaps to Self-Realization
Essential Wisdom
of the
BHAGAVAD GITA
Ancient Truths for
Our Modern World
JACK HAWLEY
New World Library
Novato, California
Copyright © 2006 by Jack Hawley
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
Text design and typography by Tona Pearce Myers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hawley, Jack, 1932–
Essential wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita : ancient truths for our modern world / Jack Hawley.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-1-57731-529-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Bhagavad gita—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.
BL1138.66.H42 2006
294.5’924046—dc22
2005028418
First printing, February 2006
ISBN-13: 978-1-57731-529-2
ISBN-10: 1-57731-529-4
Printed in Canada on acid-free, partially recycled paper
Distributed by Publishers Group West
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Dedicated to
Sathya Sai Baba,
the source and beginning of all of this,
who makes it all real
We repeat the primeval sound of the universe, "Om,"
the basic sound from which all else comes.
Om is said to be the ultimate Divinity
come to earth in the form of sound.
The entire creative process of the universe
is contained in this resonance.
Om is in every place, mind, and heart.
Spoken almost under the breath,
the syllable Om is pronounced
in the consciousness, as well as in the mouth.
Reciting Om while contemplating the above symbol
calms even the roaring waves of the human psyche.
Om cleanses the mind and opens the channels.
All mantras begin and end with Om.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Moving beyond Suffering to Self-Realization
How to Get the Most from This Book
Chapter One
Rediscovering the Self
Who am I?
Overture
Being the Real You
Grasping Soul
Seeing the Self in All
Chapter Two
Finding Meaning
Why am I here?
Overture
Being Active
Living by Your Dharma, Your Inner Truth
Only One in Thousands
Merging with the Divine
Becoming the Atma
Chapter Three
Knowing the Divine
Who, or what, is the Divinity many call God
?
Overture
Seeing Divinity in Ordinary Humans
Krishna’s Divine Declaration
Knowing the Godhead
The Very Nature of Divinity
Comprehending the Supreme, Highest Self
Arjuna’s Awe
Seeing Divinity in Every Thing in Creation
Chapter Four
Connecting to Divinity
What is my relationship to that Divinity?
Overture
Moving from Ego to Divinity
The Four Types of Seekers
The Subtle and Overlapping Orders of Devotion
Focusing Always on Love
Developing a Mood of Adoration
Taking Refuge in Divinity
High Surrender
Chapter Five
Living Spiritually
Is it even possible to live a spiritual life, and if so, how?
Overture
Becoming Illumined
The Secret of Selfless Action
The Law of Sacrifice
Seeking Neither Pleasure nor Pain
Stilling