Hinduism Chapter 15 of Bhagavad Gita with reference to Upanishads Essay

Hinduism Chapter 15 of Bhagavad Gita with reference to Upanishads - Essay Example Schweig. Graham M. Schweig’s â€Å"Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord's Secret Love Song† encompasses the metaphysical concepts such as the distinction between body and soul (matter/spirit), the principle of nonattached action, the virtues of disciplines†¦ and the respective places of knowledge and devotion in spiritual life† (Rosen 108). In addition, Lord Krishna shares wisdom about the true nature of God, World and Beings and the underlying oneness of God and Being. In â€Å"The Ultimate Person† chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the conversation between the Lord Krishna, the teacher and the student Arjuna was presented. Lord Krishna imparts his knowledge through his teachings comprising the whole Veda. The central point of his philosophy is on how to accomplish and acknowledge the Supreme Being. Through his teachings, the essence of various disciplines such as Meditation, Karma Yoga, Values, Devotion, are relayed to his followers. In this chapter, Lord Kris hna exposed the transcendental characteristics of God, his glories and virtues, and his being omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. The realization of the Ultimate Truth was revealed as the purpose and value of recognizing God was established through the teachings (Radhakrishnan 48). The composition of the universe and its association with man was discussed as personified by the sacred Ashwattha tree. The relationship of the eternal immortality of the soul of humans with the idea of the Supreme Being was described through the limitless character of the tree, also called as banyan or fig tree. Lord Krishna metaphorically described that the everlasting tree was upside-down, where the roots are located above and the branches below. The leaves of the tree represent the Vedic scriptures, and whoever understands this is well-informed of such (Bhagavad-Gita Trust), With its roots upward, and its branches downward they speak of the everlasting Ashwattha tree, Whose leaves are the Vedic hy mns one who knows this is the knower of the Vedas (Schweig 193). A sacred banyan tree is limitless, dispersed everywhere in space. The root of the tree represents the sacred being, its leaves as its written wisdom, and its shoots as the substance of the mind. According to a commentary of Sridhara Swami quoted by Bhagavad-Gita Trust, †¦the compassionate Supreme Lord first expounds the nature of this mundane material existence by the metaphor of asvattha or banyan tree with its roots upwards and its branches downwards and its leaves the Vedic aphorisms. The roots above refers to the root of all the eternal Supreme Lord and the imperishable atma or immortal soul. The branches downward refers to transitory living entities consisting of the demigods headed by Brahma, who all have a finite span of life in material existence even if they live for millions and billions of years. The banyan tree also symbolizes the temporary nature of the material world. Even the followers of the Lord K rishna may not last until tomorrow, for everything in this world is transitory. The Vedas, as exemplified by the leaves,