Surgery seems like violence, but is benevolence
Some people claim, “The Bhagavad-gita teaches that killing is ok because the body is anyway going to die. Such a teaching licenses indiscriminate violence.” This [...]
Krishna’s instruction is not disruptive, but restorative
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna is agonized at the thought of fighting in a fratricidal war that will kill most of his loved [...]
The perfection of dharma is not to fall in line with cosmic law, but to fall in love with the trans-cosmic lover
The Bhagavad-gita (18.66) concludes with a surprising call to give up all dharma. Why is this call surprising? Because the protection of dharma is the [...]
The tolerance that has no tolerance for transcendence is the worst intolerance
In today’s multi-cultural world, religious tolerance, a ‘live and let live’ attitude towards different religious groups, is appealing. The Bhagavad-gita strikes an ecumenically tolerant note [...]
Nonviolence that allows exploiters to become rulers is violence
Many people feel uncomfortable with the idea of a religious book, the Bhagavad-gita, urging war. They would probably be surprised to find their feelings echoed [...]
Peace bought at the cost of justice can be the worst violence
Some people ask, “The Bhagavad-gita is said to be a spiritual book, yet it endorses violence. Isn’t that anti-spiritual?” No, because the Gita is a [...]