The Social Implications Of The Bhagavad Gita Religion Essay

The Social Implications Of The Bhagavad Gita Religion Essay Throughout history, religious texts have been widely influential in shaping how society is run. From egalitarian societies to strict social classes, religious texts have driven societies in a great variety of directions. A fundamental example of the social impact of religious texts is the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita has had a tremendous impact on the mindset of people in India. It has provided a standard basis for beliefs and morals, which influenced not only individuals, but Indian society as a whole. This religious text has been an integral part of common beliefs and morals. Because it is such a significant text in Indias history, we want to know what the social implications of the Bhagavad Gita were. By analyzing the text, we are able to gain a greater understanding of what kind of society it promotes. The Gita encourages social stratification, and promotes a strict hierarchy in the form of a caste system. The Bhagavad Gitas idea of duty, or dharma, calls for a stratified society. With different castes each having their own duty, society is separated into distinct groups of people who are taught to act differently based on the status they are born into. The Sanskrit word dharma, is translated to sacred duty, which is a key idea of The Gita. Members of different castes have different sacred duties. We can see the importance of this idea through the warnings not to violate the laws of duty and caste. An example of this is when the text states, When the family is ruined, / the timeless laws of family duty / perish; and when duty is lost, / chaos overwhelms the family (The Bhagavad Gita 28). This verse warns the people not to go against the laws of family duty, or dharma. It introduces the idea that if people do not follow their own duty and act according to their caste, chaos will ensue. Through this, the importance of separate duties for each family is clear. This encourages people of al l castes to act according to their own specific duty. Because it tells each caste to act in a different way, The Gita causes deeper divisions between people born into different families. By dividing up the people into different classes and giving them each separate duties, The Gita asks for a strict hierarchy. The Bhagavad Gita uses fear of chaos and disorder to further divide society into the different castes. The warnings against breaking the laws of duty are elaborated on as the text continues. The fear that The Gita is trying to instill can be seen when the text says, The sins of men who violate / the family create disorder in society / that undermines the constant laws / of caste and family duty (The Gita 29). This passage pairs the word sin with not following the caste system. In telling people that undermining the laws is a sin, the text warns the reader not to disobey their duty. Those who violate the system are violating the family and cause disorder, making them severely looked down upon. To prevent disorder, all one has to do is follow his or her duty. This makes the individual feel as though they are in control of whether or not society falls into chaos. The society as a whole can avoid disorder as long as each individual follows the duty of his or her caste. This shapes the gu idelines for the different castes and introduces the idea that everyone must follow these set rules. With this passage, we see how The Gita influences societys structure, in separating people by their family duties. Some may argue that the Bhagavad Gita encourages an egalitarian society, where everyone is equal. They interpret the text to contradict the ideas of the caste system and social stratification. For example, the text says that, Learned men see with an equal eye / a scholarly and dignified priest, / a cow, an elephant, a dog, / and even an outcaste scavenger (The Gita 61). This statement encourages the reader to see everything equally, which may seem to promote an egalitarian society. However, although The Gita touches on themes of equality, these ideas clearly do not mean that society should be egalitarian. Although all beings are considered equal, it is certainly not saying that everyone should have equal wealth or that everyone should be able to pursue any endeavor they choose. The structure of this verse is an immediate indicator of The Gitas reinforcement of the caste system. In saying and even an outcaste scavenger, the text puts outcaste scavengers lower than priests and animals. This in itself hints to a hierarchal order of people in society. It is also important to note that viewing things with an equal eye does not refer to equal rank in society, but instead it focuses on the beings core essence. All beings are capable of improving themselves. The commonality is that they all have to act on their respective duties to succeed. This means that the ideas of equality in The Gita do not have any grounding in societal structure, but instead, are meant to transcend worldly status. While The Gita may be suggesting that all beings have equal value on a higher level, each being has a defined place in the hierarchal order, indicating social stratification. This can be seen as the text states that, The actions of priests, warriors, / commoners, and servants / are apportioned by the qualities / born of their intrinsic being (The Gita 141). This passage separates people into different classes and states that they each have separate actions. This idea is the outline for the caste system, as different people are meant to act a certain way based on the caste they are born into. In defining the distinct groups of people and creating a further divide between them with the idea of different necessary actions for different people, The Gita clearly supports social stratification. The text goes on to say that, Each one achieves success / by focusing on his own action; / hear how one finds success / by focusing on his own action (The Gita 141). This passage tells us that each being has an intrinsic function, and all beings can achieve success by focusing on that. All beings are equal and equally capable of achieving that success, but they have separate ways of achieving that success. Everyone has the same end goal, which is moksha, the release from the cycle of rebirth of samsara. The different path they must take towards success is what stratifies them in the social order. People are divided into different classes are encouraged to act differently according to these divisions. This means that The Gitas mentioning of viewing all things as equal does not encourage an egalitarian society. Instead, it further supports the caste system, as members of the lower castes feel that they are equal to members of higher castes, even though it is not reflected in societal s tructure. Through its definition of the castes and different necessary actions, The Bhagavad Gita encourages social stratification and a hierarchal order. The idea of moksha as the ultimate goal for everyone further demands the people to follow the social order of society, supporting the caste system. This promotes people to do as The Gita says and follow ones own duty. This is shown when the text says, Look to your own duty; / do not tremble before it; / nothing is better for a warrior / than a battle of sacred duty (The Gita 36). This clearly defines the path that one must take to reach moksha. It is referring to Arjunas path as a warrior and his duty to fight in battle. This outline of one individuals caste and duty not only tells us about how people in his caste should act, but also how everyone should. This link between caste and duty tells people to follow the caste system in order to achieve the common goal of moksha. Uniting the people under a universal purpose, The Gita cleverly divides the people into separate paths to attain the ultimate release from rebirth. This division is the basis for the hierarchy in Indian society. The Bhagavad Gita gives a sense of hope to members of lower castes, which gathers their support and cooperation within the hierarchal social structure. We have seen that in history, it is often the lower class that rises up and rebels against the system when they feel they are mistreated or underrepresented. The Bhagavad Gita takes care of this threat to the caste system by providing reason and hope for those in lower castes. The text tells that for those who are committed to achieving moksha, Fallen in discipline, he reaches / worlds made by his virtue, wherin he dwells / for endless years, until he is reborn / in a house of upright and noble men (The Gita 71). This passage gives those in lower castes optimism in that if they according to their castes duty, they have the ability to be reborn in a higher caste. This also justifies the position of those in higher castes, in that they deserve their spots. According to this passage, those who are born into higher castes earned it throug h their discipline and determination to follow their dharma. This passage explains to the reader why people are born into different castes, and strengthens the hierarchal ranking system. The justification of the caste system is further discussed in The Bhagavad Gita, as the idea of duty of castes is emphasized. The Gita stresses ideas that promote hierarchy within society. This is shown once again when the text states, The actions of priests, warriors, / commoners, and servants / are apportioned by the qualities / born of their intrinsic being (The Gita 141). This passage gives a greater sense of necessary action. It says that all the different castes of people have different actions that they are designated. This justifies the caste system by implying that ones duty remains the same for their entire life. Without the ability to move out of a caste within ones lifetime, members of different castes solely focus on how they can act upon their sacred duty and following the guidelines for their caste. This shows that The Gita wants people to only focus on their own task, without worrying about anyone elses. While there is hope to have a better life after one is reborn, t he idea that one is set in their caste for their lifetime forces people to learn to endure any suffering that goes along with being in the caste. The inevitability of this suffering allows for people to deal with it more easily. With this passage, we are able to see how The Gita justifies the different castes and the actions they must make. The Gita finalizes the ideas of the caste system through its reinforcement of the ideas of the different paths of different castes to reach a common goal. Each caste has a different duty that its members must follow and act upon to achieve moksha. The text states that it is [b]etter to do ones own duty imperfectly / than to do another mans well; / doing action intrinsic to his being, / a man avoids guilt (The Gita 142). This passage tells the reader that people should do their castes duty, even if they are unable to do it well. The key point in this passage is that doing another castes duty, no matter how well it is done, is never as good as doing ones own duty. This clearly defines the importance of ones caste in determining how people should act. It solidifies the hierarchal caste system by creating strict order. Through this, we can see how The Bhagavad Gita strongly promotes social stratification and the caste system. The continuous reinforcements of the ideas of duty, moksha, and the separate castes in The Bhagavad Gita strongly show the intent of the text to stratify Indian society. While the text does hint at equality, it does not apply to an egalitarian society. Instead, it further justifies the caste system by giving a higher sense of equality, even though there are clear differences between people in this world with the caste system. The common goal of moksha unites the people and encourages them to act upon their respective duties. The different duties of the separate castes define the hierarchal structure of society that The Gita promotes. This influential text has played a key role in shaping Indian society. Through it we are able to see how the hierarchal caste system is justified. The Bhagavad Gita is without a doubt a highly influential religious text and its social implications have echoed in Indias culture.

The Psychology of the Serpent in D.H. Lawrences Snake Essay -- Lawren

The Psychology of the Serpent in D.H. Lawrence's 'Snake'      Ã‚  Ã‚   Less than 17% of the world's snakes are poisonous and less than half of these are dangerous to man. The risk of death as a result of snakebite is, in fact, lower than the risk of being struck by lightning (Pinney 138). Nonetheless, cross-culturally and throughout the world, the snake is an object of fascination, fear, and respect for humankind. The serpent is a source of symbolic speculation, as it appears in myth, dream, literature, and religion. In nature or otherwise, "it is impossible to approach the creature innocently" (Morgenson 3). As D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Snake", suggests, the snake's invoked power in not a result of any physiological aspect of the snake's chemistry, but rather a consequence of the psychological symbol that defines the snake's being. Like many of Lawrence's nature poems, Barbara Hardy classifies "Snake" as "anthropomorphic", composing the snake as a creature in itself, but "through the images of human experience" (43). Lawrence's serpent is car efully constructed with a sense of immediacy and harsh reality, but it is through the eyes and experience of the human narrator that the reader comes to understand the snake. More importantly, the reader comes to understand the pure necessity, and the pure immorality, of subconscious symbolism and judgement. The snake provokes both terror and respect.    Aside from the reality of a mysterious, occasionally poisonous predator is the archetypal image of the serpent, latent with mythological, biblical, and historical symbols. Among the most common phobias is ophiaphobia, or fear of snakes, despite the unlikeliness of one to encounter a snake in the urban world (Rapoport 195). Lawrence, though ... ...s Cited Hardy, Barbara. "D.H. Lawrence's Self-Consciousness." D.H. Lawrence in the Modern World. Ed. Peter Preston and Peter Hoare. New York: Cambridge UP, 1989. 27-46. Hobsbaum, Philip. A Reader's Guide to D.H. Lawrence. London: Thames and Hudson, 1981. Lawrence, D.H. "Snake." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Major Authors. 6th ed. Ed. M.H. Abrams, et al. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996. 2452-54. McGuire, William et al, eds. The Collected Works of C.G. Jung. 5th vol. 2nd ed. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1956. Morgenson, Greg. The Serpent's Prayer: The Psychology of an Image. N.D. On-line. Available: http://www.cgjung.com/cgjung/articles/serpent.html. 22 February 1998. Pinney, Roy. The Snake Book. New York: Doubleday, 1981. Rapoport, Judith L. The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing. New York: NAL Penguin, 1989.      

Jekyll And Hyde The Musical Essay

The play was preformed in Bristol Hippodrome on the 11th May. The musical was about a doctor, Jekyll, who wants to see the other side of a person’s soul. He believed that in every person there is a darker side, the opposite of a person’s soul. He believes he has way of seeing this other person. He has an experiment that will enable him to do so but people won’t listen to him and knock back his ideas. After his idea being rejected he decides what to do. He takes the potion, and from it emerges as his other double side, Hyde. Hyde is the opposite of Jekyll, and is a cold-blooded murderer. Jekyll and Hyde both know about each other and as Hyde finds out about Lucy he plans to do something about it. Jekyll can’t control Hyde as Hyde forms a strong part of him. Throughout Hyde, kills people, one of which includes Lucy, a prostitute whom Jekyll had formed a friendship with. At the ending as Jekyll is about to marry Lisa, he makes himself get shot to end Hyde ever coming back. The main character in the play played both parts of Jekyll and Hyde. Whilst he was playing Jekyll, his appearance was smart and clean, whereas when he turned into Hyde his appearance was rough and sinister looking. Jekyll’s personality was kind and he was a gentle man. Hyde was his other side, being Vulgar and violent. Lisa was Jekyll’s fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e and was one of the only people whom listened to Jekyll. At the start they appeared to have a close relationship but as Jekyll turned into Hyde they became more distant, also this occurred when Jekyll met Lucy. Lucy was a prostitute who although seemed confident there was times when she showed her vulnerability and longing to go away from her life. When she met Jekyll, he was different and treated her with respects unlike all the other men. She falls in love with him, but as Hyde finds out about her he then kills her. The other characters in the play treat Jekyll as if he is just a doctor who has mad ideas but not worth the time to listen too. Hyde meanwhile makes people listen to him, right before he kills them. Jekyll’s relationship to other characters is distant apart from his fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e Lisa. Also when he meets Lucy, he is kind to her and they form a connection. Hyde doesn’t care about anybody. But when he finds out about Lucy, he makes himself involved with her. At the end Hyde visits Lucy and kills her. Throughout the play Jekyll constantly changes into Hyde, and as the play progressed the transformation was sudden and at the end the change between them was every second or two as they spoke to each other before transforming. He changes throughout the play because of the potion’s effect and he changes without his consent, as Hyde starts to overpower him. There were contrasts between pace between and within scenes. These occurred when Hyde would emerge from Jekyll or the suddenness of the next scene change. The effect this created was to make the scene more alive with what the characters were feeling and what the situation was about. Some changes of paced were specifically linked to characters such as Hyde’s would be loud and lively whereas Jekyll’s would be more calm and quiet. The changes in pace added to the tension. The set was made up of one floor, which was changed into a bar, a street scene and mostly Jekyll’s laboratory. Then there were two flights of stairs leading to another floor, like a balcony. Both of the floors were used for different parts of the play. When Hyde killed a man on the top floor he would drop down onto the next one. There was a number of exists. The set was mostly dark colours but between the scenes the mood of the set could change. The colours were made lighter for the scene in the bar but darker for Jekyll changing into Hyde. The lightning added to the effect of the different atmospheres of the scenes. The effects used when Jekyll and Hyde were changing straight after one another were the lightning would swirl and for Jekyll a calm, good blue colour whereas Hyde had a blood red colour. It showed the contrast between the two characters. When Hyde first came and was in Jekyll’s room, the lightning used was Hyde hitting a table and the candle on it light up and the lightning was more dramatic and the music was rushed. When something dramatic happened the lighting would add to this by bright colours and the fastness of it. The lights had patterns on them, which showed, as well as the colours, what the action mood was. When it was calmer such as Jekyll it would be softer. The music used were suited to the part of the play it accompanied, such as when Hyde was on a killing spree the music was fast and dramatic. The opposite to when Jekyll was with Lisa or Lucy. Obviously as this play was a musical the words spoken would be a song about how that character was feeling or what was happening in that event of the play. The sound and music produced an atmosphere as it expressed clearly people’s emotions as to what was happening. One of the best moments was when Lucy and Lisa sang together. They both had feelings for Jekyll and combined them into one song with each other. The costumes of the characters were suited to them. Jekyll was smart and organised looking whereas Hyde was scruffy and threatening. Lucy’s was suited to her but when she met Jekyll she changed a bit as she had feelings for him. When Hyde kept changing more frequently it affected Jekyll’s appearance, as Jekyll seemed more worried his appearance would be nervous. The overall success of the play was good. There were some scenes which were better than others, Lucy and Lisa singing together, which lifted the play and improved it. There were parts of the play, Hyde first emerging from Jekyll, which also added to the feeling of the play. The main characters of the play stayed in character and played their parts well.

The Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment Essay

Air pollution can result from both human and natural actions. Natural events that pollute the air include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal, evaporation of organic compounds and natural radioactivity. Pollution from natural occurrences is not very often. Human action include but not limited to industrial pollution, bush burning, biomass and many others. â€Å"Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal.† (n.d world health organization para. 1) Villages, communities, and even cities in the developing world often suffer poor air quality, which can be hazardous to health, yet there have been relatively few studies. Waste management is becoming one of the critical issues in Ghana at large in recent years. Despite the environmental and sanitation policies, waste is currently a public menace in all cities, towns, communities and in Ghana at large. Following recent incidents in Ghana, such as the cholera outbreak which claimed over 100 lives and the June 6th disaster which claimed about 150Show MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment Essay1198 Words   |  5 PagesEnvironmental pollution will cause direct damage to the ecosystem and impact, such as desertification, forest destruction, water eutrophication, will also give ecological systems and human society caused by indirect harm, and sometimes this indirect environmental effects than the harm caused Of the direct harm is greater, more difficult to eliminate. For example, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and ozone depletion are the environmental effects of air pollution. This environmental effect derived fromRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment749 Words   |  3 Pagesindustry that requires urgent attention is environmental pollution. Increased economic activity produces an increasing amount of waste that producers must dispose of. Of particular interest to policymakers are air pollutants, which are easily disposed of through pipes and vents by producers at a minimal cost. Air pollution has been shown to increase respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and increased cancer rates. Additionally, air pollution has substantially increased the amount of greenhouseRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment Essay755 Words   |  4 PagesBackground and Analysis Air pollution is the infiltration of chemicals or toxic molecules into the atmosphere. In the global context many countries including China, the United States, Mexico, and others are haunted by pollution in the air. However each has a certain degree of air pollution different from the other. Air pollution kills animals and plants by intoxicating our bodies with harmful bacteria and chemicals. Unless our bodies become immune or we learn to clear the pollution earth s ecosystemRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment1198 Words   |  5 Pages Lichens are durable and can grow in harsh environments where there is little or no soil. Lichens can tolerate severe temperatures both hot and cold. Despite their durability lichen are not impervious, many are sensitive to air pollution because they are dependent on moisture from rain for growth. Smog is a common air pollution which is the result of the burning fuels like coal and gasoline which releases sulfur dioxide and nitroge n dioxide into the air later turning in to acids when introduce withRead MoreAir Pollution And Its Effects On The Environment1210 Words   |  5 PagesAir pollution has become a huge dilemma in our environment. Pollution is caused by the toxic release of chemicals and pollutants; releasing pollutants into the atmosphere harm the planet and pose a threat to human lives. Some of these pollutants include Carbon Monoxide, lead, acid gases, and Nitrogen oxides. Most of these pollutants are caused by industrial factories and vehicle exhaust. Air pollution is a global battle and preventing it will only help decrease the existing damage. In China, airRead MoreAir Pollution And Its Effects On The Environment1613 Words   |  7 Pagesvarious exhaust gases today, a level of air pollution has significantly increased in the environment. The smog enveloping the city is the most visible and obvious sign of urban pollution. However, even invisible harmful particles can have a big impact on the quality of airspace. In general, any substance released into the environment and having an adverse effect, is an air pollution. Hazardous substances present in the air, not only affect the environment but to a greater extent on the person whoRead MoreAir Pollution And Its Effect On The Environment814 Words   |  4 PagesAir is vital to our planet, life is simply impossible without it. Air pollution â€Å"refers to the contamination of the air, irrespective of indoors or outside. A physical, biological or chemical alteration to the air in the atmosphere can be termed as pollution. It occurs when any harmful gases, dust, smoke enters into the atmosphere and makes it difficult for plants, animals and humans to survive as the air becomes dirty.† (Jacobson, 2017) Air pollution has introduced countless negative effects toRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment1261 Words   |  6 Pagescovered by plastic, and people have already used most of our sources from 29% of the earth. Air pollution is also really bad right now especially in developing countries. They burn coal so much that the carbon dioxide amount in the air is too high. On the other hand, companies do not pay attention at all on the cleaning environment where people work; therefore, it causes a lot of people ill due to the dirty environment. People waste so many product and materials that they could recycle and use again, howeverRead MoreThe Effects Of Indoor Air Pollution On The Environment996 Words   |  4 PagesHumans, animals, and plants need air to survive, but how can they survive if the air that they breathe is polluted? Every cell in your body needs oxygen in order to live. The air that everyone breathes contains oxygen and other gases. Hazardous chemicals escape into the environment to pollute the air from numerous human activities. The ever growing combustion of fossil fuels in the last century is responsible for the biggest progressive change in the atmosphere. Despi te the other numerous environmentalRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Environment2797 Words   |  12 PagesThe typical public, particularly sick people with upper or inferior respiratory symptoms know that severe respiratory impacts can take place due to air pollution based on the information from the media. It is vital for the relevant specialists to possess present information of the probable health impacts as well as the manner in which they might influence their clients in order to instruct them adequately. In particular, the specialists in the field should meticulously know that both gaseous as well