Prompt #17

What do you think is the most important section from Chapter 3 of the Gita? Before we discuss it as a class, please blog about what you think is the most crucial quatrain and why. (Type out the quatrain, then explain).

Chapter 3 talks mostly about doing your duties, what wisdom is, and the importance of action and prayer. These messages were repeated over and over again with examples of the consequences if you do not do these things and the benefits (enlightenment) if you do actively do them. These were the main ideas and each sections touched on them.

My favorite part of chapter 3 was when it said:

"Men say that the senses are strong.

But the mind is stronger than the senses;

the understanding is stronger

than the mind; and strongest is the Self."

It kinda sums up the who section. saying that you need to use your mind to overcome the attachment to sense objects. And that you need to then Understand to move beyond your mind. And above all your Self is your strongest quality. I like how it talks about overcome yourself to be the strongest Self.

Prompt #16

Select your favorite passage from Chapter 2 in The Bhagavad Gita. Retype it on your blog; then, explain it in your own words. Write a paragraph or two about why it speaks to you and how it could be relevant to your own life.

You have the right to your actions.

but never to your actions' fruits.

Act for the actions' sake.

And do not be attached to inaction.

[2.47]

I really like this passage because I personally like to live by this. Our actions are ours, but we should be doing them for the sake of doing them, and not for the potential benefit we may get from them. We should be doing what we want for the sake of doing it. We should works hard because we want to be ahrd workers and not because we want the paycheck or the promotions. The benefits of our actions our not ours by right, but that's how it ends up sometimes. I am someone who lives by putting in my best effort and not worrying about how things will end up, as long as I tried my best the outcome is irrelevent. We should be doing the things that we love and not what is just expected from us. Something to remember, though, is that our actions are inportant, they are expressions of who we are. We should always be taking action and doing something. If we become inactive we no longer persue our passions.

Prompt #15

My bamboo tree has sprouted and is constantly changing. Hopefully a constant in my bamboo tree is a positive outlook on everything. My tree has lots of branches reaching out in every direction, growing tall. I want my self to be strong and sturdy. There will be twist and turns but all on the way upward to my greatest potential. To make sure I end up where I want to be, I have to work and having a positive outlook. Positivity is really important and means that I am making a choice to better myself. Hopefully, like bamboo, I will be able to make lots of progress each day. I want to be a nurse so I hope that I can constantly grow from the things I learn from people each day and help then keep growing their own bamboo tree.