Name__________________________________________Date___________Class_______Period_____

Comparing the Bhagavad Gita and the Buddha TheMahabharataisIndia’sgreatestepic.Throughitsnearly100,000verses,wehearechoesofthebattlesthatrivalAryantribesfoughttogaincontroloftheGangesRiverregion.Fiveroyalbrothers,thePandavas,losetheirkingdomtotheircousins.Afteragreatbattlethatlasts18days,thePandavasregaintheirkingdomandrestorepeacetoIndia.InoneepisodefromthatlongepicIntheGita,Krishna,anavatar,orhumanform,ofthegodVishnu,adviseshisfriend,thewarriorprinceArjuna,abouthowtoobtainmokshaandeternalhappiness.ThisoneconversationonitsownbecameoneofHinduism’smostimportantandsacredtexts,theBhagavadGita,whichmeans“SongoftheLord.”Thoughtheearliestversionsmayhavebeenaroundcenturiesearlier,itisestimatedthatthetextprobablyreachedsomethingofa"finalform"bytheearlyGuptaperiod,aboutthe4thcenturyCE.“Thatdevotee(worshipper)ofmine,whohatesnobeing,whoisfriendlyandcompassionate,whoisfreefromegoism(self-centeredness),andfrom[theideaofownership],towhomhappinessandmisery(sadness)arethesame,whoisforgiving,contented,constantlydevoted,self-restrained,andfirminhisdeterminations(choices),andwhosemindandunderstandingaredevotedtome,heisdeartome.Hewhoisnotbotheredbytheworld,andwhotheworlddoesnotbother,whoisfreefromjoyandangerandfearandannoyance,hetooisdeartome.Thatdevoteeofmine,whoisunconcerned,pure,assiduous(hard-working),unbiased,freefromdistress,whoabandonsalleffortstotakegainsfromtheworld,heisdeartome.Hewhoisfullofdevotiontome,whofeelsnojoyandnohatred,whodoesnotgrieveanddoesnotdesire,whoabandons(bothwhatis)likedand(whatis)disliked,heisdeartome.Hewhoisthesametofriendandfoe(enemy),asalsoinhonoranddishonor,whoisthesameincoldandheat,pleasureandpain,whoisfreefromattachments,towhompraiseandblamearealike,whoisquiet,andcontentedwithanything[thatcomeshisway],whoishomeless,andofasteadymind,andfullofdevotion,thatmanisdeartome.Butthosedevoteeswho,fulloffaith,andmakingmetheirhighestgoal,resorttothisholypathforreachingimmortality(Moksha),asstated,theyareextremelydeartome.”ClarifyWhatistheBhagavadGita?Fromwheredoesitoriginate?SummarizeWhatqualitiesdoesKrishnasayaredeartohimandthatwillmakeapersonachievemokshaafterdeath?

IntheBuddha’sfirstsermon,orreligiousspeech,helaidoutthefourmainideasthathehadcometounderstandinhisenlightenment.HecalledthoseideastheFourNobleTruths:

1. Lifeisfilledwithsufferingandsorrow.2. Thecauseofallsufferingispeople’sselfishdesireforthetemporarypleasuresofthisworld3. Thewaytoendallsufferingistoendalldesires.4. ThewaytoovercomesuchdesiresandattainenlightenmentistofollowtheEightfoldPath,

whichiscalledtheMiddleWaybetweendesiresandself-denial.TheEightfoldPath,aguidetobehavior,waslikeastaircase.FortheBuddha,thosewhowereseekingenlightenmenthadtomasteronestepatatime.Mostoften,thismasterywouldoccurovermanylifetimes.ByfollowingtheEightfoldPath,anyonecouldreachnirvana,releasefromthecycleofrebirthandunionwiththeuniverse.HereishowhedescribedtheMiddleWayanditsEightfoldPath:

SummarizeAccordingtotheBuddha,whyislifefullofsuffering?WhatwayoflivingdoesBuddhasaywillhelpapersonachievenirvanaafterdeath?SynthesizeWhatcommonthemesrunthroughtheteachingsofbothKrishnaandBuddha?CompareWhatissimilarandwhatisdifferentaboutthetworeligiousfigures,KrishnaandBuddha?AnalyzeConsideringthepopularityofBuddhisminIndiaduringtheMauryanEmpire,doyouthinktheintroductionoftheGitaintoHinduteachinghelpedshiftIndiatoHinduismduringtheGuptaEmpire?Explain…