RELIGION 264S Religion and Journalism

1.The Bhagavad Gita (or 'Divine Song') is a short portion of a much longer Hindu Epic, entitled the Mahabharata. In the Gita, we are given a dialogue between Arjuna (the Warrior) and Krishna (his charioteer). Arjuna has been called upon to defend his rule against a warring clan (his blood relatives) who seek to usurp him; but not wanting to harm those who are seemingly close to him, Arjuna lays down his weapons and begins to despair. Krishna (who we find out is actually the deity speaking through the person of the charioteer) exhorts Arjuna to see the bigger picture: sometimes in our life we must carry out tasks that at the present moment make no sense to us; yet if we shrink from such tasks, we will lose an opportunity to contribute to an overall good.

According to Krishna, no matter the personal cost or suffering, one must fulfill one's obligation [dharma] and do this as an act of worship to one's Lord. In the Bhagavad Gita (2:38), Krishna states: "Prepare for war with peace in thy soul. Be in peace in pleasure and pain, in gain and in loss, in victory or in the loss of battle. In this peace there is no sin."

Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? Why? (Please list your specific reasons).

Do you believe that a warrior can be at peace with himself/herself? Or is the concept of 'the Peaceful Warrior' a contradiction in terms? Please explain.

What do you think the passage implies about the possibility of a 'holy war'?

Could the passage be interpreted in a symbolic way [as opposed to its usual literal sense]?

2.At the onset of the Warring States period in ancient China [c.481-221BCE], both Confucius [the founder of Confucianism] and Lao Tzu [the founder of Taoism] had developed their own means of promoting the Way of Harmony (or Tao).

Please compare and contrast the following two quotes from these Chinese masters. What does Confucius mean by his comparison of the effects on society of penal law as opposed to moral excellence and virtue? Why is the cultivation of culture and the observance of religious ritual so important to Confucius? What does Lao Tzu mean by his use of paradoxical or contradictory statements, such as leaders must serve and warriors must seek to avoid violence? Is Lao Tzu's concept of 'non-competition' practical in today's society?

Which one do you agree with more? Why?

1.In Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna has given sermons to Arjun about the Peace of mind and soul. It has been spoken that a person should always be in peace no matter what the circumstances are. This statement is correct in its philosophical sense as it inspires people to remain peaceful in their hearts as everything which is happening around them is ought to happen. Then there is no point in worrying over or celebrating the lavishness of life. Whatever happens in a person’s life one should not leave the notion of peace. War is just a façade, a way of summing up piled up sins in which people fight for their rights and kill or get killed. If a war is fought for the purpose of establishing peace then it is not considered as sin. A warrior can also be at peace in spite of his job of taking lives because he knows that this is the right thing to do and he is meant to do that only. One must follow the path of “Dharma” and whatever things a person may have to do to continue of its path of dharma is justified. If a warrior kills for establishing dharma then he is at peace as it is the most correct thing to do. A warrior should look through the mirror of present time and act accordingly for the greater good even if he has to sacrifice his blood relatives or nearest of kin.

2.Confucius was a Chinese philosopher which gave his philosophies which are now called Confucianism. Confucius in his teachings has illustrated that a person is ruled by power of law, rules and regulations and the whole system of governance is based on the virtue of a person in being honest. The matters of prestige are the key to make a good governance structure of a country. Confucius believes that there is no need of punishment for a person who has self-honor and virtue. If a person of virtue does anything wrong to the society then he will be ashamed by himself and there is no need of giving punishment by law. If a person has no virtue then the punishment of his crimes will make no difference to him. Confucius talks about the harmony in society and culture. He does not take any credit for his wisdom and told that he has gained knowledge from reading ancient texts. According Confucius a person who takes the path of virtue and culture and practice religious rituals are men of honor and they are not ashamed of punishment. Whereas Lao Tzu in his philosophy Taoism stated that people should follow the path of non-competition and avoid violence. Life of a person is not limited to himself and his actions effect people around them. That is why a person should practice chastity and be rational in his approach. It is the universe which governs the will and path which people take and a wise man understand the importance of culture and religion.

References

Eskildsen, Stephen. "The Beginning of the Subtle School of Taoism: An Official Perspective of Taoism in the Early T’ang Period, by Florian C. Reiter, Wiesbaden, HarrassowitzVerlag, 2014, 127 pp.,€ 39 (paperback), ISBN 978 3 4471 0314 5." 2017: 330-333.

Hasan, Rumy. "Confucianism and Development." Religion and Development in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2017. 155-190.

Hon, Tze-ki, and Kristin Stapleton, eds. Confucianism for the Contemporary World: Global Order, Political Plurality, and Social Action. SUNY Press, 2017.            

Yin, Hui. "From" Nature" to" Heavenly Principle": Discussion about Ritual of the Confucian Ethical Code between Neo-Taoism and Neo-Confucianiam." Universitas-Monthly Review Of Philosophy And Culture 44.3 2017: 23-40.