The Bhagavad Gita And The Symposium - 2073 Words

Desire in the Bhagavad-Gita and the Symposium Concepts of love and desire cross cultures and time periods, defining human interaction and goals with its powerful force on the human mind. The line between love and desire is not always clear and people from philosophers to scientists have attempted to understand these complex emotions and how they may be right or wrong. Desire has been characterized mainly as a distraction that will hinder humans on their solitary paths to self- enlightenment, but rather than abstaining from desire entirely to better reach enlightenment it is should be transformed through the guidance of the wise and made into a valuable resource in the search for truth rather than being seen as the enemy. Desire, when left unguided, can be a problem for those who give into it, however, a desire that has transformed into a sort of love with virtuous intentions can help one on their way to enlightenment when used in the correct way. The types of desire as they relate to what enlightenment is and the way it can be achieved are all of great importance to the potential use of desire as a resource. Unrestrained desire of anything from objects to human bodies must be checked by a set of rules or standards whether those rules instruct humans to completely rid themselves of desire or to transform that desire into something more. Selfish desire is characterized as temporary and ultimately useless or even a hindrance to a man in search of truth and knowledge.Show MoreRelatedThe Symposium And The Bhagavad Gita Essay1725 Words   |  7 PagesPaper Assignment 2 Prompt 1 When it comes to the subject of love and desire, it would seem that The Symposium and The Bhagavad Gita disagree as to whether those qualities are beneficial to achieving spirituality or detrimental. In the Symposium, Plato states that desire is part of the pathway to achieving spirituality. By contrast, the unnamed author of the Bhagavad Gita seems to state that desire is an obstacle in the pathway to achieving divinity. Their perspectives can seen through their textsRead MoreDesire In The Symposium1508 Words   |  7 PagesIn Plato’s The Symposium, a group of well-versed men consider philosophical arguments, specifically regarding the role desire plays in a virtuous life. As academics and philosophers who hold high rank in the social system of ancient Greece, these men are praised for their wisdom and eloquence. One such philosopher, Pausanias, gives a speech early in the text that addresses desire as a multifaceted concept, setting the tone for the novel. The Bhagavad-Gita , an ancient Indian text that is much reveredRead MoreLove And Devotion : Everlasting Concepts With Innumerable Meanings1655 Words   |  7 Pageschanged; and the studying of great texts such as the Plato’s Symposium, the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible, and the Bhagavad Gita have contributed to the expansion of my knowledge on such abstract topics. Love holds various meanings that vary from person to person, which is largely what is so remarkable about it. Love is an emotion, a drive, an expression; love is many things combined into one strong pull to some force. In The Symposium, love holds many interpretations by the various speakers, butRead More Siddhartha Essay: Hindu and Buddhist Thought1501 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween Siddhartha and the Bhagavad Gita, an important poetical document of the Hindu religion. Timpe maintains that Hesse was influenced largely by the Bhagavad Gita when he wrote his book and that the protagonist was groping his way along the path prescribed by the Bhagavad Gita. Hesse was indeed familiar with this important work, and a comparison between it and Siddhartha is rewarding.    As Timpe points out, the basic central problems of Siddhartha and the Gita are similar: how can theRead MoreConcepts Of Love And Desire2059 Words   |  9 Pagesbecause they are literally regarded as a disposable vessel for the real spirit which is placed in much higher standing within the world order. In the same way, â€Å"beauty of minds as more valuable than that of the body† (Plato 48) is an emphasized in the symposium. This connection to the concept of the other text where the bodies of humans and other material things are of much less value than that which is less tangible. The mind is valued for its infinite possibilities and its connection to knowledge. The