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Re : Arjuna
> Sankar Jayanarayanan (kartik@Eng.Auburn.EDU) wrote:
>
>
> : I believe that Arjuna had reached that superior level of archery, when he
> : could kinda "make" the target part of his being. He was "almost" an
> : enlightened person, and this was why Krishna imparted the supreme knowledge
> : to him.
>
>
> Dear Kartik:
>
> Thank you for your observations. The indicated reason why God revealed
> Himself to Arjuna in the Gita is because Arjuna surrendered to Him.
Oh no!! I didn't get that reason...:-)
> --
>
> Thank you for your responses. I am truly fond of your charming defense
> of Arjuna. Both of you have insisted, Prewienji has asked, and Kartikji
> has speculated that Arjuna became an enlightened/Self-realized person.
>
I don't think so. I meant that Arjuna, by his incredible skill in archery,
came to the "brink" of enlightenment...and Krishna didnot want such an
"almost" enlightened man not to get the truth...:-)
I tried to justify the "partiality" of Krishna..:-)
Basically, in Zen, you can achieve enlightenment by many methods, even Archery.
After a lot of practice, you understand that "it" does the "aiming",etc for you.
The goal in the case of the "archery path" would be to understand that it is
not _you_ but _it_ that's _doing_ everything in this world.
I'm really curious - is the path of karma-yoga explained in any Upanishad?
> But is such a view supportable from the evidence in the SBG? I still feel
> that the answer is 'no'. I gave you initially an evidence from Arjuna's
> own words. Now I refer you to the very last upadesha that Sri Krishna
> gave him, the famous
>
> sarvadharmAn parityajya mAmekam sharanam braja
> aham tvam sarvapApebhyo mokshaishhyAmi mA shucha (in Chapter 18).
>
>
> The 'mA shucha' (do not worry) in this verse gives away what Sri Krishna
> thought of Arjuna's state of enlightenment, I do not think that He would
> have said 'mA shucha' to a Self-realized person, it would be redundant.
> I also refer you to chapters 12, where Sri Krishna was giving Arjuna
> easier and easier ways to worship Him, that too would not be necessary
> for a Self-realized or otherwise enlightened person.
>
precisely...:-)
> With best regards,
>
> Dhruba.
>
With best regards,
Kartik
