Monday Morning Greetings 2024 #30 – I Recommend this Book
Dhanurdhara Swami July 22nd, 2024
As part of our Metro Mantra Sanga,[1] we hosted Hari-kirtana das for a weekend of programs to hear about his new book, Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita.[2] The programs were in an interview format. In both programs I questioned him extensively about his work. As a student of Gita and speaker and writer about its philosophy for many years myself, I was impressed with what he has accomplished—an accessible guide and rendition of the Gita imbued with his conviction of the power of its message.
I first questioned Hari-kirtana about the necessity for his Gita commentary, especially when Srila Prabhupada was already so successful in widely communicating the message of the book. He marveled at how successful Srila Prabhupada’s Gita was in attracting so many people, including himself, to fully commit to the Gita’s teachings and assist him in his mission. Yet Hari-kirtana was convinced by his years of experience as a wisdom teacher in the yoga world that many people in his western and contemporary audience needed a longer road to the Gita as an introduction to bhakti.
In the introduction to his book, Hari-kirtana clearly outlines the people he is targeting: the spiritual but not religious; those unfulfilled, wounded or abandoned by religion; those who are interested in principles of leadership and personal growth; and those who want to learn about yoga philosophy. He then describes for each what the Gita uniquely offers to those people if they can be convinced to enter the text. For example, he describes that for those disappointed with religion, “the Gita offers comprehensive answers to reasonable questions, deific opinions rather than commandments, and the voice of a patient and compassionate God who welcomes everyone.”
Hari-kirtana’s objective is to get these people to look at the world through the lens of the Gita with the confidence that they will get a profound clarity about what the world is and how to live in it. His challenge, as he sees it, is that the Gita’s philosophical worldview is so radically different from that of his contemporary western audience. He thus carefully educates his audience in the various philosophical concepts required to understand and appreciate the Gita’s worldview. Also, he helps a western contemporary audience to decipher the numerous references to people, relationships and events specific to Vedic culture that appear in the Gita.
As a writer, I appreciate a book that is focused, which means every chapter is relevant to a book’s theme, every paragraph is relevant to the chapter’s specific development of that theme, and every sentence is relevant to the paragraph’s development of the chapter. The book is exceptionally focused! Hari-kirtana credits the brilliant contribution of his wife, Elizabeth. She is a successful professional documentary film maker, expert at visual storytelling, and she gave constant critical input along his three-year journey to complete the text.
Let me finish by stating what I have gleaned as the book’s theme and briefly describe how the book is organized to develop it.
The purpose of this book is the give a western contemporary audience the tools to overcome the philosophical and cultural obstacles that challenge them to look, at least theoretically, at the world through the lens of the Gita so they may be able to experience its profound and convincing vision of reality.
Part One gives the reader the tools to become familiar with the Gita’s conceptual framework and guidance on how to follow and develop a deep sense of connection with the text.
Part Two offers a chaste rendition of the whole Gita within the limited frame of reference of his audience, who have been armed with the tools he has given them in Part One. I believe it is the first presentation of the Gita with only the Sanskrit transliteration and English verses side by side without any break in between to enable his audience to more readably get the flavor and flow of each chapter. To facilitate this experience, there is a prelude to each chapter that puts it in the context of the overall current. Each prelude gives an overview of the specific topics covered in the chapter and even highlights for the reader specific significant passages to look out for.
In Part Three Hari-kirtana provides autobiographical stories to help the reader see how by seeing through the lens of the Gita, as he did, one can much better understand and practically navigate life in the modern world. He finishes by offering exploratory tools and practical suggestions for incorporating the Gita’s teachings into one’s life.
Metro Mantra Sangha felt honored to host Hari-kirtana and discuss his contribution to our Vaisnava lineage. The audience was enthralled by his presentation and lauded his mission in the service of Srila Prabhupada to help the western contemporary audience find a new perspective: “Instead of looking at the Gita through the lens that the world offers us, look at the world through the lens that the Bhagavad Gita offers us.”
[1] https://wavesofdevotion.com/2024/06/17/metro-mantra-sanga/
[2] Hari-kirtana das’s book, Journey Into the Bhagavad Gita, is available here. For more about Hari-kirtana das, you can visit his website.
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