17 Aug The history of non-violent protest in the twentieth century is intimately connected with the Bhagavad-Gita.
A note about citing quotations: When you use a quotation from a source, you will need to cite the source. The Bhagavad-Gita is presented as a poem, so cite it as you would a poem. Give the teaching number in Arabic numerals, a semicolon, and the line numbers like so: (2; 11-12). The first time you cite from the source, use the words “teaching” and “lines” before the numbers. Omit those words afterwards. Remember to put forward slashes between the lines of a poem when you quote more than one line at a time. You’ll notice that in this work, one line (as it is numbered in the text) often takes up more than one actual line of print. Treat the entire little stanzas, usually of four printed lines, as simply one line. (These directions might strike you as convoluted: if so, please ask me for clarification.)
You’ll also notice that our text has lines over the first some of the vowels in the words Bhagavad-Gita. Feel free to omit them, as I have.
If you decide to write about the Bhagavad-Gita, consider the following question. Certainly, you may narrow down the topic, making it more specific.
1. The history of non-violent protest in the twentieth century is intimately connected with the Bhagavad-Gita. In India itself, Mahatma Gandhi, a great admirer of the Gita, interpreted the text in a radically different way from other, more traditional readings. He believed the teaching of the Bhagavad-Gita did not justify war or violence; rather, he believed it teaches that one must act without anger and desire at all times, and this translates into refraining from all forms of violence, physical or mental, against one’s fellow human beings. Gandhi put this interpretation into practice and led a completely nonviolent struggle against the British colonial government, preferring to go to jail rather than resort to violence. His leadership eventually brought the Indian people to freedom from colonial rule. In our own country, there is the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A Christian rather than a Buddhist, King was nevertheless a great admirer of Gandhi and used Gandhi’s example as well as his own interpretation of Christian theology to lead the Civil Rights movement. Of course, a central tenet of King’s philosophy was that the only correct means for Blacks to gain civil rights was through non-violent protest.
What do you think? Do the portions of the Bhagavad-Gita that you have read seem to support Gandhi’s interpretation? And are King and Gandhi correct in their insistence on refraining from physical and mental violence under all circumstances? When, in your judgment, is violence justifiable? Is it ever? Use the text to help articulate your own stance on this issue.
notes:
By this point you should have written a rough draft of your essay, perhaps sent it out to other students in the class for peer input, revised, and then proofread and edited your paper.
Do some last-minute rethinking of your paper by
Going over the checklist for revising a literary analysis paper, given on page 771 of Little,Brown.
Taking out any contractions (don’t and isn’t, for example).
Taking out any use of the words you, your, yours.
Being sure your title is interesting and grabs the reader’s attention.
Putting the thesis of your essay in an easy-to-spot place, perhaps the last sentence of your first paragraph.
Keeping the introduction (first paragraph) and conclusion (last paragraph) relatively short, as compared to body paragraphs.
Using quotations to support your claims and assertions about the story and interpreting the meaning of those quotations to the reader’s understanding and satisfaction.
