Sunday, November 10, 2 p.m. Eastern
Listen to the recording on Soundcloud (podcast)
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most foundational text to Hindu theology and is a deeply sacred story for over one billion people. It tells the story of Arjuna, a warrior about to enter battle, who is guided by the spiritual teachings of his charioteer, Krishna, that enable him to face the test he undergoes. Despite its popularity around the world, the Bhagavad Gita remains largely unknown to many Westerners who are less familiar with this text than other religious Holy Books like the Torah, the Bible, or the Qur’an. Nevertheless, the Bhagavad Gita should be studied thoroughly, not only to glean insights from its profound spiritual themes but also to better understand the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, which find direct expression in the Hindu masterpiece. This presentation will cover three particular parallels of Bahá’í teachings found in the Bhagavad Gita. Firstly, many general teachings of Krishna are remarkably similar to Bahá’í scripture, which will be illustrated herein by comparing quotes of each. Secondly, the Bhagavad Gita gives incredible insight into conceptualizing the mysteries of the stationhood of the Manifestation of God and progressive revelation which will be explored. Finally, Krishna’s more mystical teachings will be compared with teachings found in the mystical works of Bahá’u’lláh.
Hooper Markert is a student studying neuroscience and behavior at Columbia University. He has conducted research in pediatric oncology and Parkinson’s disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Weill Cornell Medicine, and has been published for his research on hepatoblastoma therapies. He developed an interest in comparative religion while taking philosophy classes at Columbia, and explored ways the Writings of the Bahá’í Faith connect with other religious Texts. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar and serving his community in New York in various ways, one of which is animating a junior youth group
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