Journal Topic

Reflections on a goal I have set for myself (what I’ll have to do to get there—try to get as specific as you can)

~or~

What makes goal-setting difficult or unnecessary for me at this time

Arjuna’s path to his goal

EQ: How does the reader determine

the key points of a text?

3 Questions

What does it say? (literal level)Goal: Paraphrase text

What does it mean? (deeper meaning)

Goal: Support ideas with the text

What does it matter? (Theme)Goal: Application of text (demonstrate understanding of the text in context of our lives and those of others)

What it says… What it means…

Stanzas 31-37~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 39-43~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 55-58~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 62-65~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 68-72~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 31-37~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 39-43~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 55-58~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 62-65~~~~~~~~~~

Stanzas 68-72~~~~~~~~~~

Things to consider for “What it means”:

How do ideas expressed connect to our ongoing discussion of Hinduism (dharma, karma, caste, reincarnation)?What is Krishna saying is important for a person of understanding to realize?Based on what Krishna is telling him, what difficulties does Arjuna seem to be experiencing? What is he asked to understand in order to overcome these problems?You should be ready to cite examples from the reading in your answers

Things to consider for “Why it matters”:

What do people become “attached to” today? How can these attachments affect a person and their personal pursuit of “oneness”?Why is it so difficult for people to achieve “oneness” with their goals (if you like, think about people of your own “caste”)

Review of Stanzas 1-27

What does it say? (your paraphrase)

What does it mean? (your interpretation)*

What does it matter? (How does it connect to our discussion/our lives?)*

* To be collected

Finish the text and…

Record your answers to the 3 questions for the remaining stanzas

But what do you do with literature?

Use context cluesLook for the familiarMake inferences

What is our context?What might be familiar?What are you going to look at in order to make inferences?

Stanzas 1-8

Read each stanza and:Write a paraphrase

After you have finished with stanza 8:

Write a brief summary of this section of the story

Stanzas 1-8

1 - Arjuna is sad/filled with pity as Krishna appears to talk with him2 - Krishna asks why he is acting like a coward3 – Don’t give in (to weakness) Fight agains this urge!4 – Arjuna is worried about fighting those he should respect

Stanzas 1-85 – Shouldn’t I choose personal loss (lower caste) over victory (dishonor)?6 – Won’t it be worse to win (and suffer dishonor) than to lose with honor?7 – I have pity (guilt) in my heart which is keeping me from my duty – help me to know what I should do8 – All I can think about is how I will feel (guilt/sorrow/regret) if I go against my elders to win greatness in this life

Stanzas 9-27

Repeat paraphrase/summarize steps for this section

(30 minutes)

Stanzas 1-8

Sanjaya – narrator provides situationKrishna – asks question of Arjuna:

Why this cowardice in time of crisis?What is the real question as it relates to the dharma of a soldier?

Arjuna – responds:How can I fight? (against elders)Has personal conflict (“the flaw of pity”)Torn between sacred duty and family honor

The nature of the story – an Ethical Dialogue

How to fight against those who ought to be respected

What should be the desired outcome in such a conflict

How should one deal with the feelings of pity one experiences as a result

Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual Discipline

Krishna’s response (to the flaw of pity): “You grieve for those beyond grief”

Key Questions:• What makes understanding reincarnation

so important for Arjuna to understand? (see 12-20)

• According to Krishna, when is someone fit for immortality? (see 15)

Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual Discipline

Krishna discusses the implications of dharma

“Look to your own duty; do not tremblebefore it; nothing is better for a warriorthan a battle of sacred duty.”

Key Questions:What consequences will Arjuna face if he

does not follow his dharma?How does spiritual discipline help in this

area?

Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual Discipline

Krishna speaks of discernment“Arjuna, action is far inferior

to the discipline of understanding.”

Key Questions:What characterizes an undiscerning

person (41-44)?What characterizes true discernment

(46-53)?

Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual Discipline

Krishna speaks of discernment (cont.)

Key Questions:How does the one with discernment

overcome the sensuous/material world 55-58)

How do the senses fight against true discernment (59-63)?

What results from yielding to the senses (62-63)?

Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual Discipline

Krishna speaks about the victory gained by the discerning person“But a man of inner strength whose sensesexperience objects without attraction andhatred, in self-control, finds serenity.”

Key Questions:According to Krishna, how is discernment

and peace achieved (64-68)?