The Fall of Men For The Amazonians

I think that when the Europeans arrived, the Native Amazonias must have seen their fall, for vairous reasons. First and foremost, when the colonists came and started to conquer, the Amazonians didn't know who they were, what language they spoke, nothing about them. So they assumed these guys were sent by the gods, or were gods themselves. As the amazonians were firm believers in their Gods, they didn't dare touch one of these guys, and much less with a sword. All they did was turn themselves in, give their gold and precious things, and surrender. 

Another reason they thought it was their end was because the Europenas brought diseases that these people didn't even know about. As soon as it hit some of them, probably in a few days and the whole tribe could be affected. There are statistics that say that about 90% of the tribes were completely aniquilated only by diseases. If an indian tried to escape these diseases by going to another culture, he probably would find the others in the same state, or he might not even find the tribe anymore.  

Apart from killig many from diseases, they got some as slaves, others were simply killed. These poor indians had not the least idea what was going on, they just let themselves be killed. Others, the ones who did rebell, were outweaponed. These guys brought metal swords, and some already had gunpowder. What an unfair battle they were fighting. They probably did believe it was their end, the fall of man.  

If Hyppolita were a Native Amazonian

I imagine the Trojan women with Hyppolita being an indigenous women in a really strange way. First, she would not speak any of the languages known at the time, only native Amazonian languages. When they burn their homes and take her daughter as a slave, she would not understand what was going on, and she would have unleashed her rage, creating a post-war battle. The funny thing about it is that the others don't understad her either, so the fight will be more exciting. It is some angry women against angry men who can't communicate, therefore there is no way to make a peace treaty or anything, meaning that the war is until death. 

The other scene I imagine is the part when the Amazons are fooled and think Hercules is trying to kill Hyppolita, and he reacts by killing her. I just have this image in my mind of this huge Hercules seeing these crazy tough aazonian women run towards him, and all he does is slay the queen. There is no communication between them, becuase the amazonians don't speak Hercules' language. It would be interesting to see more points of view on this and one day make a funny video or a mock video just for fun. 

Meditation in The Gita

Meditation in the Bhagavad-Gita I found a really important topic, because it is one of the main themes ofthe book. Some people consider this a type of Bible, and they have plenty of reasons to do so. This book is full of teachings and you can use it as a way to meditate. While I was reading it, I got to meditate about many topics of life. Arjuna talks about his culture being full of greed and starting to become arrogant, and that is exactly what the people who have power are nowadays. If you have power, then you want more, and more, and more. 

As well, it talks about Karma. Karma is that whatever you do, wether good or evil, will come back to you in the same way. if you help someone, then when you are in need, someone will help you. but if you laugh about someone who fell down, ans started insulting the person, then one day something similar is going to happen to you. It is similar to the Bible in the way that if you do a good deed, then God will reward you. But it is different becuase in teh Bible it says that if you do something bad, but you apologize and repent, God will forgive and forget. He will not return the evil deed, lest you never apologize and feel proud of what you did. 

But the main reason that i put meditation here is because once you read the Bhagavad-Gita, you have a lot to meditate about. I consider it a responsibility because it gives you a lot to think about, many reasons to change yourself into a better person. I m applying these meditations myself!

Killing and Death

Killings and deaths in the Bhagavad-Gita are really strange. Let's just start by saying that in the Gita, there are no such things as killings and death. It souds freaky but true. So why is it my title? Because it is a very important part of the book. As there are no deaths, what happens to us is that there is a reppetitive life cycle. Your physical body dies, and rots, but not your soul. You go into a new body. You go into the body of a child. You start a new lifestyle. 

There is one thing called called Karma, which says that everything you do will return to you, and this Karma has to do a lot with the tye of life you get. If you were a good person; resposible, honest, then you get a better life. As people don't die, then they should never fear death, and that is the main reason why Lord Krishna wants Arjuna to go to the Battle. 

Arjuna doesn't want to battle, he feels greed is filling culture and the people around him. He doesn't want to go to the battle because he doesn't want to kill people. Here's where Lord Krishna starts his preaching. He tells Arjuna that, as people never die, he shouldn't fear going into battle, because for most of them, he's doing a favor in getting them into a new body. Lord Krishna explains the whole system of the life cycle and new bodies, and wants Arjuna to go to the battle. Why? I don0t know why, but there is nothing to worry about "killing people" because they never die. it is really weird and hard to understand at first, but once you get it, it makes sense with the rest of the book. 

Who is Lord Krishna?

Krishna, the one who at the beginning was no one, just a simple charioteer. "He told his charioteer: 'Krishna, halt my chariot between the armies!'" But he is a type of charioteer that everyone would like to have! After Arjuna is in the middle of the battlefield, Krishna becomes something different...

Arjuna asks him things, and he starts calling him Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna starts talking to Arjuna about a lot of stuff he doesn't understand at first. He talks about honor, respect, that he should go to the battle, about Karma-Yoga, some knowledge he should have, knowledge of the absolute, being perfect, the universal form, devotion service, nature and taking care of it, the Yoga of the Supreme, divine and demoniac natures, the divisions of faith, and more complicated topics. This Lord Krishna knows about what he is talking about, and he knows it well. 

He also talks about no one ever dying or being born, just hanging around in the form of soul and taking human bodies occasionally. But there is something that caught my attention, and it is the setting of the Bhagavad Gita. They are in the middle of a battlefield. What I interpreted was that Arjuna needed help to go to the battle, he wasn't sure. He asks Lord Krishna for help, and here is where Lord Krishna starts preaching to him all the topics named above. I think the battlefield setting was just an excuse to create a good place where somebody needed help, because it has no other purpose in the story. 

Death or Shame (following Bhagavad-Gita ideals)

Yes, death is a terrible subject that we all want to avoid talking about and never want it to happen. But eventually, we all die. But shame, that is another topic. There can be a shameful moment in a small place where nobody sees you, but being ashamed in a battlefield could be pretty bad. So today I came with my quest, Shame or death following the Bhagavad Gita. 

Well shame as a man of honor is not that good in the Bhagavad Gita, as it says "... and for a man of honor, shame is worse than death." ( 2nd Teaching, verse 33). There is a reason behind that, and it is that the Bhagavad Gita says that no one is ever born or dead. There is a cycle of life, that you get a human for, and live, and then when you die, your body dies, but not your soul. Your soul goes to another human body. So between being ashamed as a man of honor by not going to a battle, and thought to be afraid, then I would rather go to the battle, and be killed, because one never dies. And besides, You might not die in the battle, which would be even better that shame or death. 

Bhagavad-Gita Work

These are some words in the Bhagavad-Gita that I did not understand, so I looked them up in different sources. 

Conch:

A Shankha shell (the shell of a Turbinella pyrum, a species in the gastropod family Turbinellidae) is often referred to in the West as a conch shell, or a chank shell. This shell is used as an important ritual object in Hinduism. The shell is used as a ceremonial trumpet, as part of religious practices. 

(www.wikipedia.org) 

Tumult:

violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar. 

(www.dictionary.com)

Sought:

past and past participle of seek

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Greed:

A selfish and excessive desire for something(as money) than is needed.

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Perish:

 to become destroyed or ruined : cease to exist.

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Undermine:

to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly.

to weaken or ruin by degrees.

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Slump:

1 a: to fall or sink suddenly 

   b: to drop or slide down suddenly

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Dejected:

cast down in spirits, depressed. 

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Blight:

2: something that frustrates plans or hopes

3: something that impairs or destroys

(www.merriam-webster.com)

Sovereignty

 a: supreme power especially over a body politic

 b: freedom from external control : Autonomy

 c: controlling influence

(www.merriam-webster.com)

These are some phrases that I found really interesting in the book. I will put the phrase and as well an explanation of it and why it was interesting to me. 

"Krishna, I seek no victory, or kingship or pleasures. 

What use to us are Kingship, delights, or life itself?"

(1st teaching, verse 31)

This phrase I found interesting because there is a man questioning life, the purpose of life or the use of life. He doesn't seem interested in fighting that battle, so he starts questioning everything. It is weird to find someone saying things like this, because life is the most precious thing we got. It cannot be replaced. Though the people from this book think differently. They believe life goes on forever with your soul. 

"I lament the great sin we commit when our greed for kingship and pleasures drives us to kill out own kinsmen."

(1st Teaching, verse 44)

This is a phrase I put here because it is commonly seen and heard these days, when people do anything for money, for power, to satisfy their ambition. There are people who get to the limit of killing, and even torturing people just for their pleasure. 

"... arm yourself into battle, 

lest you fall into evil"

(2nd Teaching, verse 37)

This I put here because it is a unique phrase. Just look at it. It is the most ironic and stupid phrase I have heard. It is so stupid to say arm into battle, lest you fell into evil, because obviously killing, destroying and torturing is evil enough. Why, then, would not going to battle be evil!? 

"When he renounces all desires, 

and acts without craving,

possessiveness, 

or individuality, he finds peace."

(2nd Teaching, verse 70)

This phrase made me think a lot because it is very true. If you have nothing in mind, nothing you need to think about, well then nothing will worry you. If you act without possessions, then nothing will bother you. If nothing needs to be done, nothing needs to be fixed, nothing needs your attention, then you will find peace. 

Here I will make three predictions that go with the text, just with some chapters I have read. 

1. After all the talking that Lord Krishna does to Arjuna, I think that he will be convinced to go to the battle, because Lord Krishna is filling his head with all this thoughts of good and evil and action and the gods, and after all, his message is "go to the battle". I don't know what Lord Krishna has against the Kurus, but he wants Arjuna to fight them.

2. I think something unexpected will happen in the battle of the Kurus. Perhaps Arjuna will die, but I wouldn't count on that so much. Let's just say he might be wounded or he'll turn against Lord Krishna, but something that nothing expected. 

3. Lord Krishna will make Arjuna suffer. I don't know in what ways or for what reasons but he will. I believe so because after all the talk they had, something is going to go wrong and they will turn against each other. 

Now I will state the five most important questions one must ask himself while reading. 

1. Who is Arjuna (the main character)?

2. What is his role in the book?

3. Who is Lord Krishna?

4. How and why does he affect and advise Arjuna?

5. What is the real meaning of all the lessons Lord Krishna is teaching Arjuna, and why in the middle oif a battlefield?