The Bhagavad Gita: Part Two
The Bhagavad Gita, a 2000-year-old spiritual text, contains powerful wisdom that has transformed the lives of influential figures from Mahatma Gandhi to Steve Jobs and continues to offer practical guidance for modern challenges.
Today on SHE Asked, we summarize the Bhagavad Gita's core teachings:
• Know who you are
• Do what you do FULL out
• Let go of outcomes
• Serve others
Remember - one meaningful connection can create profound impact.
In this episode, we mention and recommend Stephen Cope's translation "The Great Work of Your Life" which includes modern stories of people influenced by these teachings.
Be sure to follow the show and reach out with any questions, comments or suggestions at anna@annamcbride.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi everyone.
It's Anna McBride.
Welcome back to she Asked,tools for Practical Hope.
This show explores topics ofgrowth, healing and recovery,
offering tips and guidelines tohelp you along your personal
journey.
In today's episode, we're goingto pick up the story of the
Bhagavad Gita, where I'm goingto share with you today about
(00:25):
how I applied it in my personallife.
And I also, before I jump intothat, want to share with you
some names of some people thatyou might know that not only
read the Bhagavad Gita butreally were able to be of great
service in the world because ofwhat they learned from that
story.
(00:45):
Mahatma Gandhi is known to haveread it and changed his life.
He began his work as anattorney and struggled as an
attorney, and at the time thathe was struggling in that role,
he had already read the BhagavadGita and actually was known as
he carried it with himeverywhere and it was what he
(01:08):
called his spiritual dictionary,and from that he learned the
lessons of know who you are yourduty, do it full out, let go of
the outcome and do it indevotion to God.
So at the time that he read thebook, india was going through a
great transformation, frombeing a province of England to
(01:32):
wanting to break free, and manyof the indigenous people were
being held in servitude andslavery, and Mahatma Gandhi made
it his purpose to help free hispeople and fought for their
rights, and to do it.
He actually gave up all of hislife in devotion to that and it
(01:54):
is said that to his last breathhe had that book with him.
Albert Einstein is anotherperson who is known to have not
only read the Bhagavad Gita butpracticed talking in Hindu and
with great expressions of thatstory and its insights of the
universe is what really made himcurious about studying what he
(02:17):
has brought forth to our world.
Carl Jung, one of the famouspsychologists, is known to have
integrated the Bhagavad Gitainto his teaching and
understanding of archetypeswithin the psychological realm.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder ofApple, was known to have read
(02:38):
the Bhagavad Gita andappreciated its spiritual
insights, which influenced hisapproach to business and
creativity.
One of my teachers, deepakChopra, also have known to have
read the Bhagavad Gita manytimes and implemented it as a
part of his work in bringingAyurvedic medical practices to
(03:00):
America and really felt therelevance of that story in
modern day spirituality andwellness.
I could go on and on, but theseare just a short list of people
who served as heroes for me andmotivators to me to want to
find a way to live the BhagavadGita.
(03:23):
As I mentioned in the previousepisode, I came across the story
the first time when I was 18,in a literature class at
university.
Yet it came back to me when Istarted studying yoga and
meditation and, honestly, when Ifound that book at that time I
was at a crossroads in my life.
I was in an unhappy marriageand wasn't sure about what I was
(03:46):
going to do about that, what Iwas really meant to do in life.
I was a mother of three youngchildren and yet in my mind,
that wasn't my only purpose andnot really one that was going to
help me in my life.
You know, the thing about thestory is that it really taught
me to find ways to appreciatethat one of my roles, that of
(04:10):
being a mother, one of the mainpurposes of my life.
I didn't understand it then.
My children are all grown nowand I can say and I have told
them most importantly that beinga mother was one of the main
purposes of my life.
It is the thing that saved mylife, quite frankly, the other
thing that saved my life wasreally finding a way to bring
(04:33):
yoga and meditation tocommunities when I was deeply
struggling in my marriage.
I at the time was living outsidePhiladelphia in a farm
community.
I lived on a property that hada barn, it had a cottage, it had
a main house, it had anexterior house and we were on
quite a few acres and I had thisidea of turning it into a
(04:58):
wellness farm.
We turned the barn into a yogameditation studio that we called
the Yoga Barn, into a yogameditation studio that we called
the Yoga Barn, and the cottagewas called Cottage Counseling.
And I opened up the farm to thecommunity.
We had people coming and goingevery single day.
We had people who would justcome to hang out on the property
(05:18):
because there was some sort ofenergy that made them feel
better.
I thought about that,particularly about the story,
because there was a battlegroundgoing on in my life, in my
marriage, in myself, and byturning that same property, the
farm, into a place of healing, aplace of serving, a way to give
(05:44):
back in devotion to the thingsthat were helping me heal was
actually a way for me to answerthat question of why am I here?
What is my purpose?
How can I fulfill the duty ofwho I am?
And it's a story that keepsreminding me that in life, as in
(06:07):
many things, that we don'talways understand, what is the
deeper meaning.
We think that we're meant to besuccessful and what success
looks like according to society,and yet if we don't match that,
then we failed.
I have learned that success,which is really another word for
(06:31):
progress, is how we progress inthe world, how do we carry
yourself, how do we find a wayto really be, and I learned
through this story.
It guided me into yoga,meditation, it guided me into
turning my farm into wellness,it guided me to becoming a
therapist and it guided me tobecome that yoga and meditation
(06:53):
teacher where I taught classesaround.
This very story, over and over.
This story originally was told.
That's how the beststorytelling happened, how the
only storytelling happened.
Back when this story came to be, there was no paper, there were
no books, and now it's the mosttranslated story of all time.
(07:18):
Yet it was first told word ofmouth, and the themes, which are
many, are really bothmetaphorical and historical, and
so if you remember that themain themes, which are know who
you are.
Do it full out.
Let go of the outcome and do itin service.
Let go of the outcome and do itin service.
(07:38):
That is the purpose of why weare here.
When I think about that, I'vehad great success.
It's not attached to a dollar.
It's not attached to a societalidea.
People could view my life andthink that I've missed a few
things.
No, I'm divorced, my kids aregrown.
(07:59):
I don't necessarily have aretirement plan.
That's why I'm here sharingwith you, and yet, at the same
time, I have a lot ofexperiences to bring forward,
most of which I've learned fromthis one story.
Some of the great quotes from itare ones that keep teaching me
about why the story still holdsgreat meaning.
(08:22):
This idea of be in the presentmoment before you take action is
so powerful that if we wouldonly be present instead of
worrying about yesterday orfiguring out what we're going to
do tomorrow, then we wouldunderstand that all we have is
right this moment and the bestdecisions are only made in the
(08:44):
moment.
They're not made tomorrow andthey're not made yesterday.
And they say that the universeexists now.
So the other main theme fromthis that I really enjoyed is
the idea of the power of one Tobe successful.
I used to think like I had toteach a lot of people right, and
that in a sense makes sense.
Right, you can't maybe make aliving off of one person.
(09:06):
Yet the most powerful,successful teachings and
connections I've ever had havebeen with one person one
conversation, one therapysession, one cooking class,
one-on-one and if you can seethat as having great meaning,
(09:27):
then you've been successful.
Not many people really know thepower of connection.
One of the modern day quotes isto everyone, you are one person
, but to one person you may beeverything.
I love that quote and it comesfrom the story, because the
whole idea is that Arjunathought that he needed to be
(09:48):
able to have an effect on many,many people, when really the
only person you need to have aneffect on was himself Know
yourself and be that.
There's another quote that comesfrom that story about the
universe, and I think this isthe one that really inspired
people like Albert Einstein asabove, so below, as within, so
(10:13):
without.
And that quote really means isthat the universe we think
exists outside of us, and whatthe Bhagavad Gita taught is that
it actually exists inside of us.
Everything that is outside ofyou is already within you, and
scientists have proven that allof the atomic matter that's in
(10:36):
the world actually exists insideof us in some way, shape or
form.
We look at the way the worldexists in space and water and
fire and land, right, earth andair.
These qualities exist in eachhuman being.
It's really fascinating the waythat these things just keep on
(11:01):
going, and I've thought aboutthe fact that, when it comes to
really understanding my impactin the universe, I have to first
be able to go within myself inorder to know myself so deeply
that whatever I bring outside ofme is adding, not taking away
(11:22):
from someone else.
One of the other main quotesthat comes from this story is
this idea of you are yourthoughts.
Whatever you think is whatyou're actually experiencing.
That's the power of thought.
Arjuna thought that his lifewas over, that this problem of
being a warrior was going todestroy him, when the character
(11:46):
Krishna reminded him thatthoughts are powerful, that if
you think you're going to bedestroyed by your circumstances,
then you probably will.
Yet if you think that yourcircumstances are going to
transcend you to make yourselfmore, then they will.
Even if you die, you will havelived In that story, krishna
(12:09):
said at our essence, there is noend and no beginning.
We always were and therefore wealways will be.
It's kind of a mind-blowingthought, and yet the way we look
at it today is we will alwaysexist.
I think Einstein said thatenergy cannot be destroyed.
It can only be transformed.
(12:30):
That was his translation fromwhat he learned from the
Bhagavad Gita.
The way we say it now is wehave a part of us that will
always exist.
I like to think that the partof us that will always exist
besides, whatever ideas you haveabout spirituality is our story
.
Our stories will always exist.
(12:51):
So I believe in storytellingbecause I want to be remembered
for the way I connect withpeople, the way I help people,
the stories I told to feelattended to, to heal.
That's the part of me that Ihope continues.
(13:11):
There's so many great thingsthat come from this story.
I could go on and on and on,but I want to inspire you to
really think about what yourpurpose is is to be you, be you,
know you so well and loveyourself enough to just be you.
Don't think you have to be likeanybody else.
The only thing you can succeedat is be you Don't think you
(13:32):
have to be like anybody else.
The only thing you can succeedat is being you, and then do it
full out, without worrying aboutany kind of outcome, because
the best outcome is what youinvest in yourself, your own
income, and then do it inservice.
Think of you being you.
Existing is for for service,particularly if you're kind.
(13:53):
You know kindness to one personis kindness to every person.
I really strongly believe thatthe themes of this story are
what can help us heal,individually and universally.
So, not for nothing, go get acopy of the bhagavad-gita.
I particularly like thattranslation by Stephen Cope the
(14:14):
Great Work of your Life.
If you want some great storiesabout it, I really suggest that
you start there.
It's a simple read with somegreat stories of modern people
that I've mentioned already,including Jane Goodall, the
great story of Jane Goodall.
There's even one story in thereabout Harriet Tubman and how
she was influenced by this storyas well.
The story that keeps on givingare the best stories that we can
(14:39):
hold on to, and here at sheAsked, the Practical Hope
podcast, we want to offer youtools, and this story is a great
tool.
So go get yourself a copy,embrace the themes and put them
to work in your life.
Until soon, this is AnnaMcBride.
Be well.
Hi everyone.
It's Anna McBride.
Welcome back to she Asked,tools for Practical Hope.
This show explores topics ofgrowth, healing and recovery,
offering tips and guidelines tohelp you along your personal
journey.
In today's episode, we're goingto pick up the story of the
Bhagavad Gita, where I'm goingto share with you today about
(00:25):
how I applied it in my personallife.
And I also, before I jump intothat, want to share with you
some names of some people thatyou might know that not only
read the Bhagavad Gita butreally were able to be of great
service in the world because ofwhat they learned from that
story.
(00:45):
Mahatma Gandhi is known to haveread it and changed his life.
He began his work as anattorney and struggled as an
attorney, and at the time thathe was struggling in that role,
he had already read the BhagavadGita and actually was known as
he carried it with himeverywhere and it was what he
(01:08):
called his spiritual dictionary,and from that he learned the
lessons of know who you are yourduty, do it full out, let go of
the outcome and do it indevotion to God.
So at the time that he read thebook, india was going through a
great transformation, frombeing a province of England to
(01:32):
wanting to break free, and manyof the indigenous people were
being held in servitude andslavery, and Mahatma Gandhi made
it his purpose to help free hispeople and fought for their
rights, and to do it.
He actually gave up all of hislife in devotion to that and it
(01:54):
is said that to his last breathhe had that book with him.
Albert Einstein is anotherperson who is known to have not
only read the Bhagavad Gita butpracticed talking in Hindu and
with great expressions of thatstory and its insights of the
universe is what really made himcurious about studying what he
(02:17):
has brought forth to our world.
Carl Jung, one of the famouspsychologists, is known to have
integrated the Bhagavad Gitainto his teaching and
understanding of archetypeswithin the psychological realm.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder ofApple, was known to have read
(02:38):
the Bhagavad Gita andappreciated its spiritual
insights, which influenced hisapproach to business and
creativity.
One of my teachers, deepakChopra, also have known to have
read the Bhagavad Gita manytimes and implemented it as a
part of his work in bringingAyurvedic medical practices to
(03:00):
America and really felt therelevance of that story in
modern day spirituality andwellness.
I could go on and on, but theseare just a short list of people
who served as heroes for me andmotivators to me to want to
find a way to live the BhagavadGita.
(03:23):
As I mentioned in the previousepisode, I came across the story
the first time when I was 18,in a literature class at
university.
Yet it came back to me when Istarted studying yoga and
meditation and, honestly, when Ifound that book at that time I
was at a crossroads in my life.
I was in an unhappy marriageand wasn't sure about what I was
(03:46):
going to do about that, what Iwas really meant to do in life.
I was a mother of three youngchildren and yet in my mind,
that wasn't my only purpose andnot really one that was going to
help me in my life.
You know, the thing about thestory is that it really taught
me to find ways to appreciatethat one of my roles, that of
(04:10):
being a mother, one of the mainpurposes of my life.
I didn't understand it then.
My children are all grown nowand I can say and I have told
them most importantly that beinga mother was one of the main
purposes of my life.
It is the thing that saved mylife, quite frankly, the other
thing that saved my life wasreally finding a way to bring
(04:33):
yoga and meditation tocommunities when I was deeply
struggling in my marriage.
I at the time was living outsidePhiladelphia in a farm
community.
I lived on a property that hada barn, it had a cottage, it had
a main house, it had anexterior house and we were on
quite a few acres and I had thisidea of turning it into a
(04:58):
wellness farm.
We turned the barn into a yogameditation studio that we called
the Yoga Barn, into a yogameditation studio that we called
the Yoga Barn, and the cottagewas called Cottage Counseling.
And I opened up the farm to thecommunity.
We had people coming and goingevery single day.
We had people who would justcome to hang out on the property
(05:18):
because there was some sort ofenergy that made them feel
better.
I thought about that,particularly about the story,
because there was a battlegroundgoing on in my life, in my
marriage, in myself, and byturning that same property, the
farm, into a place of healing, aplace of serving, a way to give
(05:44):
back in devotion to the thingsthat were helping me heal was
actually a way for me to answerthat question of why am I here?
What is my purpose?
How can I fulfill the duty ofwho I am?
And it's a story that keepsreminding me that in life, as in
(06:07):
many things, that we don'talways understand, what is the
deeper meaning.
We think that we're meant to besuccessful and what success
looks like according to society,and yet if we don't match that,
then we failed.
I have learned that success,which is really another word for
(06:31):
progress, is how we progress inthe world, how do we carry
yourself, how do we find a wayto really be, and I learned
through this story.
It guided me into yoga,meditation, it guided me into
turning my farm into wellness,it guided me to becoming a
therapist and it guided me tobecome that yoga and meditation
(06:53):
teacher where I taught classesaround.
This very story, over and over.
This story originally was told.
That's how the beststorytelling happened, how the
only storytelling happened.
Back when this story came to be, there was no paper, there were
no books, and now it's the mosttranslated story of all time.
(07:18):
Yet it was first told word ofmouth, and the themes, which are
many, are really bothmetaphorical and historical, and
so if you remember that themain themes, which are know who
you are.
Do it full out.
Let go of the outcome and do itin service.
Let go of the outcome and do itin service.
(07:38):
That is the purpose of why weare here.
When I think about that, I'vehad great success.
It's not attached to a dollar.
It's not attached to a societalidea.
People could view my life andthink that I've missed a few
things.
No, I'm divorced, my kids aregrown.
(07:59):
I don't necessarily have aretirement plan.
That's why I'm here sharingwith you, and yet, at the same
time, I have a lot ofexperiences to bring forward,
most of which I've learned fromthis one story.
Some of the great quotes from itare ones that keep teaching me
about why the story still holdsgreat meaning.
(08:22):
This idea of be in the presentmoment before you take action is
so powerful that if we wouldonly be present instead of
worrying about yesterday orfiguring out what we're going to
do tomorrow, then we wouldunderstand that all we have is
right this moment and the bestdecisions are only made in the
(08:44):
moment.
They're not made tomorrow andthey're not made yesterday.
And they say that the universeexists now.
So the other main theme fromthis that I really enjoyed is
the idea of the power of one Tobe successful.
I used to think like I had toteach a lot of people right, and
that in a sense makes sense.
Right, you can't maybe make aliving off of one person.
(09:06):
Yet the most powerful,successful teachings and
connections I've ever had havebeen with one person one
conversation, one therapysession, one cooking class,
one-on-one and if you can seethat as having great meaning,
(09:27):
then you've been successful.
Not many people really know thepower of connection.
One of the modern day quotes isto everyone, you are one person
, but to one person you may beeverything.
I love that quote and it comesfrom the story, because the
whole idea is that Arjunathought that he needed to be
(09:48):
able to have an effect on many,many people, when really the
only person you need to have aneffect on was himself Know
yourself and be that.
There's another quote that comesfrom that story about the
universe, and I think this isthe one that really inspired
people like Albert Einstein asabove, so below, as within, so
(10:13):
without.
And that quote really means isthat the universe we think
exists outside of us, and whatthe Bhagavad Gita taught is that
it actually exists inside of us.
Everything that is outside ofyou is already within you, and
scientists have proven that allof the atomic matter that's in
(10:36):
the world actually exists insideof us in some way, shape or
form.
We look at the way the worldexists in space and water and
fire and land, right, earth andair.
These qualities exist in eachhuman being.
It's really fascinating the waythat these things just keep on
(11:01):
going, and I've thought aboutthe fact that, when it comes to
really understanding my impactin the universe, I have to first
be able to go within myself inorder to know myself so deeply
that whatever I bring outside ofme is adding, not taking away
(11:22):
from someone else.
One of the other main quotesthat comes from this story is
this idea of you are yourthoughts.
Whatever you think is whatyou're actually experiencing.
That's the power of thought.
Arjuna thought that his lifewas over, that this problem of
being a warrior was going todestroy him, when the character
(11:46):
Krishna reminded him thatthoughts are powerful, that if
you think you're going to bedestroyed by your circumstances,
then you probably will.
Yet if you think that yourcircumstances are going to
transcend you to make yourselfmore, then they will.
Even if you die, you will havelived In that story, krishna
(12:09):
said at our essence, there is noend and no beginning.
We always were and therefore wealways will be.
It's kind of a mind-blowingthought, and yet the way we look
at it today is we will alwaysexist.
I think Einstein said thatenergy cannot be destroyed.
It can only be transformed.
(12:30):
That was his translation fromwhat he learned from the
Bhagavad Gita.
The way we say it now is wehave a part of us that will
always exist.
I like to think that the partof us that will always exist
besides, whatever ideas you haveabout spirituality is our story
.
Our stories will always exist.
(12:51):
So I believe in storytellingbecause I want to be remembered
for the way I connect withpeople, the way I help people,
the stories I told to feelattended to, to heal.
That's the part of me that Ihope continues.
(13:11):
There's so many great thingsthat come from this story.
I could go on and on and on,but I want to inspire you to
really think about what yourpurpose is is to be you, be you,
know you so well and loveyourself enough to just be you.
Don't think you have to be likeanybody else.
The only thing you can succeedat is be you Don't think you
(13:32):
have to be like anybody else.
The only thing you can succeedat is being you, and then do it
full out, without worrying aboutany kind of outcome, because
the best outcome is what youinvest in yourself, your own
income, and then do it inservice.
Think of you being you.
Existing is for for service,particularly if you're kind.
(13:53):
You know kindness to one personis kindness to every person.
I really strongly believe thatthe themes of this story are
what can help us heal,individually and universally.
So, not for nothing, go get acopy of the bhagavad-gita.
I particularly like thattranslation by Stephen Cope the
(14:14):
Great Work of your Life.
If you want some great storiesabout it, I really suggest that
you start there.
It's a simple read with somegreat stories of modern people
that I've mentioned already,including Jane Goodall, the
great story of Jane Goodall.
There's even one story in thereabout Harriet Tubman and how
she was influenced by this storyas well.
The story that keeps on givingare the best stories that we can
(14:39):
hold on to, and here at sheAsked, the Practical Hope
podcast, we want to offer youtools, and this story is a great
tool.
So go get yourself a copy,embrace the themes and put them
to work in your life.
Until soon, this is AnnaMcBride.
Be well.
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