Harmony and the Bhagavad-gita: Lessons from a Life-Changing Move to the Wilderness (The Essence of the Bhagavad-gita) - Softcover

Dasi, Visakha

Softcover

ISBN 10: 150336478X ISBN 13: 9781503364783

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014

Synopsis

"A marvelous job... an inspirational memoir and a pleasant reminder that there is a spiritual side to our existence." 
-- Five-Star Review, Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

After a lifetime of metaphysical study and practice, a journalist joins a diverse community of joyful spiritual pioneers in a remote British Columbia valley. There she, her family, and her neighbors explore the down-to-earth application of the Gita's profound and beautiful teachings. Along with comic and cosmic challenges, these daring individuals harvest the Gita's rich and relevant guidance -- guidance suited for any time, place, or circumstance.
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"In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonical philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial."
-- Henry David Thoreau, American poet, philosopher, and naturalist 

"Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most beautiful and profound texts of world literature." 
-- Octavio Paz, Mexican poet and diplomat; Nobel Prize in Literature

"That the spiritual man need not be a recluse, that union with the divine Life may be achieved and maintained in the midst of worldly affairs,that the obstacles to that union lie not outside us but within us --such is the central lesson of the Bhagavad-gita." 
-- Annie Besant, British socialist, theosophist, activist, writer, and orator

"Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day." 
-- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

About this title

From the Author

I first heard of Bhagavad-gita when I was trekking with my then boyfriend (now husband) John Griesser in the Himalayas way back in the summer of '71. We were at the snow line, 10,000 feet at that time of year, and decided to spend a few restful days in an abandoned cowshed. From deep inside his backpack John pulled out a blue paperback with a line drawing of a regal, four-armed person on the cover.
During our stay, I sat for hours surrounded by towering snowy peaks in crystal-clear air, with no other humans around, trying to read this early edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. I understood little but I was intrigued. The idea of tolerating dualities and remaining equipoised in their midst enticed me, as did the concept of an eternal spiritual presence within all living beings. And the Gita opened me to the thought that I could improve my character as well as the quality of my life through knowledge.
Over the years, as I continued studying the Bhagavad-gita and practicing its precepts, my respect for its wisdom, relevance, and comprehensiveness grew. Gradually the Bhagavad-gita revolutionized my life. Harmony and the Bhagavad-gita explains why.

From the Back Cover

The expanse of open space, the unprecedented quiet, the freedom to be just who you are, the luxury of feeling earth instead of concrete beneath your feet -- these are some of the natural charms of country living. Here is the story of a family of city dwellers who take a plunge: they join a remote community of country-living individualists who are guided by Bhagavad-gita, one of the oldest spiritual teachings in existence.
Along with comic and cosmic challenges, this daring family harvests soul-stirring life lessons suited for any time, place, or circumstance. And they somehow fall in love with the land and the joyful pioneers who call it home.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 150336478X
• ISBN 13: 9781503364783
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 200