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Originally Posted by Kompressor
I grew up with it as a kid, but it was more oral storytelling sunday school style than reading verses. Watched the amazingly well produced [for 80's Indian television] Mahabharat before reading the epic poem.
As i grew older I tuned in more closely to other religions, ultimately with an amalgamated philosophy now.
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Thanks Komp. I thought you had mentioned something of the like before, and I didn't want to put words in your mouth. Do you suppose that movie is online somewhere? How was it reading that? I understand it to be incrediable long, what format did you read it?
I can relate to that philosphy. I personally feel the more I learn the more that I can feel the same essence and aspirations in each of them, even if some of them come off as violent or absolutist, reading more deeply into the metaphores, they become more universally applicable. Leviticus for instance has alot of health and sanitation answers in the form of "The Law". And in Islam seeing the socialist constructs of operation in society is fascinating. Well I think you are aware of these facts, and our common interest
Thanks for sharing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bearsy
As I've never read the Gita and only know it from word of mouth, which version should I get?
The Blue one or the Silver one?
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Mine is silver and I don't think that after reading it that it is too complex for a first reading. I can't imagine how it would get more simple? The Mascaro version I mentioned while getting the message across, doesn't rate very high on the scholar scale as I read reviews.
The Beauty of a good translation is that you can read it as a first or 10000th time and still will find deeper meaning and won't get pulled thin with too many foot notes. This translation has heading within the chapter with a heading that functions as a 3-4 word synopsis, with is helpful in grasping the metaphore and so forth. Its not confusing and reading it for the 10000th time, so to speak. Firstly having one in your front pocket fascilitates being able to read this anywhere. And is a way to breeze freely in the words, and upon sitting at home can delve deeper in study or a larger expansion styled works. Paramahansa Yogananda has a very complex rendering, but is full of many pages of explainations and expanaitions of characters as metaphores for explainig key philosphies. Getting through one verse a day is challenging in that text. But I really connect with his cross comparision to verses from the Gospel, with is my first religious language.
Hope you enjoy it Bearsy. If you want to start now, just head to a library and I know you'll find one. Just read it alittle see what you think. Accuracy isn't always as key as essence, even if the traslator paraphases, the Gita is so beautiful and inspiring to read it would be impossible to render it useless.