War, Suffering and Detachment: Reading the Bhagavad Gītā with Simone Weil
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
2006 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Cornille, Catherine |
Book |
Song Divine : Christian Commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita |
Pages |
69-89 |
Publisher |
Peeters |
Place Published |
Leuven |
Language |
English |
Chapter |
4 |
Series Title |
Christian commentaries on non-Christian sacred texts |
Keywords |
Bhagavad-Gita |
Annotation |
Bingemer states she desires to do two things in her essay: "trace the personal and intellectual background against which Weil came to read the Gita" and "discuss some of the main themes which surface in her critical engagement with the text" (p. 69). To this end she begins with a brief biographical overview focusing on Weil's encounter with the Gita. She then turns to a general discussion of how the Gita served as a source of inspiration for Weil, especially in the sense of contradiction giving rise to a spiritual crisis, which can lead to religious transformation through the vehicle of grace. The next section focuses on incarnation and salvation noting similarities and differences between Hinduism and Christianity in the understanding of these. A discussion of the distinction between force and violence in Weil's work comes next followed by an in-depth discussion of necessity, detachment and enlightenment. The chapter concludes with an thoughtful consideration of Weil's critique of the Gita. |