War, Suffering and Detachment: Reading the Bhagavad Gītā with Simone Weil

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Year of Publication

2006

Author

Bingemer, Maria Clara L.

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
Christianity
force
grace
Hinduism
incarnation
necessity
salvation
violence
war

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.