Humanities Essay. A little bit advanced religion type of essay, please check the links for reference if you get stuck! Wrote it for one of my humanities classes, feedback is welcomed.

Karma Yoga

Arjuna in chapter 3 asks some questions about why he should keep fighting and Krishna explains to him why it is necessary to keep fighting. He explains that at the beginning he created two paths; Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga.  Jnana yoga, Krishna, explains is the path of spiritual wisdom and karma yoga is the path of selfless service. Krishna urges to Arjuna that he needs to follow the path of selfless action (Karma Yoga) because that’s his yoga since he is a warrior.

Krishna also explains to Arjuna is that at the beginning there was also created mankind and obligation for selfless service. “‘Through selfless service, you will always be fruitful and find fulfillment of your desires’: this is the promise of the Creator.” (3:10). Selfless service (Karma Yoga) is the path for the “supreme good.” (3:11)

Krishna does not advice Arjuna to follow Jnana Yoga since it is the spiritual path and he is a man of action. Krishna talks about Jnana Yoga as the path for spiritual action, “But they excel who control their senses through the mind, using them for selfless service.”(3:7) this means that there are some people that can follow the path of Jnana Yoga if they are willing to act selflessly and not just for their own good. I think Arjuna would not be able to follow this path since he always wants to act and I think it would be difficult for him to sit still and meditate.

Krishna warns Arjuna about Jnana Yoga as a path of inaction. “Those who abstain from action while allowing the mind to dwell on sensual pleasure cannot be call sincere spiritual aspirants.” (3:6) Krishna points out that while the spiritual path seem to be the easier path to follow it is only for a select few that can actually follow it correctly or at least with the right intentions.

He critics how some people just follow the spiritual path because it is masked as a path of inaction, when in reality it requires just as much selflessly action as Karma Yoga.  Jnana yoga requires action to abstain from falling into the path of inaction. Meaning that even if we are in a state of meditation other paths such as laziness and thinking perhaps in doing selfish can easily come as a better option and therefore falling into inaction.

Krishna recommends the path of Karma Yoga to Arjuna. “Fulfill all your duties; action is better than inaction. Even to maintain your body, Arjuna, you are obligated to act.” (3:8) Krishna calls Arjuna to act and not be inactive. He focuses on this more because it is the path that Arjuna needs to follow to achieve the “supreme good.” I think that it can also apply to humanity as a whole, that all of us need to act in other to achieve good or just to get more rewards out of life.

Krishna pushes Arjuna to act in something that goes against his will as fighting those that he loves so much, but Krishna encourages him to act before it is too late.  I think this can also be used as an example of how sometimes we need to go against people that have been our teachers and friends to achieve greater good.

Krishna urges Arjuna to fulfill his duties. Krishna talks about how fulfilling one’s duties, “What the outstanding person does, others will try to do. The standards such people create will be followed by the whole world.”(3:21) This means if Arjuna does the right thing many people will follow his example, but more to the point he tells us that if we do great things others will follow our footsteps and make the world a better place. I agree with this idea, because whatever we do connects to the idea of Karma that every action has a reaction.

Arjuna is faced with the challenge of acting now to be an outstanding person. Krishna from verse 3:21-24 he talks about how if he stopped working the universe would fall into chaos. He points out that he always continues to act no matter what and that’s what everyone expect of him.

“The ignorant work for their own profit, Arjuna; the wise work for the welfare of the world, without thought for themselves.” (3:25) Here, Krishna, tells Arjuna to let go of his fears and act for the welfare of humanity.  It think this is a very strong message that he calls Arjuna and us to perform, because we can hardly do something without thinking about ourselves first then the rest of the world.

Arjuna struggles to come to his reality that he must fight against those he love and cares for the greater good. I think many of us have gone through this and recognize how hard it is to think of others besides ourselves.  This remains me of global warming and how for so long people have refused to do anything about it, they just either ignore it or just pretend it does not exist. Just because it does not affect them it does not mean it is not happening. I think that’s the idea that Krishna is trying to say that the universe is bigger than just ourselves and that we need to act not just based on our selfish desires or for our own profit.

Arjuna asks Krishna what drives people to selfish actions and Krishna answers that selfish desires and anger drive it. He says that they arise from the guna of rajas.  Krishna points out that this fills people with evil and put in danger their lives.  He gives various examples what it is and one example that I think is important is that of the mirror with the dust on it. I think it is an image of how unclear one might look into the mirror or in this case our lives.  The mirror becomes burry when we act selfishly and do not take into consideration others.

Krishna tells Arjuna that the Creator thrives in selfless service.  I think here he is referring to the benefit that we might get and not what the creator gets. Because the creator is already the “supreme good” and it does not need any of our selfless service, but is for us to do selfless service and become “supreme good.” Krishna says that he is the creator of everything and that Arjuna must follow the path of Karma Yoga to fulfill his duty in this world.  He says that every action is connected to the creator and therefore if we do selfish actions we will suffer the consequences, but if we do selfless actions we might gain the goal that we desire.

Krishna concludes the chapter by saying that all our senses are higher than our bodies and that our mind higher than our senses and above it is Atman. He urges Arjuna and us to act and fight our selfish desires. With selfless action we will rich the “supreme good.”

“Happy!!! I am happy!” he yells in front of the mirror and keeps combing his hair. With a big smile he checks his clothes one more time. He adjusts his tie a bit, and turns off the lights. This is his first day at his new work place, and he is surprised to have gotten his dream job after that many years. He walks faster than usual and gets on the bus.

He tries to remember if he closed the door right and if the stove was off. Even after he checked like three times after he left the house. This morning the bus noises are louder than usual, the opening and closing of the doors seem as if they were talking to him. Each bus stop is getting him closer to the first day of his dream job. All last week he practiced going on the same bus route and just stand just a few buildings from his workplace and look at the building where he was going to be working. Every morning he would do the same routine, but this morning was for real.

His heart beats faster as the bus just has a few more stops to get to where he needs to get off. His sweaty hands and stomach begin to hurt. He checks his watch for the fiftieth time and takes a deep breath closing his eyes. There is still time. He thinks, and the bus stop to pick up a couple of people in wheelchairs, the bus kneels down and the sun comes through the windows a little stronger making the air heavy and harder to breathe. He puts his head against the bus window and it feels cold, he can see his reflection on the glass. A long shaved face with big brown eyes and a somewhat small nose. He remembers how kids would make fun of his nose during all his schooldays. Once, he tried to operate it to make it bigger or something but he was too young for such surgery, then he gave up.

He sits straight in the seat and checks his pale reflection on the glass one last time to see if his tie is in the right place. He gets off the bus. The cold morning air greets him as his heart beats faster and faster and his stomach feels like it is turning upside down. He walks to the front door and checks his watch once again, he has five minutes to spare, so he pauses for a moment and waits for some else to come and open the door. The glass door permits him to peek a little as to what is going inside, no one seems to be around and the front reception desk is still empty. Cars and buses pass by and his heart almost stops every time the bus makes a stop next to him. He waits for someone to come, but the wait seems to be eternal. He reads the golden letters on the glass door:

Inks Inc.

126 Wallpaper Avenue

A group of people finally begin to approach the door and getting in fast as fast moving trains. After that another group of people follow, he tries to get in but just as he is about to go to the front door another group of people zoom by and get in before him. He waits for them to get in, and then again tries this time he runs to the door and feels the cold steel handle when he opens the door. He feels the warm AC air coming from inside. He steps in and his lungs take in the artificial air. He waits for the elevator, the fourth floor, he says to himself and the elevator doors close. The elevator numbers light up as it is going up and it stops on the third floor.  Another guy keeps staring at the numbers on the top of the elevator door and pushes the button to call the elevator for the tenth time in three minutes. He gives up and uses the stairs.

The time finally came and he took the knife from the drawer; he remembers when he got this knife as a gift to his mother on an awkward last minute Christmas gift.  He remembers how she embraced him and told him thanks. The cold knife rests against his pale wrist and he feels the teeth of the knife just touching him and he feels has if his heart was on his throat as it beats faster and faster.  He takes a last look outside his balcony window and watches as cars speed below him and people waiting at the bus stop some listening to music and some others are talking on the phone.

He sighs.

He feels like when he was about to swim on the deep pool for the first time. His body shaking and blood rushing up and down like electricity runs through a wire. That time he had all the support from his Physical Education teaching motivating him to jump into the pool and he did and swan all the way to the other end of the pool. It was one of the proudest moments on his life and he had finally accomplished something that seemed impossible. He is sure that this time around will be the same. He takes a deep breath and presses the knife’s teeth deep into his wrist.

Blood runs down his wrist and then drips into the white floor below. He feels no pain; it was like that time he cut himself playing with his friends when he was just 7 years old. He fell against a piece of glass bottle that was on dry garden and it went so deep that blood just kept rushing out and when he went to get his mother she almost passed out on the way to the hospital.  He remembers as he watched the doctors rushing in and out trying to stop the blood and he just looking at them with eyes that made every nurse that was holding his hand cry.  He did not know why this was happening and he just wanted to see how the doctors were curing him. His mother passed out on the hall and the doctors had to help her. He did not understand why his mother was not with him in that moment. He screamed for her minute after minute and she did not come. Just as now, his mother is not going to come. He laughs and laughs as he feels his body screaming in pain and getting weaker by the minute.

He closes his eyes and tears roll down his eyes. He almost killed his mother the day he was born. For the last 15 years he has been reminded by her that he is killing her slow and that someday she will be gone not to bother him anymore. He lets out a weak sigh. And he says to himself “well I will be going first then mother, I do not want to continue killing you slowly… what son would want to do that?”

His body falls to side right into the pool of blood besides him. Bubbles of air form on the little pool as he lets out his last breaths. His heart stops. His curly brown hair now is dark red and is half opened right eye is flooded with blood.

When his mother arrives from the store he finds him there on the floor and runs towards him. Tries to revive him but it is too late and she lets out a scream of pain as if thousand swords were piercing her heart and passes out with him on her arms.

The sharp in one clear cut, cuts off the neck of the “master” and it falls to the ground. Before the guards arrive she disappears into the night. Guards look for her but she is nowhere to be found.  The sun announces its arrival by painting the surrounding mountains bright orange, devouring the darkness slowly. She reappears at the top of the mountain, and walks towards the edge with her bloody sword…

She drops to her knees and looks up towards the sky with her face still covered in blood. She sighs. Finally the revenge that her father wanted for so long was done, and the “master” was finally dead. Tears roll down her cheeks and she smiles and breaks into a hysterical laugh. The morning birds begin to sing, and at the distance the canons of the loyal army can be heard from the distance…

She knows they are coming for her and she just stays still for a bit, and then opens her arms towards the sky and closing her eyes images of her playing with her father replay on her mind over and over again. The hunting of the wild rabbits, the fishing on the open ocean and yes she can’t forget the time her father forged her first sword. A small one with her initials on it. B.V., she remembers playing for hours with it.

One day the loyal army came to her small town and took every men that could bear a sword, and they took her father. Her father ordered her to hide on their secret house on top of the mountains, and she obeyed, years passed and she continued on living on her own. They got desperate because she heard no news of her father. When she asked the loyal army, they told her to f. off and as she continued her search…

On her search for answers she discovered that her father had been killed by the “master” because he did not want to do the corrupt missions he ordered. Many people told her how the “master” just played with him by killing him slowly by dragging him with his horse, then kicking him until he did not responded anymore and to finish it off, the “master” left him to bleed an underground cell hanging from his writs.

From that day forward she decided to train to be strong enough to take on the “master” and when she did, she studied day and night how the guards rotated around the palace and when the opportunity opened she attacked and killed the “master” with such delight that it had to be one of her most happy moments on her life. The marching footsteps of the loyal army are coming closer and she can already hear the dogs.

The dogs bark and run towards where she is kneel down. She smiles and the loyal guards call their dogs. One of the guards tell her to drop her sword but she just holds on to it tighter and arrows fly across the blue sky sinking deep into her back. She laughs and laughs and blood make a small lake around her. The wind stays still as she slowly hits the ground. The crows fly off at the distance, and the sky turns grey.

There he laid on his back thinking of the many things he had done in his life and there was nothing much to show off his accomplishments as there were not that many. He sighs. He mind begins to wonder off, to a distant place, and he is no longer in the room he was before. He is surrounded by trees and a dark sky. He is confused… he tries to find an exit but there is none.

After walking around for a bit, he find himself face to face with a mystical creature that almost steps over him. It is a big Taurus or something that looks like a big bull. The creature looks down at him and asks, “What are you doing here?” He just stays quiet and trembles in a shock like state. The creature asks him once again, but he just continues shaking… The creature upset now comes so close to him….

It breathes heavily on his face and he takes all that breath into his body. It stinks like nothing he had smelled before, tears roll down his cheeks as the creature now looks more agitated. He finally, lets out a sound and the creature backs up a bit, but still looking down at him. He tells the creature that he doesn’t know how he got there, and that he is lost.

A few seconds of quietness pass by but it feels like an eternity for him as the creature just stares at him tirelessly. The creature makes a sudden move and signals him to get on his back. He does as he is told and the creature gallops then slowly the scenery changes to a bright clear sky and green all around, with mountains on the distance and the cold breeze touching his face as the creature speeds up.

The creature with him on its back, ascend fast up the mountain and they get higher and higher. Finally, they arrive at the top of the mountain where he finds himself right in front of a big castle with big walls and guards on top pointing at him with bows and arrows. The creature stops and signals him to get off, he obeys. And when he looks back, the creature has disappeared.  The guards let down the bridge…

And a guard cross the bridge and welcomes him. He asks him that what is his name and he tells him that, his name is his name is “Evan” the guard tells him that humans need to register with the human consul before he is allowed to wonder around the kingdom. He agrees and the guard and Evan walk across the bridge.

When Evan, steps inside the castle he is greeted by a sight of unreal objects and interesting characters. From the creatures we can only dream of, to the craziest stuff one can imagine. The guard keeps a few steps ahead of him, and he tries to take all in, but his mind just goes in a state of euphoria and shock at the same time. Something inside him jumps with joy, and wonders why he is feeling that.

The guard leads him through a labyrinth of alleys and bridges before they arrive to big mansion with two guards guarding the doorway.  They open the door for Evan and he steps in, the guard that led him here stayed behind.  Evan walks on a corridor of stones that is in the middle of a big garden covered in beautiful green grass and trees full of apples and other fruit.

It is a welcomed change by his nose that still wearing off the deep stinky smells of the Taurus. At the end of the corridor he sees an open door with music coming out of it. He walks fast towards it and he steps into the mansion. There he is greeted by a tall and pale woman wears too small spectacles for her big nose and big brown eyes. She asks him for his name and how he came into this world, Evan quickly gives her a quick account of the events that happened and his name. She takes out a brown book and writes down his name and the description he gave him. She scans him once again from top to bottom as if she had infrared eyes.   She takes a key from her desk and hangs it to him along with a change of clothes, which look more like the locals he saw were wearing.  She leads him to another room, and tells him that it is going to be his room and that he needs to rest. She parts and Evan is left on a big room with big windows where he can see almost everything that is going outside and the sun in setting down…

—To be continued—

A short story follows just free writing and whatever comes to my mind first. Might as well write something now that I am writing this entry.

—- Refrain from Memory—-

At times she remembers when she used to be alive. Tears roll down her face as he looks her reflection on the water and the wind combs the tall green ancient grass. There is no more big brother or parents to watch over her. They have been left on the world of the living. She hated her brother and parents at times, but she would trade her life in paradise just to see them for one minute and thank them for all their love and take all in for one last time.

When she parted the living world it was in the strangest way, or at least from what she remembers. One moment she was walking back from school on her usual routine of going up a steep hill when a car out of control without brakes crashed against an electric pole and the electric cables snapped and killed her instantly. The last thing she heard was the electric cable breaking the wind.  And it was all over.

For a bit she fell into nothingness; it was all pitch black around her and all the memories slow began playing backward. Memories slowly began erasing from her mind she tried to held a few of her most precious memories but it made her head hurt so much that it was a pain she had never experienced before. Eventually she passed out.

She was awaked by warm touch on her heart spread like fire all over her body. When she opened her large brown eyes she was met by a warm smiling face and with a big pair of blue eyes that were almost as clear as water. A little bit later she discovers that there are some other people around her as well all smiling at her. Her head was dizzy from all this but slowly she recovered her senses.  She could not remember anything that had happened and as the people around her began speaking she could not understand them, but a little bit later she was able to make up what they were saying.  After a while she realized she was naked just the others around her.

The place was green all over as far as her eyes could see and enormous trees provided to the many mystical animals that roamed around.  Some of the creatures had enormous horns and some others floated in the air as they run back and forth to the waterfall nearby.  She was left alone by the people that were around her just a few minutes before and she stood up with her now long black hair that covered her almost all the way to her knees. She grew curious of seeing the creatures returning so happy from the waterfall. As she stepped over the green grass she felt as if she was floating in air.

She finally arrived at the waterfall and before her a big lake appeared a few of the creatures were walking over it while the water was being moved by the fresh breeze.  She managed go down to the shore of the lake and touch the water.  She felt it revitalizing and felt happiness all over her body and quickly she jumped into the lake feeling it fresh and feeling as some sort of power penetrated every inch of her body. It was joy and something indescribable that she felt as she swum deeper into the lake.  Before long she found herself alone on the lake and all the creatures were gone.

As she swam back to shore the Sun was slowly setting down and painting the lake yellowish and then changed to an intense red. From a distance she heard a voice calling her and she turned her head.  She saw nothing and just got out of the lake, and when she turned around she was face to face with someone like her but that girl had almost a transparent body except for the long white hair that outlined her tall figure and curves.  She whispered to her but the wind seemed to carry the words away before she could hear her voice.  The mystical girl took her hand and signaled her to sit down. She obeyed and the mystical girl sat beside her on a nearby rock. She looked at her and the mystical girl signaled her to put her head on her lap and she did.  The mystical girl slowly began to comb her long black hair with her long fingers and whispered as if the wind was speaking to her.  She tried to understand what she was saying but she just got lost on the calmness she felt as the mystical girl continued to comb her hair.

After a bit the sun had gone completely and now the lake reflected the full moon on top of it.  The mystical girl pointed her finger to the middle of the lake and she watched as the nocturnal creatures crawled from the lake and the firebugs creatures illuminated the lake and the top of the tall trees all around. It was a surreal sight as more and more illuminated creatures arrived at the shore of the lake to drink water and some dived in.  When she turned around the mystical girl was gone from her side and soon after a group of girls that looked like her approached her and welcomed her officially to the place.

They told her that the mystical girl she had seen was the daughter of the guardian of the tree of life and that she was the one in charge of welcoming new arrivals as well as the one that grants wishes that are on their hearts. They asked her what she wished for, but she said that nothing.  But they told her that the wish she had in her heart had been granted and took her to the lake shore and as they walked in. She began to feel her head hurt as flash back memories crawled on her head and saw images of her father and mother playing with her when she was learning to walk and as they were leaving her for the first time in kindergarten. Her heart jumps in happiness and tears roll down her cheeks then just as a flash the images are gone. The girls told her that it was the wish she had in her heart and that it will still be there at times when she less expects it. She smiled and went off with the girls to explore the rest of the place. Of course she will never finish exploring that place, even creatures that have been there for millions of years have not covered all since new creatures are born every day and new places are open up.

Now and then the girl comes back to the lake to see if she can recover a few more of her memories, at times she is lucky but at times not.  But she is happy with what she can get and will continue to do so for eternity.

—-To Be continue in the far future—-

By Chelsa H.

First notice the huge brown spider crawling across the ceiling while you are lying in bed with a good book. At first be too scared to move. Spiders have never really been your thing. Realize that if it falls off the celling, it will land on you and touching a spider gives you the chills.

Scream for your husband and jump off the bed into the safety of the bathroom doorway. Watch as he comes running in thinking you were screaming for an actual emergency and try to explain this is an emergency. Bat your eye lashes while he is telling you that you are worthless and good for nothing. Smile when he slides past you cowering in the doorway and grabs a wad of toilet paper heading for the toilet, gone forever with one flush.

Say “thank you dear” as the man you married mumbles something under his breath as he is walking out of the room, back to whatever he was in the middle of before this spider interrupted you. Curl back up in your bed and think to yourself you are not worthless, you are good at getting rid of spiders.

By Lindsay F.

Isabel ran her hands through his honeyed curls, arching her back a bit, drowning in a pool of ecstasy.  The first moan had been feigned, for her nerves and self consciousness forbade her handing herself entirely over to Jasper’s charms. But the second bottle of Veuve Clicquot, now sweating on the nightstand, had begun to take hold. The next moan was quite legitimate, but interrupted by the chilling sound of the front gate at the end of the driveway. He was home. Several moments passed, Isabel stunned at her own plan. Lost under the sheets and between her thighs, Jasper hadn’t heard the car rolling over the loose gravel just outside the window. Isabel lay still for a moment, cold with fear. She’d planned this, after all- why the sudden shock?

Of course she hadn’t consulted Jasper. As powerful as he was, he’d always been terrified of consequences. It was true, she loved both men. The question as to which would make her happy was silly to her. She could obviously be happy with either Andon or Jasper. The issue was the degree of her happiness- and Jasper’s. And Andon’s, for that matter.  What suddenly occurred to her, as if for the first time, was the pain she was about to inflict on her poor husband. Sweet, simple Andon. He’d never have suspected.

The sound of footsteps on the hard wood hallway floor sent Isabel’s heart pounding as though it would burst through her bare chest. It took only an instant after a plan that had taken days to change her fickle mind.  In a sudden flurry of sheets and sticky, delicious sweat, she’d pushed Jasper from the bed, and signaled him to him underneath. Used to potential trouble, he did it with great ease, looked to her eyes in a shared second of panic, and was under the enormous bed in an instant. His toned, yet slim body just fit. Andon was right outside the door. In one graceful movement, Isabel stood, panting, and swept her sheer robe around her shoulders. She raced to the door, swallowed hard, and opened it just before Andon’s hand reached the antique knob.

“My love! I am so glad you’re home. You look absolutely famished! You simply must come with me to the kitchen, Gertrude has made the most spectacular dinner.”

Andon smiled at the goddess he was married to. How fortunate a man he was. He kissed her throat, naïve to the scent of another man all over her body. “Why are you so warm, darling?”

“Oh, yes, isn’t it hot? I tried our window but it seems to be jammed. No matter. Come, let’s go to the kitchen. I’m just starving, aren’t you?”

Andon nodded, grinned, tossed his small leather bag onto the bed from the doorway, and put his arms around his wife.

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By Sean H.

As I fell out of the twelfth story window the ground rushed at me and I was hit by a force that threw me back up towards the heavens. I panicked for a moment, a moment I had not panicked before, but then, the wind rushing through my hair and my coat slapping and flapping behind me, I realized that, no matter what the reason, I was flying over the city, over and unaware people down below.

The human race evolved on the African plains millennia ago, no predators in the trees, no reason to look up, not worth the processing power. Robots, all of them.  Heads on a pivot. Side to side. Except me… and that one there, she looked up; I could see her mouth the famous line under her breath.

“It’s a bird, it’s a plane.”

I was fucking Superman… and if she was willing she would soon be fucking Superman, but first I would have to figure out how to get down… or maneuver at all for that matter, without finishing what I had planned for earlier. Before.

But before what? What had happened? I mean really. Was I flying? Was I being abducted by aliens? Was I still alive? Was I lying on the pavement back at the bottom of that building, people milling about my crushed and decomposing corpse? Was this real life or was it just fantasy? For all I knew I was still standing in that building, looking out across the city and wondering “what if?” That would be almost worse somehow. Worse than being dead? Worse than being crazy?

I looked back to where the woman stood, still looking at me, and my whole body turned and started moving towards her. She was pretty this one. The kind of pretty you see on the cover of Jane Austen novels. Pale skin, dark, curly hair and this one had light blue eyes to set off her other features.  She smiled when she saw I was coming back and my heart warmed.

I don’t even remember landing that first time, but I remember looking her in the eyes and without a word taking her for a ride over the city. No one looked up, African plains and robots and all. We couldn’t cared less.