Bhagavad Gita, Buddhism, and Jainism: Karma and Dharma

Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita

The Srimadbhagavad Gita, the most sacred book of the Hindus, belonging to the Vedic-Brahminic tradition, can be read and interpreted in a thousand and one ways. It has layers of meaning — like all great intellectual works — which only time and research can fully reveal. The Gita is a part of the great Indian epic, The Mahabharata, in which a wearied general, Arjuna, refuses to fight against his own kith and kin and lays down his arms before what he considers a worthless battle — the battle of Kurukshetra. At this moment, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Being according to Hindu belief, imparts his philosophy of life and the mysteries of the universe governing human existence to his disciple Arjuna.

The Gita's seven hundred concise verses provide a guide to the science of self-realization, which was already present in the Vedic tradition of India. Like all epics, the Mahabharata belonged to an oral tradition; according to scholars, its written form began to take shape from the 4th century BC and reached maturity around the 4th century AD. It is therefore difficult to determine whether the Gita was a later inclusion in the main epic, introduced for socio-political or socio-religious reasons.

The central philosophical teaching of the Gita emphasizes performing one's duty, which is pre-destined for that person, independently of cause-and-effect reasoning — since it is beyond human comprehension why any individual is chosen for a particular task. To work without attachment (karmanyevadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana), to place total trust in the Creator, and to realize the self (Atmanam viddhi) are the three key principles one must understand when approaching the Gita.

Buddhism and Jainism as Reformist Movements

Jainism and Buddhism arose as revolts against Sanathanism, or Brahminism, offering a new path of renunciation through sacrifice and service. The Vedic tradition recognized the Brahmin as supreme by virtue of his knowledge of Brahman — the Supreme, the Absolute, and the Ultimate Reality. This knowledge was considered the greatest achievement, "the rarest of the rare," and was closely guarded as a secret monopoly of the Brahmin class. Others were prevented from accessing it. This supremacy was effectively and successfully challenged by Kshatriyas such as Mahavira and Gautama Buddha.

Buddha was the heir to the king of Kapilavastu (now in Nepal). His first sermon was delivered at Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. The essence of his teaching was that human beings suffer because they are born into the world, and they are born again and again because of attachment and desire. When one renounces attachment and controls desire, the cycle of birth and death ceases — and with it, all suffering. Buddhists believe that the attainment of enlightenment is the goal of every being, and that suffering originates from sensual desires and the illusion that they are important. To overcome these delusions, one must pass through a series of rebirths until no further rebirth is necessary. This path is governed by karma, whereby one's actions in the present life determine the conditions of the next.

Jainism, which resembles Buddhism in several respects, was founded by Mahavira around the 5th century BC. The religion originally evolved as a reformist movement against the dominance of priests and the complicated rituals of Brahminism. According to Jainism, moksha, or spiritual salvation, can be attained by following the path of the tirthankaras, especially the path of ahimsa, or non-violence. This belief is so strong that some monks actually cover their mouths with a piece of cloth to avoid accidentally swallowing an insect.

Shared Philosophical Ground: Karma and Renunciation

The doctrine of karma and the philosophy of renunciation — both given strong emphasis in the Gita (see especially Chapters 3 and 4, as translated by Sri Aurobindo in The Message of the Gita, edited by Anilbaran Roy, 1938) — share many common points with Buddhism and Jainism. The verse "yas tv indriyani manasa / niyamyarabhate 'rjuna / karmendriyaih karma-yogam / asaktah sa visisyate" (Chapter 3, Text 7, Karmayoga), meaning "he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior" (translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of ISKCON), would be entirely familiar to a Buddhist or a Jain.

In Jainism, the karma doctrine holds great importance. The course of life of every living being — here and hereafter — is determined by his or her karma, or deeds. A pious life leads to contentment and general well-being in the present existence, and rebirth in higher and better forms. Evil actions result in birth in lower forms of existence and in suffering. In short, Karmavada may be summarized as the "theory of the inevitable consequences of one's actions."

This doctrine appears to have developed alongside related doctrines about the course of events and creation, including Kalvada (the doctrine of time, treating time as a determining agent), Svabhava-vada (the doctrine of nature, holding the inherent nature of things as the sole determinant), and the theory of pre-destination (holding destiny as the prime factor). Indian thinkers universally accepted and adopted the karma doctrine across all major religious systems originating in India — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Though the emphasis varied, all three traditions gave the karma doctrine a central place in their spiritual frameworks.