Realization of the Supreme Self: The Bhagavad Gita Yoga-s

From the Back of the Book

A practical training method, and not merely a text of revelation and worship-such is the true status of the ancient Sanskrit text Bhagavad Gita.

The special contribution of the Gita is yoga, practical methods for expanding individual consciousness to realize the Kingdom as the supreme Self. This book present the Gita yoga in the light of explanations by Sankara.

The Gita can be misread, as Sankara says. It is not a gradual ascent to the final devotion of the soul to a Lord high above. On the contrary, the first two teaching chapters hardly mention any such lord: they teach the undivided supreme Self. This is a special method of teaching in the Gita, which the present author calls Teaching Down. It is explained here, with other examples from the Gita.

The Gita is directed at the vigorously active, with responsibilities in the world. The actual practices of yoga are given for meeting the shock of the world-energies. The whole basis of Gita yoga is confirmation through experiment, not mere exhortation. This highly significant book presents the Gita as a training manual for spiritual practice.

About the Author

Trevor Leggett a Vedanta scholar has published translations and transcriptions from Japanese and from Sanskrit. Among these is The Complete Commentary by Sankara on the Yoga Sutras. He was awarded a high grade of the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure for services to Japanese and Eastern Culture and honoured with a Literary Award for translations. He served for twenty years as heard of the BBC Japanese Service.