The Bhagavad Gita opens with a crisis -- Prince Arjuna despairs on the battlefield, unsure if he should fight his kinsmen in a dreadful war. For Easwaran, the Gita's epic battle represents the war in our own hearts and Arjuna's anguish reflects the human condition: torn between opposing forces, confused about how to live. Sri Krishna's timeless guidance, Easwaran argues, can shed light on our dilemmas today. Placing the Gita's teachings in a modern context, Easwaran explores the nature of reality, the illusion of separateness, the search for identity, the meaning of yoga, and how to heal the unconscious. The key message of the Gita is how to resolve our conflicts and live in harmony with the deep unity of life, through the practice of meditation and spiritual disciplines. Sri Krishna doesn't tell Arjuna what to do. He points out the prince's choices, and then leaves it to Arjuna to decide. Easwaran shows us clearly how these teachings still apply -- and how, like Arjuna, we must take courage and act wisely if we want our world to thrive.

Preface: The Wisdom of IndiaIntroduction1. The War Within2. The Search for Reality3. The Higher and Lower Mind4. The Causes of Delusion5. Yoga as the Way Forward6. Meditation7. Yoga in Daily Life8. Yoga in Work and Relationships9. Healing the Unconscious10. Death and the Continuity of Life11. Spiritual Evolution12. Faith and Incarnation13. The End of Sorrow: Portraits of the Illumined PersonFurther ReadingGlossaryFavorite Verses from the GitaIndex