Universal Brotherhood – June 1898

PARALLEL PASSAGES — H. Percy Leonard

Readers of the Bhagavad Gita have often been struck with the thought that they have met with identical teaching in the Christian Scriptures, and the following is an attempt to assist such comparisons. In the absence of direct evidence to show the higher antiquity of the Gita, it has sometimes been claimed that the author of the Gita has copied from the New Testament, but considering the religious pride of the Hindus and their scorn of depending upon outside sources, the idea of plagiarism may be dismissed from the mind as absurd.

N. B. In all cases the quotations from the New Testament are taken from the Revised Version.

BHAGAVAD GITA

Chap. II. Thou shalt forever burst the bonds of Karma and rise above them. The hungry man loseth sight of every other object but the gratification of his appetite, and when he has become acquainted with the Supreme he loseth all taste for objects of whatever kind.

Chap. V. He whose heart is not attached to objects of sense finds pleasure within himself.

Chap. VI. To whatsoever object the inconstant mind goeth out, he should subdue it, bring it back and place it upon the Spirit.

Chap. VIII. Know that the day of Brahma is a thousand revolutions of the yugas.

Chap. IX. Taking control of my own nature I emanate again and again this whole assemblage of beings, without their will, by the power of the material essence. Whatever thou doest . . . whatever thou eatest . . . commit each unto me. I am the same to all creatures; I know not hatred nor favor.

Chap. XI. Forgive O Lord, as the friend forgives the friend.

Chap. XII. He is also my beloved servant who is equal minded to friend or foe, the same in honor and dishonor, in cold and heat, in pain and pleasure, and is unsolicitous about the event of things, to whom praise and blame are as one.

NEW TESTAMENT

Romans VIII. i. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.

Matt. V. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

John VII. 38, He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

II. Cor. X. 5. Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

II. Peter III. 8. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years.

Rom. VIII 20. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it.

I. Cor. X. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink ... do all to the glory of God.

Matt. V. 45. For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.

Matt. VI. 12. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Phil. IV. 12. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therein to be content. I know how to be abased and I know also how to abound, in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry both to abound and to be in want.



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