Help me spread the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda

Hispanic America, like the West, is immersed in a deep spiritual crisis. We have become an individualistic and egocentric society. We only know how to find “happiness” on the outside, being incapable of controlling our minds or our senses.

The West, which once led the world for better or worse, is becoming less and less important in this global and digital world, where India is emerging as an economic and, above all, spiritual power where we can rediscover wisdom.

1. India: spiritual power of the world

Hispanic America can rely on its traditional values, such as Christianity or Greek philosophy, but synergize and/or rediscover them with Hindu wisdom.

Bhagavad Gita: The Path (Yoga) of Wisdom

The Vedanta philosophy, whose essence is condensed in the Bhagavad Gita, is able to unify our traditional Christian values ​with Hindu ones. The principles taught in the Bhagavad Gita are

1. Universal, beyond any belief. It has influenced personalities such as Albert Einstein, Schopenhauer, T. S. Elliot, Henry David Thoreau, Tolstoy or Goethe
   1. Influence of the Bhagavad Gita to the West
2. Timeless, they are equally valid for the warrior Arjuna as for any of us and their teachings are perfectly applicable in today's world.

The Gita is surely the best book of self-knowledge and liberation (“Moksha Shastra”) ever written; it proposes the following spiritual path:

1- Purify our mind through Karma Yoga (Path of selfless action)

2- Understand that we are body but also Soul (Atman)

3- Realize (see) Atman through meditation (Dhyana Yoga)

4-Unite with the Absolute Reality, whatever you call it, God, Universe or Brahman, through Bhakti Yoga (Devotion) or Jnana Yoga (Knowledge; All is One)

This Gita path is progressive, and it is not necessary to go through all its stages. In fact, Karma Yoga (“Do your duty, work but do not be attached to the results”) is already a path of liberation in itself, and a path that anyone, whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian, can follow. And it can be a very powerful solution for the Western economy.

The first word of the Gita is Dharma, so knowing our mission in life, our Dharma, is fundamental; however, many people are unaware of it. The Gita is a constant reflection on the Dharma that will help each one to find their Swa-Dharma in their life.

Yoga of Knowledge and Renunciation of Action

I have translated two versions of the Gita into Spanish:

1. The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi, with commentaries by Mahadev Desai and Swami Sivananda. This is an excellent version for getting started with the Gita
2. The Gita Makaranadam by Swami Vidya Prakashananda, with extensive commentaries for each of its verses. This version is ideal for delving deeper into its teachings.

The sublime teachings of the Bhagavad Gita are very profound and sometimes complex for the Western view. Therefore, studying the teachings of those who have actually applied these principles of the Gita in their own lives is crucial. I have selected two key figures: Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda:

1- Sri Ramakrishna, the illiterate monk who saw God, considered by Romain Rolland or Gandhi as an incarnation of wisdom, and even as the Avatar of the new era. Ramakrishna managed to unite the different Hindu sects, both dual and non-dual, and also lived as a Muslim and a Christian, establishing the principle of Harmony between Religions: “So many paths, so many religions”, so necessary in this globalized world and a fundamental pillar of global ethics.

2- His disciple Swami Vivekananda was one of the few people who managed to understand some of the Master's teachings. Vivekananda travelled around India to arouse its masses. He was also the first to introduce the Gita or Vedanta to the West, through his travels in the United States and Europe. In addition, he was able to explain the complex wisdom of the Gita in terms of Western philosophy. He was a strong defender of the concept of "Western Science, plus Eastern spirituality."

Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda

If India is today the spiritual power of the world, as Vivekananda predicted in the 19th century, it is undoubtedly thanks to the wisdom of Ramakrishna and to Vivekananda's tireless work in making these teachings known both in India and in the West.

To make his sacred teachings known, I have translated into Spanish part of the “Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” and practically all of Swami Vivekananda’s work:

1. Karma Yoga
2. Sankhya philosophy
3. Bhakti Yoga
4. Para-Bhakti
5. Raja Yoga
6. Yoga Sutras (Patanjali)
7. Jnana Yoga and Vedanta
8. Jnana Yoga (unity in diversity)
9. Life of Swami Vivekananda (I): as a child until the death of Sri Ramakrishna
10. Life of Swami Vivekananda (II): Baranagore Math - Cape Comorin (1887-1893)
11. Life of Swami Vivekananda (III): United States. Parliament of Religions
12. Life of Swami Vivekananda (IV): London. The Bhagavad Gita and Yoga go global. India
13. Life of Swami Vivekananda (V): Back to India. The Swamiji phenomenon. Bengal
14. Life of Swami Vivekananda (VI): Life in Belur Math. Training of disciples
15. Life of Swami Vivekananda (VII): Second visit to America. Life in the Math. Mahasamadhi

Spreading these Hindu teachings is not proselytism. One of the characteristics of Hinduism is the acceptance of different spiritual paths as valid.

For almost all Hindus, Jesus was one of the great prophets of humanity. Gandhi was in love with the Sermon on the Mount. Vivekananda always carried two books: the Gita and the Incarnation of Christ, which he even translated into Bengali. Ramakrishna also admired Christ:

“Here is Christ, who shed His heart's blood for the redemption of the world, who suffered a sea of ​​anguish for the love of men. It is He, the Master Yogi, who is in eternal union with God. It is Jesus, Love Incarnate.”

And vice versa, many Westerners, as I have said before, have felt admiration for Hinduism. I myself have understood Christianity better through the Gita and the teachings of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda or Gandhi.

The vision of this project is that of the principle of Harmony between Religions: so many paths, so many religions. Therefore, Christianity is as valid as Hinduism.

In the West, Christianity, or rather the churches that represent it, is “burned out,” fewer and fewer Westerners feel the words of Christ as their own; this spiritual emptiness has been replaced by Atheism, Agnosticism, and other new philosophies, and has been linked to the rise of totalitarian movements.

And perhaps a vision of Christianity from the perspective of Vedantic philosophy can make many people feel the wisdom of Christianity as their own again. And let us remember a reflection of Vivekananda: “Religion must make you free and strong, if not, throw it away.”

Dissemination of the Gita and the teachings of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda

To make these teachings known and achieve my goal, I have taken the following actions:

1. Translations into Spanish
2. Book “The Yoga of Wisdom (Bhagavad Gita)”
3. Creation of the Gita Institute
4. Institute website in Spanish, English and Portuguese (https://instituto-gita-yoga.org/)
5. Instagram and Facebook accounts
6. Youtube channel with more than 150 videos
7. 7. In addition to several free webinars: Life of Vivekananda, Yoga or Asanas?, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Bhagavad Gita
8. I have given several talks and training sessions on the Gita
9. I have written several articles

I have carried out all these actions by financing them myself.

The first recognitions have already arrived:

1.  I have reached an agreement to jointly recite the Gita in Sanskrit and Spanish with music with Dr Gazal Srinivas from India.
2.  The Telugu community in Spain gave me an emotional recognition for my translation of the Gita into Spanish.

Bhagavad Gita in Español Bhagavad Gita in Portuguese.

Interview (Video in Spanish):

Projects for which I request your support

To reach as many people as possible I have started this first crowdfunding campaign in:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/spread-the-teachings-of-the-bhagavad-gita-ramakrishna

All donations you make will be used to support these four projects:

1. Free, reduced version of my book containing only the Spanish translation of the Gita, to enable more people to read the Gita.
2. Carrying out a special campaign for yoga teachers and centers to include the teachings of the Gita in their physical yoga classes and in their yoga teacher training.
3. Launching a scholarship program to facilitate access to online training on the Gita for the most disadvantaged.
4. Obtaining recognition from the Indian Government for this project

In addition to the dissemination of Sri Ramakrishna's principle of interfaith harmony in Africa through EENI- Global Business School

You can see the outcomes on my website.

1. Author of the book: The Yoga of Wisdom (Bhagavad Gita according to Gandhi)
2. Translator of the work of Swami Vivekananda and the Bhagavad Gita
3. President and Founder of the Gita Institute and EENI Global Business School
4. My mission in relation to the Gita
5. My commitment to the Gita (P. Nonell)

Pedro Nonell's CV related to the EENI.

Pedro Nonell in Burkina Faso (Africa):