Teaching The Bhagavad Gita

1. What physical symptoms does Arjuna experience when he realizes he must fight his own family members, and what do these reactions tell us about the situation?

2. Why does Arjuna's crisis go deeper than simple fear of battle - what competing loyalties is he wrestling with?

3. When have you faced a situation where doing the 'right' thing meant hurting someone you cared about? How did your body react?

4. If you were Arjuna's friend, what advice would you give him for moving forward when every choice seems wrong?

5. What does Arjuna's paralysis reveal about the relationship between love and duty in human decision-making?

6. Why does Arjuna throw down his weapons and refuse to fight? What specific fears overwhelm him?

7. How does Krishna's teaching about the eternal soul versus the temporary body challenge Arjuna's understanding of what he's really fighting for?

8. Where do you see people today facing the same conflict between personal loyalty and larger responsibility that paralyzes Arjuna?

9. How would Krishna's concept of 'detached action' apply to a modern situation where you know what's right but fear the personal cost of doing it?

10. What does this chapter reveal about why good people sometimes fail to act when action is needed most?

11. Why does Arjuna want to avoid fighting and meditate instead? What does Krishna say is wrong with this reasoning?

12. Krishna says 'you cannot escape action by avoiding action.' What does he mean, and why is the person who pretends to renounce while secretly craving called a hypocrite?

13. Where do you see people using 'spiritual' or moral reasons to avoid difficult responsibilities in your workplace, family, or community?

14. Think of a situation where you avoided doing something difficult by telling yourself it was for noble reasons. How would Krishna's teaching about duty without attachment change your approach?

15. Krishna says desire and craving cloud judgment 'like smoke obscures fire.' What does this reveal about why smart people sometimes make obviously bad choices?

16. What does Krishna mean when he says he returns to earth whenever righteousness declines? How is this different from claiming to be immortal?

17. Why does Krishna say the key isn't whether you act, but how you act? What's the difference between working with attachment versus working without attachment to results?

18. Where do you see people in your life who work hard but seem peaceful inside, versus those who are constantly stressed about outcomes? What patterns do you notice?

19. Think about a situation where you're anxious about results - at work, in relationships, or with family. How would applying the '100% effort, 0% guarantee' principle change your approach?

20. Krishna suggests that wisdom emerges when it's most needed. What does this teach us about how good leadership and guidance appear in communities during difficult times?