The Bhagavad Gita

A Walkthrough for Westerners

By: Jack Hawley

Narrated by: Jack Hawley

Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The Bhagavad Gita has been called India's greatest contribution to the world. In this audio version of his classic book The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, Jack Hawley makes its wisdom clear to Western seekers.

©2001 Jack Hawley (P)2011 Jack Hawley

An accessible, complete experience

I have tried to get through several translations of The Bhagavad Gita, and this is the first that I was able to understand enough to pose questions in my mind, and to contemplate the greater meaning. The language of the others I have attempted to read was just out of my reach. Highly recommend this version for western ears 😊

A must to read often 🫶🏻💓🫶🏻

Thank you. This book is one of my favorite.
One of my friend from India told me about the message of the book.
We should teach this material in the schools. Everybody would be happier if we would study this eastern philosophy. 🧘🏼🪷🫶🏻

Exceptional Audible production

Thank you Jack Hawley for your journey and for your dedication to unpacking the Bhagavad Gita to bring to us westerners. A wonderful audible production indeed. Every word heard.

I’d recommend this to all & in particular to aspiring yogis and teachers of spirituality and anyone who tried to read a version of the Gita and couldn’t really get into it - you’ll get into it listening to this a few times :-)

Amazing interpretation

As I walk down my path of spirituality I try and get my hands on as many spiritual books as possible. I tried another version of the Gita and really struggled with it, to the point I didn’t get very far. Then my wife told me about Jack Hawley’s book and it was incredible. It was a perfect book for me and I look forward to listening to it again as I continue to put the Gita into practice

Beautifully Read and Translated

This was my first time hearing the complete Bhagavad Gita. What a pleasure to listen to and to be able to pause and listen to the nuggets that called for contemplation. Just hearing it felt like an uplifting cleansing and infusion of higher wisdom.

Great Interpretation

Listened to the original had a hard time understanding. This version was easier to follow.

Truth in understanding

A wonderful story to feel the truth. Always moving forward in thought with connection to learning, love, and light.

Again and again …..

I listen to this book daily. Jack feels like the voice of Divinity speaking directly to my heart. For the first time in my life I have found my peace …. Thank you

Understanding the Purpose in Life

Words cannot express the beautiful expression of God I learned about within this book but I will attempt to write what I enjoyed.

For nearly 6 years I studied scripture, attempting to better my life and to become a sound and stable person. Each time I went to church, opened my Bible or listened to a sermon, I did in fact grow but never fully understood the relationship with God I had developed.

It was not until I found yoga Nidra teachings and through miraculous chance that I heard of the Gita. Living with disabilities and feeling void of worth, I rushed to the Gita and decided on this book because I am living as a Westerner.

While I listened to this ancient text, there was no fear, pressure or feeling of judgement upon me like there was in my earlier studies. At other times of the Gita, I became overwhelmed by a profound sensation of pure bliss. During some points of the book, I was performing as Krishna described for how one is to merge with God.

This book reminded me about why I want to live a peaceful life and helped to developed a solid understanding of knowing that I am God and of God who serves God. The Gita gently opened my eyes to be surely convinced of my faith. I also see the teachings reflect through my actions. This translation contains the purpose of my being in a way that makes me eternally grateful for life. I plan to listen repeatedly.

The Razor's Edge

Any additional comments?

While difficult to date, the Bhagavad Gita is generally accepted to have been written well before both the Christian Bible as well as the Buddha. Some place it as far back as 4000 years or more. Academically, it is not generally dated that far back, though. Its relevance to the present day is that it supposedly contains universal truths.

People can believe what they want to believe and it makes little difference to me. This review being written in a supposedly Christian nation, however, my personal opinion is that all Christians should be required to read the Bhagavad Gita at least once in their life. Why? The carefully crafted version of history that was -- and still is -- spoon fed to Christians is that anyone in ancient times that wasn't a Christian was sacrificing babies on alters. That Christians think they have a monopoly on The Truth is somewhat of an understatement.

That said, "The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners," by Jack Hawley, would make a fine choice for a first time reader. The audiobook, read by the author is superb, as well. I normally cringe a little bit when I see an author read their own book, but in this case, Hawley did a great job. I can't imagine the book being read by anyone else.

The amazing thing about this translation is that it speaks to you as if it was written last week, not thousands of years ago. And just what wisdom can be found in these ancient texts that is relevant to today?

Note the following words on diet and eating:

[K]now that there are subtle elements in food that significantly influence the mind ... Tamasic people eat old, overcooked, stale, tasteless, impure, and dead food with no nutritional value.

As of this review, America is second only to Mexico as the most overweight nation in the world. We are looking at the fruits of eating old, overcooked, stale, tasteless, impure, and dead food. Our hospitals overrunneth. By just moving away from America, you could cut your risk of cancer by up to 200%.

A few years ago, U.S. News and World Report used an independent panel of 22 experts to rank the best diets. Many were surprised that the Raw Food Diet won second best weight-loss diet (a raw food diet is a nutrition plan that is based on uncooked, fresh and live...mostly plant-based foods).

Even more surprising is that thousands of years ago, the hazards of eating dead, overcooked foods was not only known, but written about. And here I was thousands of years later being surprised something that old is still relevant. It's almost as if I stumbled upon a universal truth or something.

Anyway, whenever I think about Bhagavad Gita, I'm always reminding of the movie The Razor's Edge, with a very cold Bill Murray sitting in a hut somewhere on the Himalaya mountains, while on his vision quest. At some point, he became so cold that he ripped the pages from the old copy of the Upanishads he was reading and used them to build a small fire. Maybe I'm wrong, but I always took that to mean that he figured out: there is only so much you are going to get from a book.

I think at some point, the spiritual was supposed to be experienced, not simply read. The Bhagavad Gita should be read, but don't let it be the end of your journey...