The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

by Jonathan Haidt

Krishna gives a detailed and abstract theological lecture on the topic of dharma—the moral law of the universe. Arjuna’s dharma requires that he fight and win this war. Not surprisingly (given the weakness of reason when it comes to motivating action), Arjuna is unmoved. Arjuna asks Krishna to show him this universe of which he speaks. Krishna grants Arjuna’s request and gives him a cosmic eye that allows him to see God and the universe as they really are. Arjuna then has an experience that sounds to modern readers like an LSD trip. He sees suns, gods, and infinite time. He is filled with amazement. His hair stands on end. He is disoriented and confused, unable to comprehend the wonders he is seeing. I don’t know whether Edwin Abbot read the Bhagavad Gita, but the square’s experience in Spaceland is exactly like Arjuna’s. Arjuna is clearly in a state of awe when he says, “Things never before seen have I seen, and ecstatic is my joy; yet fear-and-trembling perturb my mind.”41 When the cosmic eye is removed and Arjuna comes “down” from his trip, he does just what the square did: He prostrates himself before the God who enlightened him, and he begs to serve. Krishna commands Arjuna to be loyal to him, and to cut off all other attachments. Arjuna gladly obeys, and, from then on, he honors Krishna’s commands.