The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred text to Hindus. It represents a conversation between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna, (in human form) before they go off to war. Arjuna seeks advice from Krishna, as he is nervous and fears he will lose many of his loved ones. Krishna tells Arjuna of his duties and explains the concepts of karma and dharma. Hindus try to follow this advice on a daily basis.

My family is from Bangladesh, a country that is 90% Muslim and 8.2% Hindu. Because of this huge contrast, there is much tension in the country. Many temples were burned down and both religions had trouble settling with the other. My family lived in Chittagong, a city with more Hindus than most Bengali cities, but the hostility was still prominent. My parents had respectable jobs and enjoyed living near their extended family but soon realized that Bangladesh wasn’t an ideal place for raising their children. Having a lot of faith in Hindu principles, my parents decided to move to the United States where they could practice their religion in peace and coexist with other religions.

My parents and older siblings came to Brooklyn with only two thousand dollars and eventually found an apartment that we still call home today. They managed to find jobs nearby and settle into a new lifestyle. Now, nearly twenty-two years later my parents are content with how far we’ve come as a family and give all credit to Lord Krishna’s advice.

 

 

Aishwarya Das