This is classic Hindu literature that is actually part of a larger work called Mahabharata. It is the narrative of a conversation between an Indian prince and the god Krishna, and is written in poetic form. It puts forward the duality of the individual self and the god self within each being, and the concept of reincarnation. It also asks its adherents to meditate solely to lose their individuality and embody only the god self, with absence of all emotion or desire.
While I respect this book as being extremely important to the Hindu religion and its followers, I have a problem with the idea of paradise being premised on the total loss of the individual. In my opinion, how can one look forward to a time of bliss when all ability to enjoy it has been taken away? Isn’t paradise supposed to be the one place where someone can be happy and contented, not an emotionless lump that simply sits and accepts their surroundings or is merely an infinitely small part of a greater whole? The individual has to be whole and complete to be able to fully appreciate a state of being where conflict and suffering are absent. For this reason, I still prefer a God that accepts the full individual and loves them just as they are without any meditation or work on their part needed.
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