Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Paper 2 Draft
Paper 2 Draft
Topic #2
10:30 AM
10/16/23
Often when we refer to the word “education”, we are talking about the courses that
contribute to our academics. In this context, however, education refers to behavioral standards
that are set so that we can carry out our designated roles that ultimately contribute to our society.
Both Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita and Pan Chao in Lessons for Women argue that education in
shaping one’s behavior is crucial to carry out their designated duties that will impact their society
for the better. First, in The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna emphasizes the importance of self-discipline
and how holding that virtue allows individuals to perform their duties selflessly. When people
perform their tasks without desire, not only do their duties contribute to the society, but they will
inherently receive repercussions for their labor. Secondly, in Lessons for Women, Pan Chao
teaches all women that they should accept their subservient position in society and the roles that
come with it. When they carry out their duties accordingly, their contributions to their husbands
and his family avoid conflict with their societal norms and ultimately keeps the relationship in
balance. Finally, both Krishna and Pan Chao warn of shame if people fail to fulfill their societal
roles. They argue that if one fails to fulfill their duties that contribute to the community due to
selfishness, they ultimately disappoint their society. In this paper, I will argue how both Krishna
and Pan Chao agree that education on proper behavior allows them to fulfill their designated
individuals can successfully carry out their respective duties that benefit the society as a whole.
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Arjuna is seen to be hesitant in waging this war because of the possible outcomes and guilt that
come with it. He is uncomfortable with the fact that he will get material goods in return for
killing his own kin. However, Krishna teaches him to, “Be intent on action, not the fruits of
action; avoid attraction to the fruits and attachment to inaction!” (Miller 1991, 36). He teaches
Arjuna to discipline himself and to focus his attention on his assigned duty, not on the numerous
possible outcomes that could result from his actions. The fact that Arjuna is reluctant in taking up
his own duties shows selfishness, and Krishna emphasizes the importance of avoiding
distractions to find inner peace. When one finds inner peace and renounces the material goods
that come from performing their duties, they further benefit society since their jobs inherently
give back to the community: “Farming, herding cattle, and commerce are intrinsic to the action
of a commander; action that is essentially service is intrinsic to the servant. Each one achieves
success by focusing on his own action” (Miller 1991, 149). Krishna points out the fact that when
one selflessly performs their designated duties, without expecting good things coming to them in
return, they will inherently receive repercussions for their service. If everyone completes their
assigned tasks, the outcome of their labor serves as the goods that return to other people who also
fulfill their duties. Krishna’s teachings ultimately say that one should fulfill their designated
duties without expecting gifts in return, and if they do so, not only would they be contributing
their services to their society, but the society will inherently give back goods to them if they also
Pan Chao’s teachings focus more on accepting one’s social status, as well as the roles that
come with it, to contribute to their society. Specifically, she teaches women to actively practice
subservient behavior so that they can fulfill their societal role of service. In her Lessons to
Women instructional, she describes how women in that society are meant to be subservient to
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men, regardless of if they like it or not. Their position in society was assigned to them from birth
as the baby is placed under the bed, given a potsherd to play with and their birth is announced to
the ancestors:
“To lay the baby below the bed plainly indicated that she is lowly and weak and should
regard it as her primary duty to humble herself before others. To give her potsherds with
which to play indubitably signified that she should practise labor and consider it her
primary duty to be industrious. To announce her birth before her ancestors clearly meant
that she ought to esteem as her primary duty the continuation of the observance of
This ranks women at the bottom of the societal ladder and signifies that they are to fulfill their
duties to satisfy the harmony among men and women. Chao also teaches that women are to carry
four qualifications including womanly virtue, womanly words, womanly bearing, and womanly
work. A woman who lacks any of these qualities will be looked down upon and won’t be able to
obtain a husband. Once she obtains a husband, she must respect not only him, but the in-laws as
well for, “Only the virtuous, the beautiful, the modest, and the respectful can accordingly rely
upon the sense of duty to make their affection sincere and magnify love to bind their
relationships firmly” (Miller 1932, 89). Essentially, if a woman can offer her respect and services
to not only her husband, but to his family as well, then she proves that she can fulfill her
assigned duties without protest. In turn, her labor gains approval from both her husband and his
family because she proves her loyalty to both the family and society. Chao offers these lessons,
not to support the notion that women are subservient in the Chinese culture, but as a guide for
women to live out their lives without risking the possibility of abuse from her husband or
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disgrace from her family and overall society. Furthermore, if a woman carries out her assigned
role of service, she benefits the men and his family of that society which maintains the overall
Lastly, both Krishna and Pan Chao emphasize the consequence of shame due to failure of
carrying out specific duties. In the Bhagavad Gita, some may argue that Arjuna was morally
right in refusing to kill his own family in battle. As Arjuna expresses to Krishna, “The sins of
men who violate the family create disorder in society that undermines the constant laws of caste
and family duty” (Miller 1991, 26). What Arjuna was worried about was betraying his family
and having to face the eternal consequences of hell. He further explains that no reward for his
actions would make him feel good about fulfilling his duties as a warrior. However, morality
Arjuna doesn’t fulfill his duties as a warrior, “People will tell of your undying shame, and for a
man of honor shame is worse than death” (Miller 1991, 34). Arjuna’s role as a warrior is seen as
an honorable position, and if he doesn’t carry out his role in battle, his people will look down on
him for abandoning them in times of need. Similarly, in Lessons for Women, a woman should
refrain from letting her morals interfere with her duties. If she deviates from her subservient role,
then she risks getting beaten by her husband (Miller 1932, 86). The only way for a woman to
successfully offer her contributions to society is by serving her husband and accepting her low
social status. Furthermore, she must also respect and serve her in-laws, otherwise, “Disgrace will
gather upon the daughter-in-law’s person, on the one hand to add humiliation to her own father
and mother, and on the other to increase difficulties of her husband” (Miller 1932, 89-90). Again,
shame is considered worse than one’s own moral standing, so it is better if a woman fulfills her
duty than going against it. In both cases, they are taught that if one is able to fulfill their duty
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regardless of their morals, they are able to offer their services as a contribution to society rather
Both Krishna and Pan Chao highlight the impact that education has on one’s contribution
to society. Krishna teaches how self-discipline leads to one selflessly carrying out their duties,
which only leads to people fulfilling their roles in giving back to their community. Pan Chao
teaches the importance of women recognizing their societal position and the duties that come
with it. Furthermore, she emphasizes that when women do their jobs, they give back to their
society by serving their families while also maintaining the balance their society strives for.
Finally, both Krishna and Pan Chao warn of the shame that comes with selfish excuses for one
not to fulfill their duties. Essentially, for there to be harmony in the community, one must set
aside their morals. This behavioral form of education that Krishna and Pan Chao discussed not
only teaches people the importance of giving back to their society for the sake of maintaining
balance, but also how to be a selfless person. In some cases, people must sacrifice something that
makes them happy so that another person can reach that level of contentment as well. The main
lesson to take from Krishna and Pan Chao is that if one sacrifices their selfish desires for the sake
of maintaining the regular flow of their relationships, jobs, society, etc., less problems will arise,
Bibliography
Miller, Barbara Stoler, trans. 1991. The Bhagavad-Gita. Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War. New
Pan Chao. 1932. “Lessons for Women” from Pan Chao: Foremost Woman Scholar of China.