While I have been enjoying Easwaran's reflective ideas on the Gita, there is a trade-off between that enjoyment and the time invested in these three large volumes of commentary. I felt at times like 1/3 of the discussion was about the meanings of the Bhagavad Gita text and 2/3 his own applications and thinking about that. There is nothing wrong with this--indeed, it is in the very subtitle of each volume: practical application! Even so, the texts are older now, and as a result, Easwaran's personal applications feel dated, his thinking perhaps at times naive or narrow in its acceptance of change, and his lifestyle wholly different from much of America. I began to believe that, if accepting the teachings of the Gita meant walking the pathways of Easwaran (and he clearly says it does not mean this), I was not interested in them.

In other words, in seeking a guide or counselor for the Gita, I was better served in other directions. Nonetheless, I am in awe of and grateful to what he has produced (including the excellent translation). Unfortunately, I will not complete the work by reading the third volume, at least not now.