An wonderful guide to a better life
This rather brief selection is comprised of excerpts from a much longer body of texts, which comprise a series of spiritual tenets of the Hindu belief system. These ancient Sanskrit texts range greatly in length and age, with the oldest being embedded in the Vedas, which focus heavily on spirituality and meditation, as well as rituals and practices that comprise the essential teachings of what we know today as Hinduism. The term "Upanisad" is a conflation of terms, roughly meaning to "sit down near," as at the feet of one's master while receiving spiritual instruction. There are around 108 Upanishads, the first dozen being the oldest and most significant. The date of initial composition is unclear, although some are likely pre-Buddhist, dating to the period before the sixth century BC. Others date to the Maurya period (322-185 BC), while yet others date to the first century BC through the fifteenth century AD, so they vary greatly in terms of style and content, having been composed over the course of millennia. Many were orally transmitted as well, as the title suggests, memorized by succeeding generations and passed down, so it is very likely that they differ greatly from the original compositions. As such, the authors of the texts are unknown.
The Upanishads are often referred to as the Vedanta, or the last chapters of the Vedas, which address the all-important concepts of "Brahman," the ultimate reality which supersedes the physical world, and the "Atman," which is loosely translated as the "soul" or "self." As many other reviewers have noted, the overall theme is one of unity, the idea that all things in existence are ONE, and also a part of the ONE, which transcends the physical reality of existence as we know it. This view is a reflection of the larger world view at the time, specifically the dualism which features prominently in the texts, which is, associated with the Yoga schools of Hinduism. This dualism is primarily found in the later texts. Despite their different ideas and foci, however, the ultimate aim of this entire corpus of literature is to assist adherents on the path of knowledge of the Ultimate Hidden or Concealed Reality, attainable only by personal effort and pursuit of the Ultimate Truth. That involves focusing on one's spiritual rather than earthly life, and, as Buddhism, practicing ethical behavior involving self-restraint, truthfulness, charity, compassion and non-hypocrisy.
The most prominent concepts in the texts are those of the Brahman and Atmen. The Brahman, which is sometimes translated as "God," as we understand it, in Hindu terms is the Ultimate Reality which transcends existence as we know it, and the Atman, the individual self, or the soul. The Brahman is described as the infinite, eternal truth, communion with which is the ultimate goal of one's existence. The Atman, conversely, is that immortal energy that lives in all beings, including both animals and plants: it is the concept of the "life force" or energy, a spiritual essence that is likewise present in all living beings. The focus differs somewhat, depending on the text, showing a change over time. There are various doctrines that attempt to explain these concepts, some significantly different than the others.
This text was interesting to me as a Classical scholar, as I was first introduced to this collection of writings in a course on ancient India, while in a graduate program in history. As many authors have noted since they were translated in the nineteenth century, there is a fair degree of similarity to ancient Greek philosophies, including those of Pythagoras and Plato. The singular focus on ultimate knowledge and truth, and right thoughts and deeds as a means to attain that truth, is common to both. There is great debate whether there was any direct influence, or whether the occasional traveler may have informally influenced adherents to the various belief systems. Many scholars believe that the systems developed independently, as there is no evidence that any of the philosophers ever met, or that their texts were transmitted. There are also some stark differences, specifically that Plato's metaphysics focus on the present life and state of being, with the goal of an ideal state, whereas the Upanishads focus rather on the individual and the attainment of the Brahman, or what we would probably state as "oneness with the universe" or universal whole.
The translation is fairly accessible, if not the introduction, which is just kind of all over the place, but it would take a fair amount of study to really get into the deeper meanings of the texts. There are some very complex difficulties with translations as well, so if you are highly invested, and don't want to learn Sanskrit, it would be advisable to at least use multiple translations recommended by specialists in the field. Even a light surface reading is beneficial, however, in that it just reminds us of what is ultimately important, and to keep things in perspective: this life is fleeting, and, hopefully, living a principled life of self-discipline and sacrifice will make our time spent on Earth, irrespective of whether we eventually go elsewhere, more tolerable for everyone.
The Upanishads are often referred to as the Vedanta, or the last chapters of the Vedas, which address the all-important concepts of "Brahman," the ultimate reality which supersedes the physical world, and the "Atman," which is loosely translated as the "soul" or "self." As many other reviewers have noted, the overall theme is one of unity, the idea that all things in existence are ONE, and also a part of the ONE, which transcends the physical reality of existence as we know it. This view is a reflection of the larger world view at the time, specifically the dualism which features prominently in the texts, which is, associated with the Yoga schools of Hinduism. This dualism is primarily found in the later texts. Despite their different ideas and foci, however, the ultimate aim of this entire corpus of literature is to assist adherents on the path of knowledge of the Ultimate Hidden or Concealed Reality, attainable only by personal effort and pursuit of the Ultimate Truth. That involves focusing on one's spiritual rather than earthly life, and, as Buddhism, practicing ethical behavior involving self-restraint, truthfulness, charity, compassion and non-hypocrisy.
The most prominent concepts in the texts are those of the Brahman and Atmen. The Brahman, which is sometimes translated as "God," as we understand it, in Hindu terms is the Ultimate Reality which transcends existence as we know it, and the Atman, the individual self, or the soul. The Brahman is described as the infinite, eternal truth, communion with which is the ultimate goal of one's existence. The Atman, conversely, is that immortal energy that lives in all beings, including both animals and plants: it is the concept of the "life force" or energy, a spiritual essence that is likewise present in all living beings. The focus differs somewhat, depending on the text, showing a change over time. There are various doctrines that attempt to explain these concepts, some significantly different than the others.
This text was interesting to me as a Classical scholar, as I was first introduced to this collection of writings in a course on ancient India, while in a graduate program in history. As many authors have noted since they were translated in the nineteenth century, there is a fair degree of similarity to ancient Greek philosophies, including those of Pythagoras and Plato. The singular focus on ultimate knowledge and truth, and right thoughts and deeds as a means to attain that truth, is common to both. There is great debate whether there was any direct influence, or whether the occasional traveler may have informally influenced adherents to the various belief systems. Many scholars believe that the systems developed independently, as there is no evidence that any of the philosophers ever met, or that their texts were transmitted. There are also some stark differences, specifically that Plato's metaphysics focus on the present life and state of being, with the goal of an ideal state, whereas the Upanishads focus rather on the individual and the attainment of the Brahman, or what we would probably state as "oneness with the universe" or universal whole.
The translation is fairly accessible, if not the introduction, which is just kind of all over the place, but it would take a fair amount of study to really get into the deeper meanings of the texts. There are some very complex difficulties with translations as well, so if you are highly invested, and don't want to learn Sanskrit, it would be advisable to at least use multiple translations recommended by specialists in the field. Even a light surface reading is beneficial, however, in that it just reminds us of what is ultimately important, and to keep things in perspective: this life is fleeting, and, hopefully, living a principled life of self-discipline and sacrifice will make our time spent on Earth, irrespective of whether we eventually go elsewhere, more tolerable for everyone.
Given the richness of the Upanishads, it's hard to go wrong, and there are, indeed, treasures to be found in this very, very slender selection. However, the introduction is extremely dated and somewhat off-putting. The introduction-writer/translator seems to be at pains to explicate the Upanishads in terms of what he sees as `universal' religious and philosophic themes, which turn out to be nothing other than his own christian tradition. He seems to assume that the readers share that religious background. As one who doesn't, I found that approach really annoying. It results in a trivialization of the ideas in the Upanishads... as if they are to be understood and appreciated only insofar as they can be read as re-statements of what the translator/introduction-writer takes to be the readers' pre-existing religious ideas. As a result, what is really striking and challenging about the Upanishads is lost, or at least muffled and left out of focus. Instead of `touching base' with this or that christian text, with Keats, with Shelly, with Shakespeare, etc., etc., the introduction would have been far more useful had it helped readers to locate the Upanishadic texts within the Hindu tradition, within the sweep of Indian cultural, religious, and intellectual history. Specifically, the Upanishads (and Vedantic writings generally) were a challenge and response to the Vedic Brahmanism that came before. They represented a departure from ritualism and a turn towards a more spiritualized and philosophic religious practice. In his misguided attempt to make the Upanishads feel familiar (i.e. christian) the translator/introduction-writer fails to get this across. In short, this book is a toe-dip into a rich, fascinating Vedantic text, but it is unfortunately compromised, even degraded, by the parochial and ultimately condescending introduction and editorial choices.
