Important volume on one of humanity's greatest religious worksOctober 4, 2008 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
In the Upanishads there are two selves. They are symbolized by two birds sitting on a tree branch. The one bird, the self with a small "s" eats. The other bird, the Self with a capital "S" observes. The first self is the self that is part of this world. The second Self is merely an observer that doesn't take part and is in fact beyond the pairs of opposites such as pleasure and pain that dominate our existence. This Self is formally called the Atman. In an important analogy, it is said that the Atman is the drop of water that glides off of the lotus leaf into the ocean of Brahman, with Brahman being the entirety of all that there is, in other words, God, the God beyond all attribution.
This presentation of the Upanishads--necessarily a selection, of course--by Eknath Easwaran is the best single volume that I have come across for the following reasons:
First, the translation by Easwaran is readable, edifying and congenial to the Sanskrit in so far as that is possible. The poetry in the original language and the word play are lost in translation as is always the case with poetry and highly symbolic language, and especially language that is meant to be taken on more than one level. However Easwaran's notes after each Upanishad help to give us an idea what the original is like and give the reader a feel for the some of the nuances. Second, the chapter introductions and the concluding essay by Michael N. Nagler lend insight and clarity to the reader's understanding. Third, the selections themselves and what is included in the selections are efficacious. By that I mean the ideas and the "feel" of the expression, the psychology, and the philosophy of the Upanishads and the larger Vedic tradition are made manifest. Some voluminous translations give us much more of the repetition and ritual than we need, while some volumes give us perhaps not enough.
In this regard I want to call the reader's attention to the slim volume The Ten Principal Upanishads (1937) by the poet W.B. Yeats, and Shree Purohit Swami. Easwaran's book contains more of the Upanishads and offers a more extensive commentary, but Yeats and Purohit are more poetic. I recommend that the reader read both books. Alas Yeats's book is out of print and so you'll have to find it at, probably, a college library.
Here is how Easwaran translates the invocation to the famous Isha Upanishad:
All this is full. All that is full. From fullness, fullness comes. When fullness is taken from fullness, Fullness still remains. Om shanti shanti, shanti
Now here is how Yeats and Purohit have it:
This is perfect. That is perfect. Perfect comes from perfect. Take perfect from perfect; the remainder is perfect. May peace and peace and peace be everywhere.
I think the former is perhaps truer to the spirit of the philosophy of the Upanishad, but I think the latter is more poetic.
The Upanishads, usually acknowledged to be the culmination of the wisdom of the Vedas, form the basis for Hinduism as well as serving as a wellspring for Jainism, Buddhism, Taoism, and yoga. Many ideas central to these ways of life are found in the Upanishads. In particular the Bhagavad Gita finds its inspiration and even some of its expression and even a bit of its form in the most famous and most often read Upanishad, the Katha. Nachiketas of the Katha becomes Arjuna of the Gita, while Death becomes Krishna of the Gita.
In his essay, Nagler writes, "Taken as a whole, the Upanishads contain the raw material of a profound philosophy."
In the tradition of India, philosophy and religion are not separate as they usually are in the West. In truth all religions contain not only religious ideas, but philosophical ones as well; but more than anything, religions are psychologies--guides on how to live life, and how to die. In the Upanishads we do not die. Death happens only to the bird that eats. Our real essence, the Atman is eternal, and therefore death is an illusion, a compelling illusion to be sure, but one that can be tossed off through an understanding that "thou art that" ("tat tvam asi") meaning that you and the universe (or Brahman) are one. Nagler writes, "Indian religious systems hold as a core belief that the individual is not that which dies but is instead the forces which brought the body and personality into existence and will continue shaping its destiny after what we call death..." (p. 287).
Easwaran is the author of many books on religion. I was particularly impressed with his book on The Bhagavad Gita (1985; 2000). See my review at Amazon.
The UpanishadsSeptember 19, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed., As your deed is, so is your destiny. [Brihadaranyaka iv.4.5]
In life, we always come across those moments and ask ourselves a lot of questions. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Where does all that exist come from? or basically why is there something and not nothing.
The Upanishads is a book that should be read by everyone. It will be your guide in this world and will teach you spirituality not in the conventional way but how the Self is contained in everyone, how we should stop viewing the world of names and forms as unity instead of diversity.
A must in the hearts of everyone. Everyone.
GoodNovember 21, 2007 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Havent finished it yet...so far, so good; I'm not sure if its as detailed as I would like. But overall enjoyable.
Concise, explains things in a lucid mannerSeptember 10, 2007 6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Well Honestly Eknaths Book is for those who are looking to know Upanishads and its essence, while the book attempts to cover most important texts from various upanishads.
My personal opinion has always been that a person who is getting a first hand look at upanishads and philosophy of Brahm ( not its not Brahman, its pronounced as Brahm ), should be allowed to take a look the actual translation ( And not read commentaries or any gists etc AT ALL period.) This is because i think a person's own opinion develops over the time and he might get a much deeper understanding by knowing and realizing the absolute truth himself and not limiting his / her opinion to authors own ideas ( Bias perhaps ? ) . That also includes Shankaras commentaries. For this very reason, i started with actual translations of upanishads and Brahm Sutras to know exact meaning or words of the shruti and not authors ideas. After you have grasped everything, then perhaps ( especially when you are competent enough about the subject that no one can cloud your opinion ( unless your opinions are not true or you are missing something ) should one go and read such texts.
So in short i would have liked this text much more ( i gave it 3 ) if it included actual translations and not just english texts.
Needless to say Eknaths book was a appreciable experience. Upanishads themselves are always a joy to read. ( be in any form )
Regards Vyas, Anirudh
Timeless KnowingMarch 23, 2007 7 out of 8 found this review helpful
The perennial philosophy proposes that an infinite, unchanging reality exists behind the illusion of ceaseless change apparent in the material world, and, that this infinite unchanging reality remains at the core of all existence. Discoveries made in the field of quantum physics support this philosophy and serve as encouragement to all who believe the philosophy's third premise: it is the purpose of life to experience this reality. Nowhere is this philosophy more completely celebrated or more beautifully expressed than the Upanishads. While many "holy books" will not stand the test of time and scientific advancement, the Upanishads can be considered a quantum primer. Physicists are only now beginning to understand that the material world of separation is an illusion, that everything in existence is one thing, and that one thing is consciousness. Yet, some 3,500 years ago a group of spiritual seekers left organized ritual and rhetoric behind, journeyed inward, and discovered the truths that lie at the core of all things.
The meaning of the word Upanishad, "sitting down near," paints the picture of the Upanishad's origin as an oral teaching passed from teacher to student. But as Easwaran points out, the knowledge contained in these verses were not meant to be learned by rote, but were to be "realized," through direct personal experience. Easwaran's insightful introduction makes it clear that these particular teachings, teachers and students were far from ordinary as he states, ". . .although the Upanishads are attached to the Vedas, they seem to come from an altogether different world. . .they stand on their own authority." The Upanishads demonstrate gnosis, the inward seeking of spiritual truth, at the highest level. Easwaran's thoughtful translation serves as a worthy instructor for anyone who is unfamiliar with these teachings. The chapter introductions and afterword by Michael N. Nagler ease the Western mind into the verses, answering many questions that new readers are likely to ask. As quantum discoveries force humanity into a massive paradigm shift, the Upanishads will undoubtedly remain a guiding light. Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
