Among the oldest of India's spiritual texts, the Upanishads are records of intensive question-and-answer sessions given by illumined sages to their students - in ashrams, at family gatherings, in a royal court, and in the kingdom of Death. The sages share flashes of insight, extraordinary visions, the results of their investigation into consciousness itself. The Upanishads have puzzled and inspired wisdom seekers from Yeats to Schopenhauer. In this best-selling translation, Eknath Easwaran makes these challenging texts more accessible by selecting the passages most relevant to readers seeking timeless truths today. This book includes an overview of the cultural and historical setting, with chapter introductions, notes, and a Sanskrit glossary. But it is Easwaran's understanding of the wisdom of the Upanishads that makes this edition truly outstanding. Each sage, each Upanishad, appeals in a different way to the reader's head and heart. For Easwaran, the Upanishads are part of India's precious legacy, not just to Hinduism but to humanity, and in that spirit they are offered here.

Autorentext

Chapter introductions, notes, and the essay "Reading the Upanishads" are by Michael N. Nagler, PhD, who is professor emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley.

Zusammenfassung
Easwaran is a leading authority on the Upanishads his best-selling translation of the key Upanishads is accessible and reliable, and is preceded by a unique, comprehensive introduction to the profound insights of the sages of ancient India.

Inhalt

Table of Contents Foreword 7 Introduction 13 ISHA 51      The Inner Ruler KATHA 61      Death as Teacher BRIHADARANYAKA 93      The Forest of Wisdom CHANDOGYA 119      Sacred Song SHVETASHVATARA 153      The Faces of God MUNDAKA 179      Modes of Knowing MANDUKYA 197      Consciousness & Its Phases KENA 207      Who Moves the World? PRASHNA 219      The Breath of Life TAITTIRIYA 239      Ascent to Joy AITAREYA 263      The Unity of Life MINOR UPANISHADS*  Beads of Wisdom*      TEJOBINDU 283      ATMA 286      AMRITABINDU 288      PARAMAHAMSA 291 Afterword 295     A Religion for Modern Times     by Michael N. Nagler Glossary 337 Notes 345 Index 377