The philosophical basis of Hinduism and Advaita
What are the Upanishads?
The Upanishads are texts which contain the basis of the later philosophy of the Hindus. Vedanta especially is based on the Upanishads.
This lens illustrates the basic thought in the Upanishads with quotes from the principle Upanishads.
The Vedas - the books it all started with
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The Vedas - ancient sacred literature from India
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Well, not quite. The Vedas are however some of the oldest texts to have survived as living literature till our time. The Veda are the literature of the Brahman elite in India. They were composed between 2000 BC and 500BC (roughly, no dates are clear...
Tradition about the Upanishads
Key concepts talked about in the Upanishads include: the soul, reincarnation, karma, Brahman and liberation.
The insights in the Upanishads were later put into systematic form by the Vedandanta (which means "end of the veda's"). In other words: the most famous of Indian philosophies - Advaita Vedanta - goes back to these teachings.
The Upanishads (Penguin Classics)
The Upanishads (Penguin Classics)
Amazon Price: $8.80 (as of 07/11/2009)
I can't rave about Penguin Classics enough.
In this case they did the job again. They gathered the most important Upanishads together, had them translated by a real professional and made the result affordable as well.
What more can you ask for?
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Aum in the Upanishads
Chandogya Upanishad 1:1:1 quote
Aum. One should meditate on this syllable, the udgitha, for one sings the loud chant beginning with Aum.
Aum or Om - the sacred Hindu Mantra
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Aum, the sacred Indian mantra ; Om, Ohm - meditating unity
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Who doesn't know the Indian mantra 'aum' - and use it when they want to make fun of new age spirituality? Aum is actually a sacred mantra for all Indian religions that I know of (Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism etc.). It is a symbol for the most sacred,...
Self Realisation and Health
Isha Upanishad Verse 2 quote
Every person should live a complete life span of hundred years. And he should constantly strive to fulfill the purpose of life i.e. Self-Realization.
Also:
Katha Upanishad 1:2:1
There is a path of joy and there is the path of pleasure. Pondering on them, the wise (one) chooses the of joy; the fool takes the path of pleasure.
Katha Upanishad 1:2:2
Both the good and the pleasant approach a man. The wise man, pondering over them, discriminates. The wise chooses the good in preference to the pleasant. The simple-minded, for the sake of worldly well-being, prefers the pleasant.
Mundaka Upanishad 2:2:8
One who meditates, all his knots of his heart, the bondages are opened; all the doubts are eliminated and one becomes gradually free from the fetters of action with ego.
More Upanishad quotes
- Key Passages from the Vedas and Upanishads
- Quotes
- Maitri Upanishads Quotes
- Maitri Upanishads
- Bhagavad Gita quotations Upanishads
- Bhagavad Gita, quotes, UpanishadsVedic mysticism, Hindu mysticism, quotationsHome > World Faiths Mysticism Index > "Central" Vedic or Hindu insights
- Famous Quotes and Quotations by Maitri Upanishads
- Online library of Famous Quotes and Quotations by Maitri Upanishads
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad quotes
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad quotes,Brihadaranyaka, Upanishad, author, authors, writer, writers, people, famous people
The Self (Atman) is the All (Brahman)
Mundaka Upanishad 2
All this is, verily, Brahman. This self is Brahman. This same self has four quarters.
And to make the meaning of this Brahman clear:
Narashimha Upanishad 7:3
"Everything is God"
The Ashram - the place for spiritual instruction today
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What is an Ashram? Spiritual Retreat Centres!
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What is an ashram? Why go on a spiritual retreat? This lens explains the way of life on an ashram and has links to ashrams and pictures of ashrams. An ashram is a place of spiritual retreat. Usually there are permanent residents as well as visitors...
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (Penguin Classics)
Amazon Price: $8.00 (as of 07/11/2009)
The Penguin Classics are always excellent translations of classic texts. This text is no exception.
Anyone interested in Hindu Spirituality or even just alternative spirituality should have a copy of the Gita at home, within reach.
And if you are going to have a Bhagavad Gita - this is truly one of the best translations to have. Why settle for less?
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Yoga Sutras by Patanjali - Science of Yoga - Taimni
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A very scholarly translation and commentary on THE yoga classic: the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. Taimni not only explains each sutra, but also puts them in the context of Indian philosophy in general. As a scientist he also uses graphs to explain his i...
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Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure
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Great book if you want to go to India yourself - especially if you're interested in India as the home of spirituality. I read the book in one go: couldn't put it down. It's interesting as a story of personal and spiritual growth and as a catalog of...
What did I miss about the Upanishads?
DaveWalters wrote...
I did alot of studying of the Upanishads in school (majoring in Eastern Religions). It is really some dense, yet fascinating stuff. It usually gets eclipsed by the Bhagavad Gita which is also pretty amazing, but there is such a richness and variety in the Upanishads that many people overlook.
Posted June 12, 2009
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