The Philosophy of the Upanishads

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From the Jacket:

What is that by knowing which everything in this vast universe is known? This question has something or other agitated all thinking persons. The hoary sages of ancient India, after deep and prolonged meditation, discovered the answer that by knowing Atman, the sole reality that sustains the universe, all is known; for the atman creates this universe and enters into it as soul. Atman also termed Brahman, the creator is the supreme soul; atman the created is the individual soul. The entire esoteric fabric of the Upanishads, which number more than a hundred, is woven around two concepts - that of the Brahman and the atman They urge the earnest seeker to strive for Brahma-atma-aikyam (unity of the Brahman and the Atman). As the path to this knowledge is best with perils and sharp as a razor's edge, the adept teachers commencing from such an insignificant trifle as a fig take their pupils through theology, cosmology, psychology and eschatology to that destination where all illusions vanish and the purport of laconic but profound statements like tat tvam as (that art thou), aham brahma asmi (I am Brahman) are realized. Countless philosophers, noteable being Badarayana the author of Brahma-sutras, have sought inspiration from the Upanishads for their system of philosophy.

The unabating popularity of Paul Deussen's The Philosophy of the Upanishads ever since its first publication in 1906 attests to the quality of its contents. This second edition is brought out to reach a wider circle of readers who desire to have a close acquaintance with the philosophy of the Upanishads.

CONTENTS

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS
The Second Period of Indian Philosophy, or The Continuance and Close of the Times of the Brahman
Introduction to the Philosophy of The Upanishads
I. The Place of the Upanishads in the Literature of the Veda		1-15
	1. The Veda and its Divisions	1
	2. Brahman, Aranyaka, Upanishad	2
	3. The Upanishads of the three older Vedas	5
	4. The Upanishads of the Atharvaveda	7
	5. On the Meaning of the word Upanishad	10
II. Brief Summary of the History of the Upanishads		16-38
	1. The earliest Origin of the Upanishads	16
	2. The extant Upanishads	22
	3. The Upanishads in Badarayana and Sankaras	26
	4. The most important Collection of Upanishads	33
III. The Fundamental Conception of the Upanishads and its Significance.		38-50
	1. The Fundamental Conception of the Upanishads	38
	2. The Conception of the Upanishads in its relation to Philosophy	50
	3. The Conception of the Upanishads in its relation to Religion	44
THE SYSTEM OF THE UPANISHADS
Introduction		51-53
First Part : Theology, or the Doctrine of Brahman
On the Possibility of Knowing Brahman		54-85
	1. Is the Veda the Source of the Knowledge of Brahman?	54
	2. Preparatory Means to a Knowledge of Brahman	60
	3. Sacrifice	61
	4. Asceticism (tapas)	65
	5. Other Preliminary Conditions	70
	6. The Standpoint of Ignorance, of Knowledge, and of superior Knowledge in relation to Brahman	74
The Search for Brahman		85-99
	1. The Atman (Brahman) as the Unity	85
	2. Balaki's Attempts at Explanation	87
	3. Sakalya's Attempts at Explanation	88
	4. Six inadequate Definitions	89
	5. Definition of the Atman Vaisvanara	90
	6. Narada's gradual Instruction	92
	7. Three different Atmans	94
	8. Five different Atmans	97
III. Symbolical Representations of Brahman		99-125
	1. Introduction and Classification	99
	2. Brahman as Prana and Vayu	101
	3. Other Symbols of Brahman	111
	4. Attempts to interpret the symbolical Representations of Brahman	117
	5. Interpretations of and Substitutes for Ritual Practice	119
IV. The Essential Brahman		126-157
	1. Introduction	126
	2. Brahman as Being and not-Being, Reality and not-Reality	128
	3. Brahman as Consciousness, Thought	132
	4. Brahman as Bliss (ananda)Item Code: IDE423 Cover: Hardcover Edition: 1979 Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation Language: English Size: 8.8" X 5.8" Pages: 433[/product_video]