Upanishads

The Upanishads are a collection of religious and philosophical texts, written in India between c. 800 BCE and c. 500 BCE, "during a time when Indian society started to question the traditional Vedic religious order." During this period, some decided to pursue spiritual progress, living as ascetics and hermits, giving up family, and rejecting material concerns. Their speculations and philosophy were compiled into the Upanishads, which are an attempt to shift the focus of religious life from external rites and sacrifices towards Connection and Connection Practice.

Notes

"Etymologically, the name Upanishad is composed of the terms upa (near) and shad (to sit), meaning something like “sitting down near”. The name is inspired by the action of sitting at the feet of an illuminated teacher to engage in a session of spiritual instructions, as aspirants still do in India today."

Of the 200 surviving Upanishads, fourteen are considered important. These are the Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Kausitaki, Mahanarayana and the Maitri Upanishads."

List

Taittiriya Upanishad

Footnotes

References

Further Reading

Violatti, Cristian. “Upanishads.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Accessed July 5, 2019. https://www.ancient.eu/Upanishads/.