Alan Jacobs - The Principal Upanishads: The Essential Philosophical Foundation of Hinduism

Alan Jacobs Introduction by David Frawley T he Upanishads are the primary source book of the profound spiritual wisdom of India going back well before the age of the Buddha some 2,500 years ago. They have provided an ongoing stream of inspiration for the great gurus of the region from the ancient to the modern eras. From the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita to those of modern masters like Sri Aurobindo and Ramana Maharshi, Upanishadic insights have remained shining brightly, like an inextinguishable fire, at the core of the soul of India. The Upanishads mediate between the mantric visions of the ancient Vedic seers and the meditative insights of later yogic sages. They show us the mystical side of the Vedic world and its luminous images of the cosmic fire and the cosmic sun as the supreme light of awareness. Yet they also delineate a logical philosophical approach to truth based on a clear articulation of the ideas of God, the Self and the Absolute.

There is little in the spiritual wisdom of India that does not have its counterpart or seed in the Upanishads. For those who want to discover the real spiritual roots of the Yoga tradition, the Upanishads remain crucial as they first clearly explain the practice of yoga in all of its major forms, the harmonization of body, breath and mind for the realization of the inner Spirit or Purusha. Yet we also find in the Upanishads the seeds of the Buddhists ideas of the supremacy of the mind and the need for deep introspection. Whether it is the law of karma, the process of rebirth, the different bodies of the soul, the practice of meditation, mantra, pranayama, the idea of dharma or natural law, these can all be found in beautiful Upanishadic verses. Yet the Upanishads are relevant if not central to world spirituality, not just to students of the traditions of India. Indeed, if one combines the theism and devotion of Western religions with the formless meditation and impersonal views of Eastern religions, one would end up with something similar to the Upanishadic teachings which embrace both theism and monism.

The Upanishads teach monism, that all is God or the Absolute, Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma, Everything is Brahman. But they do not do this in simply an abstract manner. That One Being is present in all of us as our own deeper and immortal soul and Self, the Atman, Aham Brahmasmi, I am Brahman or the Absolute. In this regard, the Upanishads probably first clearly set forth in human history a way of Self-Knowledge taking us to the Absolute. Yet theism is also present in many places in the Upanishads, a recognition of One God or Isvara as the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe and the ability to unite with Him (or Her) through meditation. The Upanishads also say Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam, All this universe is pervaded by the Lord.

The Upanishads present a marvellous ontology of Being as the foundation, background and goal of all life. The Upanishads also probably first clearly explicate the law of karma and the process of rebirth in rational terms. The questions raised by the Upanishadic sages remain relevant to all serious thinkers of ultimate truth. They include such deep queries as: Through knowing what one thing can everything be known? By what can the knower be known? And the deepest of all questions: Who am I? However, the Upanishadic approach is not merely conceptual. It is part of a tradition of sadhana or spiritual practice. Upanishadic enquiries into reality proceed through mantra and meditation, not just through logic and sensory perception.

Besides its philosophy, the Upanishads outline important spiritual practices. These include the method of Self-Enquiry, meditation (both with form and without form), the chanting of mantras like OM, devotional worship of the divine, and yogic practices like working with the breath. Alan Jacobs is himself a meditator and a mystic poet. He brings his life experience and deep inner sensitivity into his translation, which is but one of his many forays into the spiritual field. Alan represents a new group of thinkers who find a living inspiration in the Upanishads, those who have been to India, studied with its great gurus, and learned the inner teachings in a direct and experiential manner. This makes his translation unique, appealing and alive and worthy of examination even by those who may already have translations of these great texts.

Many other Upanishadic translations fall short because they are done by scholars who lack the spiritual insight to appreciate the many layers of Upanishadic language, thought and analysis. Alans transcreation a free verse poetic rendering of ten of the principal Upanishads offers a new view, which carries the ancient light and inspiration of the Upanishads forward to the modern reader in the West. Contemplating his renditions elevates the mind, heart and soul of the reader. At this time in world history, an examination of Upanishadic thought is important. It will help connect us to the deeper roots of unitary thought and awareness at the heart of our greater world spirituality, the heritage of the ancient seers and sages whose guidance we need today more so than ever. David Frawley Author Yoga and the Sacred Fire, Vedantic Meditation

This Upanishad is traditionally placed first in the edition of the twelve Upanishads All is perfect, so perfectly perfect! Whatever being lives, moves And breathes on Earth At every level from atom To galaxy is absolutely perfect in its place Precise and choreographed, Because That flows from the Glory of God, The Lord, The Self, Consciousness, The Source, Awareness, Peace, and Love, And is therefore perfect.

When you have surrendered your ego To That You will find true happiness. Never ever envy the place of Any other man or woman. Mahatma Gandhi regarded this verse as one of the most important in Indian scripture. Many people shy at the concept of everything is perfect. This is stated from a cosmic standpoint where in a holistic universe every thing has its place to maintain balance and harmony of the whole. It is not an anthropomorphic humanistic view of what happens on earth by itself.

To the man or woman totally surrendered to God everything which happens must be accepted as perfect even if it is not understood or approved of from the egotistic individuals standpoint. Although a man or woman may desire To live for a hundred years Performing good deeds, No other way than this total surrender, Acceptance of what is Shall stop these deeds From binding him or her. There are the worlds of the ignorant And the wicked, Hypnotized in blind darkness. Those who have lost hold Of Knowledge of their True Self, Of Consciousness, Reality, Love, They return after death To various levels of existence, In the vast universe As Consciousness ordains. That One, the True Self Of Consciousness, Reality, Love, Although still, Is swifter than thought, As a greyhound is to a tortoise. The senses never know That.

Consciousness runs and overtakes them. Without That Self there is no Real Life, I assure you. Consciousness Moves and does not move, It appears to be distant Yet is near, It animates all And envelopes all, Eternally. Who sees all being In his or her own Self As Consciousness, Awareness, Like his own Self, Never suffers from fear. When a man or woman Understands and knows That the Self of Consciousness Reality, Love, Has become all that exists, What possible trouble or sorrow Can affect He or she who has seen That seamless Unity? This Self of Consciousness Encircles all, Bright, Luminous, Formless, Transparent, Pure, Unembellished. Like the sage, Wise, Self-Existent, All knowing.