The Vedas are the oldest and most revered scriptures of India. They are made up of a collection of Hymns received by the ancient rishis (sages) through divine revelation, also known as shruti. Within the body of these utterances passed on verbally through the generations are the foundations of yoga (communion with Self and Divinity). The Upanishads are the second of the four Vedas and are concerned with the knowledge of God.
Reading the Upanishads is both mesmerizing and thought provoking. They take you in as if each word is scripted in a feeling. They are considered the highest vibration of truth and the complete knowledge of Brahman or The Absolute.
Upanishad translates as “sitting at the foot of”, meaning sitting near to esoteric knowledge. Shankara, a great seventeenth-century commentary, describes it as knowledge of the Self, an understanding of the nature of Ultimate Reality, and the path to moksha or liberation.
Here is an excerpt from a copy translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick Manchester.
“Brahman is all. From Brahman come appearances, sensations, desires, deeds. But all these are merely name and form. To know Brahman one must experience the identity between him and the Self, or Brahman dwelling within the lotus of the heart. Only by so doing can man escape from sorrow and death, and become one with the subtle essence beyond all knowledge.” ~ Chandogya Upanishad
A source of infinite contemplation, study, and practice. Pick up a copy and ENJOY!