Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality (Wisdom of India) by Eknath Easwaran (PDF)

Description

The Katha Upanishad embraces the key ideas of Indian mysticism in a mythic story we can all relate to – the quest of a young hero, Nachiketa, who ventures into the land of death in search of immortality.But the insights of the Katha are scattered, hard to understand. Easwaran presents them systematically, and practically, as a way to explore deeper and deeper levels of personality, and to answer the age-old question, “Who am I?”Easwaran grew up in India, learned Sanskrit from a young age, and became a professor of English literature before coming to the West. His translation of The Upanishads is the best-selling edition in English.For students of philosophy and of Indian spirituality, and readers of wisdom literature everywhere, Easwaran’s interpretation of this classic helps us in our own quest into the meaning of our lives.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “It is impossible to get to the heart of these classics unless you live them, and he did live them. My admiration of the man and his works is boundless.” –Huston Smith, author of “The World’s Religions” From the Author “These old stories are our own, as relevant today as ever. Myth always involves the listener. We identify with its heroes; their crises mirror ours. Their stories remind us not only of what the scriptures mean but why they matter. Like the texts themselves, they seek a response in our own lives.” From the Back Cover “Get up! Wake up! Seek the guidance of an illumined teacher and realize the Self. Sharp like a razor’s edge, the sages say, is the path, difficult to traverse.” – Katha UpanishadEknath Easwaran is the author of the best-selling translation of the ancient wisdom texts called the Upanishads. Here he shows how one powerful Upanishad, the Katha, embraces all the key ideas of Indian mysticism and presents them in the context of a mythic story we can all relate to – the story of a young hero who ventures into the land of death in search of immortality.But the insights of the Katha, as with all the Upanishads, are scattered, hard to understand. Easwaran presents them systematically, and practically, as a way to explore deeper and deeper levels of personality. Taken this way, the Katha provides a comprehensive answer to the age-old question “Who am I?” Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐In all his books Eknath Easwaran is able to engage the reader in the most profound truths of our existence by making them accessible to our current era and applicable to our daily lives. As the title suggests, this volume distills and illuminates the universal meaning of what are the most penetrating spiritual texts created in any human civilisation – the Upanishads. Easwaran does this through a conversational commentary on a story told in the Katha Upanishad of a young man who confronts Death with the courage and uncompromised clarity of youth. This is not an academic treatise on an ancient Hindu text, or a contemporary discussion of spiritual concepts. This book, drawing upon the spiritual giants of all religious traditions, is a window on the the challenges and immense rewards of a life devoted to realizing the deepest meaning and fullest vision of what it is to be human from the perspective of a humble man who lived that life.Eknath Easwaran moved to he U.S. in 1959 from India as a Fullbright exchange scholar in English literature, and taught what may have been the first accredited meditation class in this country at the University of California at Berkeley.

⭐We are only layers of Existence that has only one Core that is size of a mustard seed within each of us. We’ve been peeling at these layers for quite some time , you are a layer i am a layer and until we realize such and move to it’s clarity we shall remain a layer. Upanishads offers a means for one to lift skin of intellect and peer within one’s own self. Will you?

⭐This is the first Easwaran book I read and it truly is one of the greatest books I have encountered. No one else comes close to vivid and clear story telling in a spiritual book. This is truly a classic and Eknath Easwaran’s legacy as a great spiritual teacher will live on for generations to come. Concepts for readers new to Indian mysticism are wonderfully brought to life by Easwaran and bridges modern psychology and ancient spirituality. This book, along with Easwaran’s other two classics on Indian spirituality, is a must read for anyone wanting to explore and understand the spiritual life.

⭐A good book on its own; as well as a companion book to his Upanishads book. A good writer and a good spiritual book to be read over and over; as is the Bhagavad Gita.

⭐loved this audio book i got alot of insight into myself and others from this book.the narrator has a good voice and the music is a nice addition to each chapter. bought another book by mr easwaran and it is just as informative and interesting. if you like philosophy this is a good intro to indian teachings.

⭐This is my first book written by Easwaran. I loved the contemporary writing style to explain ancient wisdom, demonstrating timelessness of truths. There are so many mental models and highly visual metaphors that describe life. What was striking was the absence of organized religion. These truths can be read by followers of any faith and mapped to their own religious writings. The book further demonstrates what the great men and women of the world have been trying to tell us, through different religions and metaphors. A must read for anyone in the quest for what is beyond this everyday humdrum of life.

⭐Easwaren books are always worth reading. They contain good translations [I am not equipped to say whether they are the most authentic] and wonderful introductions that inform novices and somewhat advanced readers about the essence and philosophical envelope of the translated text that is about to follow. Ir would hard to believe anyone, with eve nthe slightest appropriate mindset, would not profit from reading this book.Finally, the book, like other is in the series, is very reasonably priced.

⭐This is a very fine group of essays reflecting on the amazing Upanishads.I love to see how Easwaran gains insights from this ancient writingin order to move into the depths of today’s challenges. Worth learninghow one can do this with the text.

⭐Easwaran was born to be a teacher. His has a way of communicating difficult concepts in a way that’s easily comprehensible for the unenlightened. This book is an incredibly clever concept: using the story of the Katha Upanishad as the backdrop to share with the reader, the various realisations that are made as the journey into consciousness and self-realisation progresses.It’s an engaging and easy read, especially considering the subjects that are covered. On a few occasions, I had to stop reading to allow time for the profoundness of what was revealed to really thoroughly soak through.This book deals with the most profound questions we ask ourselves, clarifies the purpose of our lives and puts it all into perspective. I’ll regularly dipping in and out to re-read passages, and will certainly re-read the entire book again before too long.Wish I’d read this back in my twenties, but delighted to have had the opportunity now.Worth nothing that this is book was previously published under the title ‘Dialogue with Death’, so no need to spend the £45 (hardcover) or £20 (paperback) odd pounds currently being asked for these books here on Amazon UK, should you come across them in your search for more books by this author. I got both copies without realising and, apart from an introduction that was new/added to ‘Essence’, I haven’t been able to detect any differences.

⭐I have read many spiritual books in my six decades, but this is the first that put me in my place, giving me a glimpse of how big and how real this endeavour is.And yet the author writes in an appealing, easy to understand way. He shows how this attainment is for the simplest soul to grasp, but the cost is absolute. This path is not for those of us who are just toying with wonderful ideas. It is only entered by living with discipline and total commitment the life that lies in reality, beneath the veil we inhabit: ideas, concepts and language. While we are still attached to these it remains out of reach.As I said, a beautifully written profoundstory full of hope. But one that puts me, at least, firmly in my place: he conveys the vastness of it all so well.

⭐Covers one upanishad but written so well.Anyone could read this as a novel

⭐This book is most helpful. It presents the wisdom of India and elucidates the journey of self-discovery in very easy to understand language. It is a book that also needs to be studied or read a couple of times to grasp the concepts and put them into practice.

⭐Easy to read and understand.

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