The Upanishads

Rating:
Summary: Easwaran translates another Hinduist classic
Review: After reading the Dhammapada translation from the same author, it was not a surprise to find a similar high-quality translation of the Upanishads - the philosophical part in the Vedas of Hinduist religion. Some points to highlight in Easwaran's work: Poetic but precise wording, great introduction and commentaries, easy-to-read without creating a scholar-only work, impeccable introduction to the Historical context of the work and it's importance in Hinduism.

Mr Easwaran's work convinced me to buy all Three books that form a Trilogy: The Dhammapada, The Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita. Without a doubt, especially considering the price, this Trilogy is a steal.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant. Is it true?
Review: The Upanishads are a remarkable collection of mystical literature that represent a turning point in Indian thought. Eswaran tranlates the most famous of them into strikingly simple and resonant language. "Freed from sin, as a snake sheds its sin, They see the Supreme Lord, who lives in all." "As the sun, who is the eye of the world, Cannot be tainted by the defects in our eyes. . . So the one self, dwelling in all, cannot be tainted by the evils of the world." "The tree of Eternity has its roots above and its branches on earth below. Its pure root is Brahman the immortal From whom all the worlds draw their life. . . "

Each of the main Upanishads is given a short and helpful introduction, then followed by a few pages of notes. The text as a whole is again bracketed by eloquent essays by Easwaran and Michael Nagler, who make helpful comparisons to Augustine, Pascal, Gandhi, the Rig Veda, the Gita, and Einstein, building bridges to readers of various traditions and interests. All in all, Easwaran has gone the extra mile to help his readers comprehends the message of the Upanishads, as he understands it.

It may be that clarity is sometimes achieved at the cost of strict accuracy. Eswaran admits "simplifying" the text in certain ways -- cutting what he thinks repetitive, using "Lord of Love" dozens of times to translate a term that in a note toward the end he admits means "God-self-energy." I lost a little confidence in the translation after reading that. Also, he translates "atman" as "Self," a term some people seem to think is not quite right. So while I enjoyed this version, I plan to compare it to others for scholarly purposes.

Nagler made a few comments both on the Upanishads and on Christianity that made me question his clarity of vision a bit. His claim that, aside from Augustine, "the shapers of early Christianity" believed there was "no high task of self-sacrifice left for people to perform," seemed an odd thing to say of a religion whose primary texts are full of advice like, "Take up your cross and follow me," and "Make your life a living sacrifice," and whose early followers have been blamed for being too eager for martyrdom.

Given the fact that some experience the "I am that" state yet reject it as an illusion, should we believe what the mystics experienced as true? What social, psychological, and moral affect did the "inward turn" that this text represents have on Indian society? One feels a bit crass or, well, unenlightened, to pose doubtful such questions in the face of such beautiful poetry. But I think they are also worth posing. Anyone who would like to consider these questions from the point of view of a knowledgable and fair-minded Christian, read The Crown of Hinduism, by F. N. Farquhar, or the more critical (and passionate) books by Indian social reformer, Vishal Mangalwadi, such as Truth and Social Justice or The World of Gurus.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

Rating:
Summary: The Truth
Review: Words fail me in my attempt to describe the book, perhaps it is best I describe the emotions I experienced, as I read this book.

The book captured my breath and concentration and I was unable to think of anything else till I finished the book. I took quite some time over a few days to finish it, simply because each page makes you think. There are books that hit you hard with the force of their ideas, and then there is this book... which gently caresses your mind as a wave would caress the shore, as our eyelashes caress our cheek when we blink. The book and its delivery is so gentle and calm, that my mind was immediately transported into the vivid imagery that EE creates, of a guru in a remote hut and his simple lifestyle and his disciples. EE strikes a chord when he points out the massive gamble that these disciples take, in deciding to pursue nothing but the Truth and sacrifice all else in its path. His writing gentle and kind, and one feels like a young boy in front of an affectionate father, the father doesnt seem to teach, but just seems to speak calmly, and one feels like listening.
EE brings out the Upanishads for what they really are, an incredible advancement into the inquiry of Truth, using the principles of concentration and meditation, and the medium of story telling to pass down the wisdom of the ancients. I could not resist my tears as I read with joy of the tales of Yajnavalka, nor could I feel but astonished at the clarity of thought and the level of the discussion between Yama and Nachiketa.

I could go on, but there is little to say except that one should read this book. For those in search of additional readings, there is a book called "The Vedas", which is an english collection of the discourses of the Head of the Kancheepuram Shankaracharya school. It's a tough read, to be read with pencil and paper, and perhaps committing to memory some of the terms... but it is the Definitive primer into the Vedas and India's true heritage.