Introduction

The Sanskrit word "Upanishad" means, roughly, a sitting. It suggests a gathering of faithful seekers seated beneath the chair of one who has some spiritual wisdom to impart. We would probably call it a sermon, or talk. There are over a hundred of these "talks" still in use by Hindus. The oldest is some 2800 years old, and contains probably the purest message. Over the next two thousand years Upanishads continued to be written down, but their message became obscured beneath layers of increasingly imaginative myth and multiplicity. Some would say they grew richer in that distinctive flavour of the East, and indeed it is this veneer of Hindu tradition that tends to be valued and upheld today. The blander flavour of truth lies concealed and largely forgotten beneath the garnish. Perhaps this is the reason why Hindu sacred writings are difficult to understand. Studying them seems to lead, all too often, to the "ritual of charms, incantations and incense" which may prove an emotional balm but can do nothing for the soul. The reason for this strange cloaking process is probably twofold. Firstly, the ancient records acquired an injection of gods, goddesses and heroes derived from numerous local religions, in much the same way that pagan festivals have been incorporated into Christianity. Secondly, following an esoteric tradition by no means limited to the East, divine truths were deliberately hidden and guarded as the exclusive property of an inner circle of initiates.

Like all religions, and probably more than most, Hinduism has allowed its followers to become sidetracked by ritual and complication. There are said to be two distinct attitudes towards religion - the one wilful, the other submissive: "magic", gods, asceticism, and "ways", working in opposition to obedience and simple worship. The pure message of the Upanishads is simple and submissive, but wilful acquisitions and "explanations" tend to cloud its purity. This book commits the sacrilege of omitting all the names, parables and personalities of Hindu mythology, to rediscover the simple and very beautiful message of spirituality that is THE ESSENCE OF THE UPANISHADS.

The Essence of the Upanishads

About the Author

Ray Douglas lives in England, and spent much of his early life in Africa where he experienced what he calls the first glimmering of spiritual awareness. He is a great believer in the maxim: Seek and ye shall find. For the past forty years he has been following the spiritual path of Subud—Susila Budhi Dharma—which has helped many people in the pursuit of their spiritual goal, and enabled them to become aware of their own inner dimension. It is this inner self that receives the real benefit of spiritual blessings.

Many people however, so he says, confuse the occult with the spiritual, and his writings aim to make the difference plain. The Essence of the Upanishads embodies spiritual wisdom, which holds true whatever your own religion may be.

© Ray Douglas

[Home Page] [Dream Analysis] [The Gt World Dream] [Astrology] [Greening of the Soul] [Christianity] [Upanishads] [Biblical Companion] [Reflections]