UPANIṢAD THEORY

The word 'Upaniṣad' consists of three words – 'Upa' which means 'near', 'ni' which means 'down' and 'shad' which means 'be seated'. So Upaniṣad means „be seated at the feet of the guru to receive the teaching.“ During ancient times, pupils used to sit near the teacher in a circle to learn the holy teachings and sacred scriptures. The Upaniṣad philosophy basically indicates learning from a spiritual teacher. The exact number of classical Upaniṣads is not known. Scholars differ when it comes to estimating the number of Upaniṣads that exist. It is estimated that there are around 350 Upaniṣads that exist today. The Upaniṣads constitute the Vedanta (Veda-
anta), the end of the Vedas, not only they constitute the last part of them, but all their ultimate teachings, reaching to the highest metaphysical state, beyond which is the realm of peace. In fact, the most ancient Upaniṣads are a part of the Vedas, and a part of the Śruti. So they constitute the fundamentals, the essence of the Hindu philosophy. They are connected to the whole of knowledge and contain within them the exposition of the origin of the Universe, the nature of Brāhmaṇ and jīvātman, the relation between the mind and matter, etc... therefore, the main topic of the Upaniṣads is the ultimate knowledge: the individuality of the Brāhmaṇ and the jīvātman. The Upaniṣads are the first scriptures where the law of kamma first appeared as taught by Yajnavalkya (Brihadaranyaka Upaniṣad). The characteristics of the Upaniṣads are their universality and the total absence of any dogmatism. They are the highest philosophy ever conceived by the human mind. Upaniṣads are the work of different authors and, separately the 'great Upaniṣads' belonging to the ṣruti we cannot say that they constitute a strictly speaking system of philosophy, some of them being connected to certain particular sects, such as the cult of Śiva, Viśnu, Durga, Ganeśa, Surya etc. Here is a list of traditional Upaniṣads: - Iṣavasya (major) - Kena (major) - Katha (or Kathaka) (major) - Praṣna (major) The Upaniṣads provide us with spiritual knowledge and philosophical reasoning. Upaniṣads aim at attaining a level of understanding beyond ordinary knowledge about living. They aim at seeking a higher level of understanding about survival. They seek to create awareness about our purpose in life. They dwell on the psychology of the human mind. They speak about consciousness, sub-consciousness and dreams. They go beyond ordinary knowing and aim at a higher level of realization. According to Swami Rama the Upaniṣadic literature is not a religious scripture and is free from dogma and doctrines. It is not a part of any religion but is a philosophy for all times and for all. This philosophy does not oppose any school of thought, religion, or interpretation of the scriptures, but its methods for explaining its concepts are unique.