Customer Reviews

The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Years ago I picked up a translation of the Upanishads because I wanted to understand Vedanta. I read that translation and struggled through it. It wasn't particularly interesting and was often confusing. The commentaries were long, painful and boring. I felt disappointed. I thought the Upanishads and the Great Vedanta would be more powerful than this. I pursued other teachings.

A few months ago I saw this little book and picked it up out of curiosity for some reason. I don't know why. I already had another copy of the Upanishads and didn't really care for it. But this little book hit me with much greater force. It was so significant. Yes the self, of course, yes..the self is one...The reading was so clear and powerful. I bought it immediately, brought it home, and compared it with the other translation. It's the translation that was the difference. It wasn't that I had suddenly matured and was now ready to hear this teaching because the other translation is still confusing to me. Not all translations are the same. What had been confusing to understand before, now became clear. Even if you don't agree with me that this translation is a good one, seek out various translations of the Upanishads and see which one is the clearest for you. Now, I truly believe the Upanishads are one of the most significant teachings this "World" has ever known. This translation has no commentary. It is so clear you don't need a commentary. It's also cheap and handy. With sacred texts from the past it pays to check out various translations and even formats for ease of reading and understanding.

_If you have ever been intimidated by the multi-volume scholarly translations of the Upanishads, then this book is for you. I still marvel at how Prabhavananda and Manchester managed to encapsulate so much of the core content and meaning of the twelve principle Upanishads in such a slim volume. Yet they did- and it works. This translation was originally produced in 1948 for the Vedanta Society of Southern California but it still holds up as one of the best. I have reread this book more times than I can remember- and yet I still reach new realizations in the interwoven, holographic whole. It isn't dogma or theology- it is the direct experience of saints and seers who have touched on divine union transcendent of time.

_Of course if you truly understand these oldest of mystical scriptures then you could condense them down still further to:

Brahman is true, the world is false,

The soul is Brahman and nothing else.

_Or if that is a bit wordy for you, then you can sum up the Upanishads, and all the Vedas, with: "Tat tvam asi" (Thou art that.)

_Most people need to work up to the true understanding of these statements with a bit more commentary, however....

The term Upanishad has been translated in many ways, "sitting near devotedly", "secret teachings", and the more elaborate, "knowledge of God." It is the knowledge of God that truly captures the essence of the Upanishads.

The 7th century scholar, Shankara, describes the Upanishads as "the knowledge of Brahman, the knowledge that destroys the bond of ignorance and leads to the supreme goal of freedom." Each Upanishad illustrates the path towards discovering this inner knowledge, thus achieving escape from samsara, or this world of suffering.

This translation contains the twelve standard Upanishads, including one of the most famous, the Brihad-aranyaka, which is the oldest and largest of these ancient scriptures.
This work embodies the mystical and esoteric aspects of ancient Hindu philosophy, and serves as an interesting and enlightening guide to knowledge of Self.

I was talking to my brother-in-law's father about favorite spiritual books. He's been a dedicated meditator for decades.

I carry a copy of this Upanishads translation in my shoulder bag always. I pulled it out and asked, "Do you read these ?"

He chuckled with bright eyes and said, "Oh, I can't read those. They just make me meditate." He went on to explain that after only a page or two he spontaneously slips into meditation.

My experience is quite similar. It's as if this volume speaks directly to my Spirit, navigating its way through my critical mind to the essence of my inner Divine. It brings me peace, it fills me with faith, it melts my fears. I meditate easily after just a few sentences sometimes.

To me the Spirit is so profoundly expressed in here that I have no trouble with dogma or rhetoric, with symbolism or mythology. To me this translation serves as an invitation from the ancient mystics to join them. I can feel the Spirit welcome me.

This is less a review and more a personal experience. That's what this book is all about, though ~ a guidebook to direct personal experience of Spirit.

It's a frantic world we live in, fast and busy and complex. I find that this wonderful translation can help lead me to a stillness within, to a unity with all that is, to a feeling and understanding and connection with the magic of life.

What brought you here to this page ? Perhaps you seek a deeper spiritual connection with your inner Divine. I can only tell you my own story. I don't read this for scholarly theology. I read this as a guide for my journey within. This book brings me to my home, to my heart. I can't remember when I bought it, but the price on the cover says $2.95. It has held up wonderfully, and is the best three bucks I ever spent, hands down. I'm buying several extras to give and lend to those I love.

Welcome.

A long, long time ago I lost this book, an older edition, during a trip. Its content shines like a beacon in a distant shore. I really missed it. No other one is so well written like this pocket. But now it's back and I've found it right here. At Amazon, of course!!
I've bought mine in a hurry, because this book is unforgettable.

THE UPANISHADS - Breath of the Eternal. Translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Frederick Manchester. New York: Signet Classics, 2002 (1948). Paperback, 128 pages. ISBN 978045158483

The fact that after over sixty years this magical translation, first published in 1948, is still in print testifies to its continuing popularity. After a 1-page Preface and a brief Introduction of just 3 pages, it gives us the texts of nine Upanishads along with selections from three others.

Each of the Upanishads is preceded by a brief 'argument' of just a few lines which the Preface tells us is there simply to indicate "dominant themes." Footnotes are sparse, and there is no Bibliography or Index. In short, only the essentials have been given so that there is nothing to stand between the reader and his or her experience of the texts. And it works!

I'm not really sure how they did it but Prabhavananda and Manchester have succeeded brilliantly in capturing the magic of these texts. With some editions it can be a relief to finally reach the end of an Upanishad. Here, my own experience is that on reaching the end I immediately want to go back to the beginning and re-read the whole thing.

I think that for many if not most readers, the Prabhavananda and Manchester edition is all they will ever want or need. For others it will provide an excellent preparation for tackling the more complex editions of Radhakrishnan, Swami Nikhilananda, and Swami Gambhirananda (full details of which will be found in my Listmania list on the Upanishads).

But there's no doubt at all that, whether you are of the "simplest is best" school or a lover of complexity, the Prabhavananda and Manchester translation provides the finest possible entry into the Upanishads and you should consider yourself lucky to have found it.

The Atman is the Soul. It is our real Self, God residing within us. We are to submerge the ego, and discover the Atman (Self). Uncovering the Self leads to nirvana, or enlightenment. This is the essence of this book. We will differentiate between what is Real (unchanging)and what is illusory (changeable). And as Jesus said, the Truth will set you free ...

The Upanishads holds the core teachings of Advaita Vedanta - Brahman is all there is. It is a good book to be read by any serious seeker - along with Nisargadatta. The book has many footnotes which attempt to explain the meanings behind much of the commentary.

This particular translation of the Upanishads is a highly recommended read.

The Upanishads illuminated that the Self (Atman) is connected to the all-pervasive Brahman, and that to realize the Self and the connection to Brahman is to attain Enlightenment and escape from the cycle of Samsara (Moksha). While I am not an expert on the Sanskrit or its translation, this version is very accessible, and has been around for over 50 years. It has stood the test of time. It illustrates the Upanishads and their concern with attaining Moksha and awareness of the inexpressible, unknowable Brahman. This itself can be both illuminating, and repetitive. I recommend it to those who also read the Bhagavad Gita, where a stronger sense of ethics and duty are spelled out. This abridged version is short and accessible.

I used to think that for reason Upanishads were huge texts, but author explained that upanishads are found in the end of vedas. It is beauty piece of work. when they are not sure, they will have a footnote and tell you that what could the other translation could have meant. It only happened 2-3 times. They are very enlightening. Brahman (God) is everywhere, literally. =)