About the Book:
The Upanishads occupy a unique place in the development of Indian thought. They contain the roots of all systems of philosophy rising one upon another like the crests of the Himalayas culminating in a vision of the Absolute Reality.
The Western scholars had a prejudice against Indian Philosophy that it was pessimistic and other-worldly. To remove this notion it was necessary to spotlight its synthesis of the worldly prosperity and spiritual good as well as the blissful nature of its Summum Bonum. All this had to be done y such a method as would make an instant appeal to a western mind. Prof. Ranade discussed Upanishadic thought by using western terminology and western method and this has proved to be a novel contribution to the study of Indian Philosophy. He thus provided a new method to the Orientalists for tackling philosophical problems and gave to the western scholars a new material to exercise their intellects on.
The essence of the teachings of the Upanishadic is placed in the hands of the reader by using the synthetic method so as to underline their contribution to different branches of philosophy like psychology, metaphysics, ethics and religion. Prof. Ranade notes that the ultimate purpose of the work is spiritual, i.e. the practical appropriation of the Divine. As Such both the theoretical and the practical aspects of mysticism are outlined here.
A systematic construction of the philosophy of the Upanishads is as onerous as it is enlightening. Prof. Ranade's mastery over Indian and Western Philosophy, his apt combination of philosophy and philology, his precision in using technical terminology and above all his mystical insight into Reality, in the light of which he interpreted philosophical doctrines are some of the salient features of this volume.
In a word this is both a historico-literary as well as a philosophico-mystical study of the Upanishads.
About the Author:
More popularly known among his close followers and disciples as Gurudev, Dr. R. D. Ranade was born in 1886 in Jamkhandi in Karnatak. He took his Master of Arts degree with distinction from the Bombay University. Even from his student days, he was of a spiritual bent of mind.
As a Professor of Philosophy in Fergusson College, Poona, and ten as head of the Department of Philosophy in the Allahabad University, and later as its Vice-Chancellor, his record has been a very distinguished one.
His founding the Adhyatma Vidyapeeth at Nimbal and his authorship of very profound books on Philosophy and Mysticism were the outcome of his constant endeavour to know and live in Truth. His first significant book was "A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy". Then followed "The Creative Period" which he wrote in collaboration with Dr. Belvalkar. His studies in mysticism in Marathi, Kannda and Hindi literature are masterpieces of deep scholarship and popular presentation of psychology and philosophy of religion.
The last wok completed by the late Dr. R. D. Ranade during his life time is "The Bhagavad-gita as a Philosophy of God-realisation." This is his crowning contribution to religio-philosophical literature.
He passed away in 1957 leaving behind a great reputation as scholar, philosopher, mystic and author.
Introduction:
(Second Edition)
The lectures on the basis of which Dr. R. D. Ranade wrote the 'Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy' were delivered in 1915. The first edition of the book was published in 1926. It is out of print for the last few years. It is fortunate that now a second edition could be placed in the hands of readers.
The Preface to the first edition reproduced in this book was written by the author himself. It explains clearly the approach of the author to the subject as well as the rationale and methodology he has followed in the treatment of the most important body of thought contained in the major Upanishads. As early as when he wrote out this book on the thirteen Upanishads which are considered to be the earliest and the most seminal, he was already considering the proposition of writing on the minor and later Upanishads also. But what is far more important is that he was contemplating bringing out the total philosophy of Vedanta in a later work. This shows that this work of his is not an isolated or detached attempt at studying the Upanishads but forms an integral part of his comprehensive grasp and interpretation of the rich treasure of ancient Indian philosophical as well as mystical literature. While about this matter4, he says that the seeds of most of the systems of Indian philosophy are to be found in the Upanishads. Like Alps over Alps, these systems, he says, culminate in a view of Absolute Reality worthy of study. It was thus that he envisaged his later work, 'Vedanta The Culmination of Indian Thought,' which is still to see the light of day.
Since the Vedas, Upanishads, the Brahmasutras which are an aphoristic summary of the co-ordinated doctrines of the Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita are the living and continuing sources of Indian religion and philosophical thought, there has been no end to writings and commentaries on these works, Both Indian and foreign scholars have written abundantly. Indian thinkers and leaders in various fields have been drawing inspiration and spiritual as well as moral strength from these fountains of perennial philosophy. Therefore, there is no necessity or bringing to the readers' mind once again the importance of those ancient texts. This book, however, which is a unique contribution by Dr. Ranade to the profound study of the main Upanishads, deserves special attention.
One who goes through the Preface to the first edition can easily see that mere scholarship is the least part of the book. Dr. Ranade was not only a thinker and a philosopher but also one who spent the most important part of his life in meditation and devout contemplation. The Atman, the ultimate Reality, was not something to be merely thought about or casually felt but something to be realized by constant meditation by one's whole being. Spiritual experience by the totality of one's being is the most important thing. While this way is enough and soul-fulfilling so far as an individual is concerned, out of sheer surfeit of joyful ecstacy one has to find channels of communication. Language and logic, at once lucid and clear, therefore have to be the common instruments for this purpose.
Dr. Ranade had the gift of analytical thinking as much as synthetical grasp of systems of thought which are reflected in the Upanishads. His aim is clear from the Preface he has written. If he wanted to be critical about superficial criticisms leveled at the Upanishads, he has shown how devastating he could be. If he wanted his book to be a comparative study, he could have pointed out parallelisms of thought and expression between Upanishadic sayings and the earliest Greek philosophers as well as the latest European or Western thinkers. He had scholarship enough for all that. But his aim was quite different. He set for himself as task which had never been attempted so thoroughly and in so profound and scientific a manner. His was a constructive approach as he puts it, and for that, in addition to equal mastery of Indian and European thought, a full grasp of the methodology of western presentation was necessary. Then to find the terminology to appropriately convey the Indian thought of the Upanishads was also a difficult task. It seems, however, that Dr. Ranade has eminently a difficult task. It seems, however, that Dr. Ranade has eminently succeeded and presented to the world in modern phrase and by modern method the ancient intuitional as well as logical thought of the Upanishads.
This kind of study and presentation is absolutely necessary in so far as India is no longer an isolated peninsula nor Indian thought a monopoly of the Indians alone. The narrow national outlook characteristic of past generations has already passed away. Men all over are developing a world outlook and are prone to global thinking. All religions, all cultures, all people are but integral parts of the mighty human endeavour to reach hisher levels of existence and richer dimensions of consciousness. To this endeavour India and Indians can and ought to contribute substantially being one of the oldest people with a rich heritage of history and wisdom. There is no doubt that this attempts of Dr. Ranade will play its humble part in the march towards common humanity and a higher destiny.
THE BACKGROUND OF UPANISHADIC SPECULATION |
||
1 | The Significance of the Study of the Upanishads | 1 |
2 | The Upanishads and the Rigveda | 2 |
3 | The Upanishads and the Atharvaveda | 3 |
4 | The Upanishads and the Brahmanas | 4 |
5 | Meaning of Revelation | 6 |
6 | The Upanishadic view of Revelation | 7 |
7 | Chronological arrangement of the Upanishads | 8 |
8 | The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | 12 |
9 | The Chhandogya Upanishad | 14 |
10 | The Isa and the Kena Upanishads | 16 |
11 | The Aitareya, the Taittiriya, and the Kaushitaki Upanishads | 17 |
12 | The Katha, the Mundaka, and the Svetasvatara Upanishads | 19 |
13 | The Prasna, the Maitri, and the Mandukya Upanishads | 21 |
14 | The Methods of Upanishadic Philosophy | 23 |
(i) The enigmatic method | 23 | |
(ii) The aphoristic method | 24 | |
(iii) The etymological method | 25 | |
(iv) The mythical method | 25 | |
(v) The analogical method | 26 | |
(vi) The dialectic method | 26 | |
(vii) The synthetic method | 26 | |
(viii) The monologic method | 27 | |
(ix) The ad hoc method | 27 | |
(x) The regressive method | 28 | |
15 | The Poetry of the Upanishads | 28 |
16 | The Philosophers of the Upanishadic period | 30 |
17 | Mystical, Moral, and other philosophers | 31 |
18 | Cosmological, and Psychological philosophers | 33 |
19 | Metaphysical philosophers | 33 |
(i) Sandilya | 35 | |
(ii) Dadhyach | 35 | |
(iii) Sanatkumara | 35 | |
(iv) Aruni | 37 | |
(v) Yajnavalkya | 39 | |
30 | General social condition | 41 |
(i) Origin of Castes and Orders | 41 | |
(ii) The position of Women | 42 | |
(iii) The relation of Brahmins to Kshatriyas | 43 | |
31 | The Problems of Upanishadic philosophy | 44 |
Sources I | 46 | |
THE DEVELOPMENT OF UPANISHADIC COSMOGONY I. Impersonalistic Theories of Cosmology |
||
1 | Search after the Substratum | 53 |
2 | Progress of the Chapter | 54 |
3 | Water as the Substratum | 55 |
4 | Air | 56 |
5 | Fire | 57 |
6 | Space | 58 |
7 | Not-Being | 58 |
8 | Not-Being and the Egg of the Universe | 60 |
9 | Being | 61 |
10 | Prana | 63 |
11 | The Controversy between Prana and the Organs of Sense | 63 |
12 | Prana, a bio-psycho-metaphysical conception | 65 |
|
||
13 | The idea of a Creator, and the Creation of mythological and philosophical dualities | 66 |
14 | The Atman, and the creation of the duality of sex | 67 |
15 | Creation by Atman through the Intermediary Person | 68 |
16 | Atman and the theory of Emanation | 70 |
17 | The Personal-Impersonal theory of Creation in Mundaka | 70 |
18 | The Theistic theory of Creation in Svetasvatara | 71 |
19 | The Theory of Independent Parallelism as an explanation of the analogies of Upanishadic and Greek philosophers | 72 |
Sources II | 75 | |
VARIETIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL REFLECTION |
||
|
||
1 | Empirical, Abnormal, and Rational Psychology | 82 |
2 | The relation of Mind to Alimentation | 82 |
3 | Attention involves Suspension of Breath | 83 |
4 | Analysis of Fear | 83 |
5 | The claim of Will for primacy | 84 |
6 | The claim of Intellect for primacy | 85 |
7 | Classification of Mental States | 85 |
8 | Intellectualistic Psychology and Idealistic Metaphysics | 86 |
|
||
9 | The problem of Death in Chhandogya | 87 |
10 | The problem of Death in Katha | 87 |
11 | The problem of sleep: the Fatigue and Puritat theories | 88 |
12 | The problem of Sleep: the Prana and Brahman theories | 89 |
13 | The Dream Problem | 97 |
14 | Early psychical research | 92 |
15 | The Power of Thought | 92 |
|
||
16 | No psychology ohne Seele | 93 |
17 | The question of the seat of the soul | 93 |
18 | The heart and the brain as seats | 94 |
19 | The relation of the body and the soul | 96 |
20 | The history of the spatial extension of the soul | 96 |
21 | The soul, both infinitely large and infinitely small | 99 |
22 | Analysis of the states of consciousness | 100 |
23 | The microcosm and the macrocosm | 101 |
24 | The "sheaths" of the soul | 102 |
25 | Limitations of a modern interpretation | 102 |
26 | The problem of Sheaths, at bottom the problem of Substance | 103 |
27 | The Idea of Transmigration, an Aryan Idea | 104 |
28 | Transmigration in the Rigveda: the Xth Mandala | 105 |
29 | Transmigration in the Rigveda: the 1st Mandala | 105 |
30 | The ethno-psychological development of the idea of Transmigration | 109 |
31 | Transmigration in the Upanishads: the Kathopanishad | 110 |
32 | Transmigration in the Upanishads: the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad | 110 |
33 | The destiny of the evil soul | 112 |
34 | Eschatology in the Brihadarayaka | 114 |
35 | Eschatology in the Chhandogya: the Two Paths | 114 |
36 | The moral backbone of Upanishadic eschatology | 116 |
37 | Upanishadic and Platonic eschatology | 116 |
38 | Variation in the conception of the Path of the Gods | 117 |
39 | Idea of Immortal Life | 117 |
Sources III | 119 | |
ROOTS O LATER PHILOSOPHIES |
||
1 | Introductory | 131 |
2 | The Upanishads and Buddhism | 132 |
3 | Samkhya in the Chhandogya, Katha, and Prasna Upanishads | 134 |
4 | Samkhya in the Svetasvatara Upanishad | 136 |
5 | The Upanishads and Yoga | 137 |
6 | The Upanishads and Nyaya-Vaiseshika | 139 |
7 | The Upanishads and Mimansa | 140 |
8 | The Upanishads and Saivism | 141 |
9 | Phraseological and Ideological Identities between the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita | 142 |
10 | Development of the Bhagavadgita over the Upanishads | 143 |
11 | The Asvattha in the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita | 145 |
12 | The Krishna of the Chhandogya and the Krishna of the Bhagavadgita | 146 |
13 | The Upanishads and the Schools of the Vedanta | 149 |
14 | Madhvaism in the Upanishads | 150 |
15 | The Triune Absolute of Ramanuja | 152 |
16 | God, the Soul of Nature | 153 |
17 | God, the Soul of Souls | 154 |
18 | Ramanuja's Doctrine of Immortality | 155 |
19 | The fundamental propositions of Sankara's Philosophy | 156 |
20 | The Absolute, the only Reality | 157 |
21 | The negative-positive characterisation of the Absolute | 159 |
22 | Sankara's Doctrines of Identity, Creation, and Immortality | 160 |
23 | Three theories about the origin of the Doctrine of Maya | 162 |
24 | The Doctrine of Maya in the Upanishads | 163 |
25 | Vicissitudes in the historical development of the doctrine of Maya | 165 |
Sources IV | 169 | |
THE PROBLEM OF ULTIMATE REALITY IN THE UPANISHADS |
||
1 | The Supreme Philosophical Problem | 181 |
2 | The three approaches to the Problem in the history of thought: cosmological, theological, psychological | 181 |
|
||
3 | Regress from the cosmological to the physiological categories | 183 |
4 | Regress from the cosmological and physiological to the psychological categories | 184 |
5 | The cosmological argument for the existence of God; God is all-powerful | 185 |
6 | God is supreme resplendence | 185 |
7 | God is the subtle essence underlying phenomenal existence | 188 |
8 | The physico-theological argument | 189 |
|
||
9 | Regress from polytheism to monotheism | 189 |
10 | The theistic conception of God and His identification with the Self | 190 |
11 | The immanence-transcendence of God | 191 |
|
||
12 | The conception of the Self reached by an analysis of the various physiological and psychological categories | 192 |
13 | The states of consciousness: waking-consciousness, dream-consciousness, sleep-consciousness, Self-consciousness | 193 |
14 | The ontological argument for the existence of the Self | 197 |
|
||
15 | Self-consciousness: its epistemological and metaphysical significance contrasted with the mystical | 197 |
16 | The Epistemology of Self-consciousness | 198 |
(i) The Self is unknowable in his essential nature | 198 | |
(ii) The Self is unknowable because he is the eternal subject o knowledge | 199 | |
(iii) The Self can still know himself; hence Self-consciousness is not only possible, but is alone real | 199 | |
17 | The Metaphysics of Self-consciousness | 201 |
18 | The Ladder of Spiritual Experience | 202 |
Sources V | 203 | |
THE ETHICS OF THE UPANISHADS |
||
1 | Metaphysics, Morality, and Mysticism | 211 |
2 | Progress of the Chapter | 212 |
|
||
3 | Heteronomy | 212 |
4 | Theonomy | 213 |
5 | Autonomy | 214 |
THE ETHICS OF THE UPANISHADS |
||
1 | Metaphysics, Morality, and Mysticism | 211 |
2 | Progress of the Chapter | 212 |
3 | Heteronomy | 213 |
|
||
6 | Anti-Hedonism | 215 |
7 | Pessimism | 216 |
8 | Asceticism, Satyagraha, and Quietism | 216 |
9 | Spiritual Activism | 217 |
10 | Phenomenal Activism | 218 |
11 | Eudaemonism | 219 |
12 | Beatificism | 220 |
13 | Self-realisation | 221 |
14 | The ethical and mystical sides of Self-realisation | 223 |
15 | Supermoralism | 224 |
|
||
16 | Virtues in the Brihadaranyaka | 225 |
17 | Virtues and Vices in the Chhandogya | 226 |
18 | The hortatory precepts in the Taittiriya | 226 |
19 | Truth, the Supreme Virtue | 227 |
20 | Freedom of the Will | 229 |
21 | The Ideal of the Sage | 230 |
22 | Sources VI | 231 |
INTIMATIONS OF SELF-REALISATION |
||
1 | Philosophy is to Mysticism as Knowledge is to Being | 39 |
2 | The Lower Knowledge and the Higher Knowledge | 239 |
3 | Qualifications for self-realisation | 241 |
4 | Necessity of Initiation by a Spiritual Teacher | 242 |
5 | The parable of the blind-folded man | 243 |
6 | Precautions to be observed in imparting spiritual wisdom | 244 |
7 | Meditation by means of Om, the way to Realisation | 244 |
8 | The Mandukyan exaltation of Om | 246 |
9 | Practice of Yoga | 246 |
10 | Yoga doctrine in Svetasvatara | 247 |
11 | The Faculty of God-realisation | 248 |
12 | The thorough immanence of God | 250 |
13 | Types of mystical experience | 251 |
14 | The acme of mystic realisation | 252 |
15 | Reconciliation of contradictions in the Atman | 253 |
16 | Effects of realisation on the Mystic | 254 |
16 | Raptures of mystic ecstasy | 256 |
Sources VII | 258 |
About the Book:
The Upanishads occupy a unique place in the development of Indian thought. They contain the roots of all systems of philosophy rising one upon another like the crests of the Himalayas culminating in a vision of the Absolute Reality.
The Western scholars had a prejudice against Indian Philosophy that it was pessimistic and other-worldly. To remove this notion it was necessary to spotlight its synthesis of the worldly prosperity and spiritual good as well as the blissful nature of its Summum Bonum. All this had to be done y such a method as would make an instant appeal to a western mind. Prof. Ranade discussed Upanishadic thought by using western terminology and western method and this has proved to be a novel contribution to the study of Indian Philosophy. He thus provided a new method to the Orientalists for tackling philosophical problems and gave to the western scholars a new material to exercise their intellects on.
The essence of the teachings of the Upanishadic is placed in the hands of the reader by using the synthetic method so as to underline their contribution to different branches of philosophy like psychology, metaphysics, ethics and religion. Prof. Ranade notes that the ultimate purpose of the work is spiritual, i.e. the practical appropriation of the Divine. As Such both the theoretical and the practical aspects of mysticism are outlined here.
A systematic construction of the philosophy of the Upanishads is as onerous as it is enlightening. Prof. Ranade's mastery over Indian and Western Philosophy, his apt combination of philosophy and philology, his precision in using technical terminology and above all his mystical insight into Reality, in the light of which he interpreted philosophical doctrines are some of the salient features of this volume.
In a word this is both a historico-literary as well as a philosophico-mystical study of the Upanishads.
About the Author:
More popularly known among his close followers and disciples as Gurudev, Dr. R. D. Ranade was born in 1886 in Jamkhandi in Karnatak. He took his Master of Arts degree with distinction from the Bombay University. Even from his student days, he was of a spiritual bent of mind.
As a Professor of Philosophy in Fergusson College, Poona, and ten as head of the Department of Philosophy in the Allahabad University, and later as its Vice-Chancellor, his record has been a very distinguished one.
His founding the Adhyatma Vidyapeeth at Nimbal and his authorship of very profound books on Philosophy and Mysticism were the outcome of his constant endeavour to know and live in Truth. His first significant book was "A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy". Then followed "The Creative Period" which he wrote in collaboration with Dr. Belvalkar. His studies in mysticism in Marathi, Kannda and Hindi literature are masterpieces of deep scholarship and popular presentation of psychology and philosophy of religion.
The last wok completed by the late Dr. R. D. Ranade during his life time is "The Bhagavad-gita as a Philosophy of God-realisation." This is his crowning contribution to religio-philosophical literature.
He passed away in 1957 leaving behind a great reputation as scholar, philosopher, mystic and author.
Introduction:
(Second Edition)
The lectures on the basis of which Dr. R. D. Ranade wrote the 'Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy' were delivered in 1915. The first edition of the book was published in 1926. It is out of print for the last few years. It is fortunate that now a second edition could be placed in the hands of readers.
The Preface to the first edition reproduced in this book was written by the author himself. It explains clearly the approach of the author to the subject as well as the rationale and methodology he has followed in the treatment of the most important body of thought contained in the major Upanishads. As early as when he wrote out this book on the thirteen Upanishads which are considered to be the earliest and the most seminal, he was already considering the proposition of writing on the minor and later Upanishads also. But what is far more important is that he was contemplating bringing out the total philosophy of Vedanta in a later work. This shows that this work of his is not an isolated or detached attempt at studying the Upanishads but forms an integral part of his comprehensive grasp and interpretation of the rich treasure of ancient Indian philosophical as well as mystical literature. While about this matter4, he says that the seeds of most of the systems of Indian philosophy are to be found in the Upanishads. Like Alps over Alps, these systems, he says, culminate in a view of Absolute Reality worthy of study. It was thus that he envisaged his later work, 'Vedanta The Culmination of Indian Thought,' which is still to see the light of day.
Since the Vedas, Upanishads, the Brahmasutras which are an aphoristic summary of the co-ordinated doctrines of the Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita are the living and continuing sources of Indian religion and philosophical thought, there has been no end to writings and commentaries on these works, Both Indian and foreign scholars have written abundantly. Indian thinkers and leaders in various fields have been drawing inspiration and spiritual as well as moral strength from these fountains of perennial philosophy. Therefore, there is no necessity or bringing to the readers' mind once again the importance of those ancient texts. This book, however, which is a unique contribution by Dr. Ranade to the profound study of the main Upanishads, deserves special attention.
One who goes through the Preface to the first edition can easily see that mere scholarship is the least part of the book. Dr. Ranade was not only a thinker and a philosopher but also one who spent the most important part of his life in meditation and devout contemplation. The Atman, the ultimate Reality, was not something to be merely thought about or casually felt but something to be realized by constant meditation by one's whole being. Spiritual experience by the totality of one's being is the most important thing. While this way is enough and soul-fulfilling so far as an individual is concerned, out of sheer surfeit of joyful ecstacy one has to find channels of communication. Language and logic, at once lucid and clear, therefore have to be the common instruments for this purpose.
Dr. Ranade had the gift of analytical thinking as much as synthetical grasp of systems of thought which are reflected in the Upanishads. His aim is clear from the Preface he has written. If he wanted to be critical about superficial criticisms leveled at the Upanishads, he has shown how devastating he could be. If he wanted his book to be a comparative study, he could have pointed out parallelisms of thought and expression between Upanishadic sayings and the earliest Greek philosophers as well as the latest European or Western thinkers. He had scholarship enough for all that. But his aim was quite different. He set for himself as task which had never been attempted so thoroughly and in so profound and scientific a manner. His was a constructive approach as he puts it, and for that, in addition to equal mastery of Indian and European thought, a full grasp of the methodology of western presentation was necessary. Then to find the terminology to appropriately convey the Indian thought of the Upanishads was also a difficult task. It seems, however, that Dr. Ranade has eminently a difficult task. It seems, however, that Dr. Ranade has eminently succeeded and presented to the world in modern phrase and by modern method the ancient intuitional as well as logical thought of the Upanishads.
This kind of study and presentation is absolutely necessary in so far as India is no longer an isolated peninsula nor Indian thought a monopoly of the Indians alone. The narrow national outlook characteristic of past generations has already passed away. Men all over are developing a world outlook and are prone to global thinking. All religions, all cultures, all people are but integral parts of the mighty human endeavour to reach hisher levels of existence and richer dimensions of consciousness. To this endeavour India and Indians can and ought to contribute substantially being one of the oldest people with a rich heritage of history and wisdom. There is no doubt that this attempts of Dr. Ranade will play its humble part in the march towards common humanity and a higher destiny.
THE BACKGROUND OF UPANISHADIC SPECULATION |
||
1 | The Significance of the Study of the Upanishads | 1 |
2 | The Upanishads and the Rigveda | 2 |
3 | The Upanishads and the Atharvaveda | 3 |
4 | The Upanishads and the Brahmanas | 4 |
5 | Meaning of Revelation | 6 |
6 | The Upanishadic view of Revelation | 7 |
7 | Chronological arrangement of the Upanishads | 8 |
8 | The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad | 12 |
9 | The Chhandogya Upanishad | 14 |
10 | The Isa and the Kena Upanishads | 16 |
11 | The Aitareya, the Taittiriya, and the Kaushitaki Upanishads | 17 |
12 | The Katha, the Mundaka, and the Svetasvatara Upanishads | 19 |
13 | The Prasna, the Maitri, and the Mandukya Upanishads | 21 |
14 | The Methods of Upanishadic Philosophy | 23 |
(i) The enigmatic method | 23 | |
(ii) The aphoristic method | 24 | |
(iii) The etymological method | 25 | |
(iv) The mythical method | 25 | |
(v) The analogical method | 26 | |
(vi) The dialectic method | 26 | |
(vii) The synthetic method | 26 | |
(viii) The monologic method | 27 | |
(ix) The ad hoc method | 27 | |
(x) The regressive method | 28 | |
15 | The Poetry of the Upanishads | 28 |
16 | The Philosophers of the Upanishadic period | 30 |
17 | Mystical, Moral, and other philosophers | 31 |
18 | Cosmological, and Psychological philosophers | 33 |
19 | Metaphysical philosophers | 33 |
(i) Sandilya | 35 | |
(ii) Dadhyach | 35 | |
(iii) Sanatkumara | 35 | |
(iv) Aruni | 37 | |
(v) Yajnavalkya | 39 | |
30 | General social condition | 41 |
(i) Origin of Castes and Orders | 41 | |
(ii) The position of Women | 42 | |
(iii) The relation of Brahmins to Kshatriyas | 43 | |
31 | The Problems of Upanishadic philosophy | 44 |
Sources I | 46 | |
THE DEVELOPMENT OF UPANISHADIC COSMOGONY I. Impersonalistic Theories of Cosmology |
||
1 | Search after the Substratum | 53 |
2 | Progress of the Chapter | 54 |
3 | Water as the Substratum | 55 |
4 | Air | 56 |
5 | Fire | 57 |
6 | Space | 58 |
7 | Not-Being | 58 |
8 | Not-Being and the Egg of the Universe | 60 |
9 | Being | 61 |
10 | Prana | 63 |
11 | The Controversy between Prana and the Organs of Sense | 63 |
12 | Prana, a bio-psycho-metaphysical conception | 65 |
|
||
13 | The idea of a Creator, and the Creation of mythological and philosophical dualities | 66 |
14 | The Atman, and the creation of the duality of sex | 67 |
15 | Creation by Atman through the Intermediary Person | 68 |
16 | Atman and the theory of Emanation | 70 |
17 | The Personal-Impersonal theory of Creation in Mundaka | 70 |
18 | The Theistic theory of Creation in Svetasvatara | 71 |
19 | The Theory of Independent Parallelism as an explanation of the analogies of Upanishadic and Greek philosophers | 72 |
Sources II | 75 | |
VARIETIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL REFLECTION |
||
|
||
1 | Empirical, Abnormal, and Rational Psychology | 82 |
2 | The relation of Mind to Alimentation | 82 |
3 | Attention involves Suspension of Breath | 83 |
4 | Analysis of Fear | 83 |
5 | The claim of Will for primacy | 84 |
6 | The claim of Intellect for primacy | 85 |
7 | Classification of Mental States | 85 |
8 | Intellectualistic Psychology and Idealistic Metaphysics | 86 |
|
||
9 | The problem of Death in Chhandogya | 87 |
10 | The problem of Death in Katha | 87 |
11 | The problem of sleep: the Fatigue and Puritat theories | 88 |
12 | The problem of Sleep: the Prana and Brahman theories | 89 |
13 | The Dream Problem | 97 |
14 | Early psychical research | 92 |
15 | The Power of Thought | 92 |
|
||
16 | No psychology ohne Seele | 93 |
17 | The question of the seat of the soul | 93 |
18 | The heart and the brain as seats | 94 |
19 | The relation of the body and the soul | 96 |
20 | The history of the spatial extension of the soul | 96 |
21 | The soul, both infinitely large and infinitely small | 99 |
22 | Analysis of the states of consciousness | 100 |
23 | The microcosm and the macrocosm | 101 |
24 | The "sheaths" of the soul | 102 |
25 | Limitations of a modern interpretation | 102 |
26 | The problem of Sheaths, at bottom the problem of Substance | 103 |
27 | The Idea of Transmigration, an Aryan Idea | 104 |
28 | Transmigration in the Rigveda: the Xth Mandala | 105 |
29 | Transmigration in the Rigveda: the 1st Mandala | 105 |
30 | The ethno-psychological development of the idea of Transmigration | 109 |
31 | Transmigration in the Upanishads: the Kathopanishad | 110 |
32 | Transmigration in the Upanishads: the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad | 110 |
33 | The destiny of the evil soul | 112 |
34 | Eschatology in the Brihadarayaka | 114 |
35 | Eschatology in the Chhandogya: the Two Paths | 114 |
36 | The moral backbone of Upanishadic eschatology | 116 |
37 | Upanishadic and Platonic eschatology | 116 |
38 | Variation in the conception of the Path of the Gods | 117 |
39 | Idea of Immortal Life | 117 |
Sources III | 119 | |
ROOTS O LATER PHILOSOPHIES |
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1 | Introductory | 131 |
2 | The Upanishads and Buddhism | 132 |
3 | Samkhya in the Chhandogya, Katha, and Prasna Upanishads | 134 |
4 | Samkhya in the Svetasvatara Upanishad | 136 |
5 | The Upanishads and Yoga | 137 |
6 | The Upanishads and Nyaya-Vaiseshika | 139 |
7 | The Upanishads and Mimansa | 140 |
8 | The Upanishads and Saivism | 141 |
9 | Phraseological and Ideological Identities between the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita | 142 |
10 | Development of the Bhagavadgita over the Upanishads | 143 |
11 | The Asvattha in the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita | 145 |
12 | The Krishna of the Chhandogya and the Krishna of the Bhagavadgita | 146 |
13 | The Upanishads and the Schools of the Vedanta | 149 |
14 | Madhvaism in the Upanishads | 150 |
15 | The Triune Absolute of Ramanuja | 152 |
16 | God, the Soul of Nature | 153 |
17 | God, the Soul of Souls | 154 |
18 | Ramanuja's Doctrine of Immortality | 155 |
19 | The fundamental propositions of Sankara's Philosophy | 156 |
20 | The Absolute, the only Reality | 157 |
21 | The negative-positive characterisation of the Absolute | 159 |
22 | Sankara's Doctrines of Identity, Creation, and Immortality | 160 |
23 | Three theories about the origin of the Doctrine of Maya | 162 |
24 | The Doctrine of Maya in the Upanishads | 163 |
25 | Vicissitudes in the historical development of the doctrine of Maya | 165 |
Sources IV | 169 | |
THE PROBLEM OF ULTIMATE REALITY IN THE UPANISHADS |
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1 | The Supreme Philosophical Problem | 181 |
2 | The three approaches to the Problem in the history of thought: cosmological, theological, psychological | 181 |
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3 | Regress from the cosmological to the physiological categories | 183 |
4 | Regress from the cosmological and physiological to the psychological categories | 184 |
5 | The cosmological argument for the existence of God; God is all-powerful | 185 |
6 | God is supreme resplendence | 185 |
7 | God is the subtle essence underlying phenomenal existence | 188 |
8 | The physico-theological argument | 189 |
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9 | Regress from polytheism to monotheism | 189 |
10 | The theistic conception of God and His identification with the Self | 190 |
11 | The immanence-transcendence of God | 191 |
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12 | The conception of the Self reached by an analysis of the various physiological and psychological categories | 192 |
13 | The states of consciousness: waking-consciousness, dream-consciousness, sleep-consciousness, Self-consciousness | 193 |
14 | The ontological argument for the existence of the Self | 197 |
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15 | Self-consciousness: its epistemological and metaphysical significance contrasted with the mystical | 197 |
16 | The Epistemology of Self-consciousness | 198 |
(i) The Self is unknowable in his essential nature | 198 | |
(ii) The Self is unknowable because he is the eternal subject o knowledge | 199 | |
(iii) The Self can still know himself; hence Self-consciousness is not only possible, but is alone real | 199 | |
17 | The Metaphysics of Self-consciousness | 201 |
18 | The Ladder of Spiritual Experience | 202 |
Sources V | 203 | |
THE ETHICS OF THE UPANISHADS |
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1 | Metaphysics, Morality, and Mysticism | 211 |
2 | Progress of the Chapter | 212 |
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3 | Heteronomy | 212 |
4 | Theonomy | 213 |
5 | Autonomy | 214 |
THE ETHICS OF THE UPANISHADS |
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1 | Metaphysics, Morality, and Mysticism | 211 |
2 | Progress of the Chapter | 212 |
3 | Heteronomy | 213 |
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6 | Anti-Hedonism | 215 |
7 | Pessimism | 216 |
8 | Asceticism, Satyagraha, and Quietism | 216 |
9 | Spiritual Activism | 217 |
10 | Phenomenal Activism | 218 |
11 | Eudaemonism | 219 |
12 | Beatificism | 220 |
13 | Self-realisation | 221 |
14 | The ethical and mystical sides of Self-realisation | 223 |
15 | Supermoralism | 224 |
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16 | Virtues in the Brihadaranyaka | 225 |
17 | Virtues and Vices in the Chhandogya | 226 |
18 | The hortatory precepts in the Taittiriya | 226 |
19 | Truth, the Supreme Virtue | 227 |
20 | Freedom of the Will | 229 |
21 | The Ideal of the Sage | 230 |
22 | Sources VI | 231 |
INTIMATIONS OF SELF-REALISATION |
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1 | Philosophy is to Mysticism as Knowledge is to Being | 39 |
2 | The Lower Knowledge and the Higher Knowledge | 239 |
3 | Qualifications for self-realisation | 241 |
4 | Necessity of Initiation by a Spiritual Teacher | 242 |
5 | The parable of the blind-folded man | 243 |
6 | Precautions to be observed in imparting spiritual wisdom | 244 |
7 | Meditation by means of Om, the way to Realisation | 244 |
8 | The Mandukyan exaltation of Om | 246 |
9 | Practice of Yoga | 246 |
10 | Yoga doctrine in Svetasvatara | 247 |
11 | The Faculty of God-realisation | 248 |
12 | The thorough immanence of God | 250 |
13 | Types of mystical experience | 251 |
14 | The acme of mystic realisation | 252 |
15 | Reconciliation of contradictions in the Atman | 253 |
16 | Effects of realisation on the Mystic | 254 |
16 | Raptures of mystic ecstasy | 256 |
Sources VII | 258 |