The Philosophy of the Upanishads

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by Paul Deussen

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From the Jacket:

What is that by knowing which everything in this vast universe is known? This question has something or other agitated all thinking persons. The hoary sages of ancient India, after deep and prolonged meditation, discovered the answer that by knowing Atman, the sole reality that sustains the universe, all is known; for the atman creates this universe and enters into it as soul. Atman also termed Brahman, the creator is the supreme soul; atman the created is the individual soul. The entire esoteric fabric of the Upanishads, which number more than a hundred, is woven around two concepts - that of the Brahman and the atman They urge the earnest seeker to strive for Brahma-atma-aikyam (unity of the Brahman and the Atman). As the path to this knowledge is best with perils and sharp as a razor's edge, the adept teachers commencing from such an insignificant trifle as a fig take their pupils through theology, cosmology, psychology and eschatology to that destination where all illusions vanish and the purport of laconic but profound statements like tat tvam as (that art thou), aham brahma asmi (I am Brahman) are realized. Countless philosophers, noteable being Badarayana the author of Brahma-sutras, have sought inspiration from the Upanishads for their system of philosophy.

The unabating popularity of Paul Deussen's The Philosophy of the Upanishads ever since its first publication in 1906 attests to the quality of its contents. This second edition is brought out to reach a wider circle of readers who desire to have a close acquaintance with the philosophy of the Upanishads.

CONTENTS

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS
The Second Period of Indian Philosophy, or The Continuance and Close of the Times of the Brahman
Introduction to the Philosophy of The Upanishads
I. The Place of the Upanishads in the Literature of the Veda		1-15
	1. The Veda and its Divisions	1
	2. Brahman, Aranyaka, Upanishad	2
	3. The Upanishads of the three older Vedas	5
	4. The Upanishads of the Atharvaveda	7
	5. On the Meaning of the word Upanishad	10
II. Brief Summary of the History of the Upanishads		16-38
	1. The earliest Origin of the Upanishads	16
	2. The extant Upanishads	22
	3. The Upanishads in Badarayana and Sankaras	26
	4. The most important Collection of Upanishads	33
III. The Fundamental Conception of the Upanishads and its Significance.		38-50
	1. The Fundamental Conception of the Upanishads	38
	2. The Conception of the Upanishads in its relation to Philosophy	50
	3. The Conception of the Upanishads in its relation to Religion	44
THE SYSTEM OF THE UPANISHADS
Introduction		51-53
First Part : Theology, or the Doctrine of Brahman
On the Possibility of Knowing Brahman		54-85
	1. Is the Veda the Source of the Knowledge of Brahman?	54
	2. Preparatory Means to a Knowledge of Brahman	60
	3. Sacrifice	61
	4. Asceticism (tapas)	65
	5. Other Preliminary Conditions	70
	6. The Standpoint of Ignorance, of Knowledge, and of superior Knowledge in relation to Brahman	74
The Search for Brahman		85-99
	1. The Atman (Brahman) as the Unity	85
	2. Balaki's Attempts at Explanation	87
	3. Sakalya's Attempts at Explanation	88
	4. Six inadequate Definitions	89
	5. Definition of the Atman Vaisvanara	90
	6. Narada's gradual Instruction	92
	7. Three different Atmans	94
	8. Five different Atmans	97
III. Symbolical Representations of Brahman		99-125
	1. Introduction and Classification	99
	2. Brahman as Prana and Vayu	101
	3. Other Symbols of Brahman	111
	4. Attempts to interpret the symbolical Representations of Brahman	117
	5. Interpretations of and Substitutes for Ritual Practice	119
IV. The Essential Brahman		126-157
	1. Introduction	126
	2. Brahman as Being and not-Being, Reality and not-Reality	128
	3. Brahman as Consciousness, Thought	132
	4. Brahman as Bliss (ananda)	140
	5. Negative Character and Unknowableness of the essential Brahman	146
V. Brahman and the Universe		157-179
	1. Sole Reality of Brahman	157
	2. Brahman as the cosmical Principle	159
	3. Brahman as the psychical Principle	166
	4. Brahman as a Personal God (isvara)	172
Second Part: Cosmology, or the Doctrine of the Universe
VI. Brahman as Creator of the Universe		180-201
	1. Introduction to the Cosmology	180
	2. The Creation of the Universe and the Doctrine of the Atman	182
	3. The Creation of Inorganic Nature	186
	4. Organic Nature	195
	5. The Soul of the Universe (Hiranyayarbha, Brahman)	198
Brahman as Preserver and Ruler		202-219
	1. Brahman as Preserver of the Universe	202
	2. Brahman as the Ruler of the Universe	206
	3. Freedom and Constraint of the Will	208
	4. Brahman as Providence	211
	5. Cosmography of the Upanishads	214
VIII. Brahman as Destroyer of the Universe		219-226
	1. The Kalpa Theory of the later Vedanta	219
	2. Return of Individuals into Brahman	221
	3. Return of the Universe as a Whole into Brahman	223
	4. On the Origin of the Doctrine of the Dissolution of the Universe in Brahman	225
IX. The Unreality of Universe		226-239
	1. The Doctrine of Maya as the Basis of all Philosohy	226
	2. The Doctrine of Maya in the Upanishads	228
	3. The Doctrine of Maya as it is presented under empirieal Forms	235
X. The Origin of the Saskhya System		239-255
	1. Brief Survey of the Doctrine of the Sankhya	239
	2. Origin of Dualism	244
	3. Origin of the Evolutionary Series	246
	4. Origine of the Doctrine of the Gunas	250
	5. Origin of the Doctrine of Emancipation	253
Third Part: Psychology, or the Doctrine of the Soul
XI. The Supreme and the Individual Souls		256-263
	1. The Theory of the later Vedanta	256
	2. Originally only one Soul	257
	3. The Individual Souls by the side of the Supreme	258
	4. Reasons for the Assumption of Bodily Form	261
The Organs of the Soul		263-296
	1. Later View	263
	2. The Atman and the Organs	265
	3. Manas and the ten Indriyas	271
	4. The Prana and its five Varieties	274
	5. The Subtle Body and its ethical Qualification	280
	6. Physiological Conclusion from the Upanishads	283
XIII. The States of the Soul		296-312
	1. The Four States	296
	2. The Waking State	300
	3. Dream-sleep	302
	4. Deep Sleep	305
	5. The Turya	309
Fourth Part: Eschatology, or the Doctrine of Transmigration and Emancipation, Including the Way Thither (Practical Philosophy)
XIV. Transmigration of the Soul		313-338
	1. Philosophical Significance of the Doctrine of Transmigration	313
	2. Ancient Vedic Eschatology	317
	3. The Germs of the Doctrine of Transmigration	324
	4. Origin of the Doctrine of Transmigration	328
	5. Further Development of the Doctrine of Transmigration	332
XV. Emancipation		338-361
	1. Significance of the Doctrine of Emancipation	338
	2. Origin of the Doctrine of Emancipation	340
	3. The Knowledge of the Atman is Emancipation. Characteristics of those who are emancipated	344
	4. The Doctrine of Emancipation in Empirical Form	355
Practical Philosophy		361-395
	1. Introduction	361
	2. Ethics of the Upanishads	364
	3. The Sannyasa	373
	4. The Yoga	382
XVII. Retrospect of the Upanishads and their Teaching		396-412
	1. Introduction	396-412
	2. Idealism as the fundamental Conception of the Upanishads	398
	3. Theology (Doctrine of Brahman or the Atman)	401
	4. Cosmology and Psychology	405
	5. Eschatology (Transmigration and Emancipation)	408
Index I. Subjects		413
Index II. References		418

The Philosophy of the Upanishads

by Paul Deussen

Item Code:

IDE423

Cover:

Hardcover

Edition:

1979

Publisher:

Oriental Books Reprint Corporation

Language:

English

Size:

8.8" X 5.8"

Pages:

433

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From the Jacket:

CONTENTS

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS
The Second Period of Indian Philosophy, or The Continuance and Close of the Times of the Brahman
Introduction to the Philosophy of The Upanishads
I. The Place of the Upanishads in the Literature of the Veda		1-15
	1. The Veda and its Divisions	1
	2. Brahman, Aranyaka, Upanishad	2
	3. The Upanishads of the three older Vedas	5
	4. The Upanishads of the Atharvaveda	7
	5. On the Meaning of the word Upanishad	10
II. Brief Summary of the History of the Upanishads		16-38
	1. The earliest Origin of the Upanishads	16
	2. The extant Upanishads	22
	3. The Upanishads in Badarayana and Sankaras	26
	4. The most important Collection of Upanishads	33
III. The Fundamental Conception of the Upanishads and its Significance.		38-50
	1. The Fundamental Conception of the Upanishads	38
	2. The Conception of the Upanishads in its relation to Philosophy	50
	3. The Conception of the Upanishads in its relation to Religion	44
THE SYSTEM OF THE UPANISHADS
Introduction		51-53
First Part : Theology, or the Doctrine of Brahman
On the Possibility of Knowing Brahman		54-85
	1. Is the Veda the Source of the Knowledge of Brahman?	54
	2. Preparatory Means to a Knowledge of Brahman	60
	3. Sacrifice	61
	4. Asceticism (tapas)	65
	5. Other Preliminary Conditions	70
	6. The Standpoint of Ignorance, of Knowledge, and of superior Knowledge in relation to Brahman	74
The Search for Brahman		85-99
	1. The Atman (Brahman) as the Unity	85
	2. Balaki's Attempts at Explanation	87
	3. Sakalya's Attempts at Explanation	88
	4. Six inadequate Definitions	89
	5. Definition of the Atman Vaisvanara	90
	6. Narada's gradual Instruction	92
	7. Three different Atmans	94
	8. Five different Atmans	97
III. Symbolical Representations of Brahman		99-125
	1. Introduction and Classification	99
	2. Brahman as Prana and Vayu	101
	3. Other Symbols of Brahman	111
	4. Attempts to interpret the symbolical Representations of Brahman	117
	5. Interpretations of and Substitutes for Ritual Practice	119
IV. The Essential Brahman		126-157
	1. Introduction	126
	2. Brahman as Being and not-Being, Reality and not-Reality	128
	3. Brahman as Consciousness, Thought	132
	4. Brahman as Bliss (ananda)	140
	5. Negative Character and Unknowableness of the essential Brahman	146
V. Brahman and the Universe		157-179
	1. Sole Reality of Brahman	157
	2. Brahman as the cosmical Principle	159
	3. Brahman as the psychical Principle	166
	4. Brahman as a Personal God (isvara)	172
Second Part: Cosmology, or the Doctrine of the Universe
VI. Brahman as Creator of the Universe		180-201
	1. Introduction to the Cosmology	180
	2. The Creation of the Universe and the Doctrine of the Atman	182
	3. The Creation of Inorganic Nature	186
	4. Organic Nature	195
	5. The Soul of the Universe (Hiranyayarbha, Brahman)	198
Brahman as Preserver and Ruler		202-219
	1. Brahman as Preserver of the Universe	202
	2. Brahman as the Ruler of the Universe	206
	3. Freedom and Constraint of the Will	208
	4. Brahman as Providence	211
	5. Cosmography of the Upanishads	214
VIII. Brahman as Destroyer of the Universe		219-226
	1. The Kalpa Theory of the later Vedanta	219
	2. Return of Individuals into Brahman	221
	3. Return of the Universe as a Whole into Brahman	223
	4. On the Origin of the Doctrine of the Dissolution of the Universe in Brahman	225
IX. The Unreality of Universe		226-239
	1. The Doctrine of Maya as the Basis of all Philosohy	226
	2. The Doctrine of Maya in the Upanishads	228
	3. The Doctrine of Maya as it is presented under empirieal Forms	235
X. The Origin of the Saskhya System		239-255
	1. Brief Survey of the Doctrine of the Sankhya	239
	2. Origin of Dualism	244
	3. Origin of the Evolutionary Series	246
	4. Origine of the Doctrine of the Gunas	250
	5. Origin of the Doctrine of Emancipation	253
Third Part: Psychology, or the Doctrine of the Soul
XI. The Supreme and the Individual Souls		256-263
	1. The Theory of the later Vedanta	256
	2. Originally only one Soul	257
	3. The Individual Souls by the side of the Supreme	258
	4. Reasons for the Assumption of Bodily Form	261
The Organs of the Soul		263-296
	1. Later View	263
	2. The Atman and the Organs	265
	3. Manas and the ten Indriyas	271
	4. The Prana and its five Varieties	274
	5. The Subtle Body and its ethical Qualification	280
	6. Physiological Conclusion from the Upanishads	283
XIII. The States of the Soul		296-312
	1. The Four States	296
	2. The Waking State	300
	3. Dream-sleep	302
	4. Deep Sleep	305
	5. The Turya	309
Fourth Part: Eschatology, or the Doctrine of Transmigration and Emancipation, Including the Way Thither (Practical Philosophy)
XIV. Transmigration of the Soul		313-338
	1. Philosophical Significance of the Doctrine of Transmigration	313
	2. Ancient Vedic Eschatology	317
	3. The Germs of the Doctrine of Transmigration	324
	4. Origin of the Doctrine of Transmigration	328
	5. Further Development of the Doctrine of Transmigration	332
XV. Emancipation		338-361
	1. Significance of the Doctrine of Emancipation	338
	2. Origin of the Doctrine of Emancipation	340
	3. The Knowledge of the Atman is Emancipation. Characteristics of those who are emancipated	344
	4. The Doctrine of Emancipation in Empirical Form	355
Practical Philosophy		361-395
	1. Introduction	361
	2. Ethics of the Upanishads	364
	3. The Sannyasa	373
	4. The Yoga	382
XVII. Retrospect of the Upanishads and their Teaching		396-412
	1. Introduction	396-412
	2. Idealism as the fundamental Conception of the Upanishads	398
	3. Theology (Doctrine of Brahman or the Atman)	401
	4. Cosmology and Psychology	405
	5. Eschatology (Transmigration and Emancipation)	408
Index I. Subjects		413
Index II. References		418

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