Introduction

The "Upanishads" are reckoned to be from a hundred and fifty to a hundred and seventy in number. The date of the earliest of them is about B.C. 600; that is an age anterior to the rise of Buddha. They consist of various disquisitions on the nature of man, the Supreme Being, the human soul, and immortality. They are part of Sanscrit Brahmanic literature, and have the authority of revealed, in contradistinction to traditional truth. We see in these books the struggle of the human mind to attain to a knowledge of God and the destiny of man. The result is the formulation of a definite theosophy, in which we find the Brahman in his meditation trusting to the intuitions of his own spirit, the promptings of his own reason, or the combinations of his own fancy, for a revelation of the truth. The result is given us in these wonderful books. We call them wonderful, because the unaided mind of man never attained, in any other literature, to a profounder insight into spiritual things.

The "Upanishads" are thought to number between 150 and 170. The earliest date from about 600 B.C., before the rise of Buddha. They contain various discussions of human nature, the Supreme Being, the human soul, and immortality. They are part of Sanskrit Brahmanic literature. They are considered revealed truth, rather than truth handed down through tradition. In these books, we see the human mind struggling to understand God and humanity's destiny. This struggle leads to a definite theosophy. In it, the Brahman meditates and trusts his own spiritual intuitions, his reason, or his imagination to reveal the truth. These wonderful books present the result. We call them wonderful because, in no other literature, has the unaided human mind gained deeper insight into spiritual matters.

The Western reader may find in an "Upanishad" many things that seem to him trifling and absurd, many things obscure and apparently meaningless. It is very easy to ridicule this kind of literature. But as a matter of fact these ancient writings well repay study, as the most astounding productions of the human intellect. In them we see the human mind wrestling with the greatest thoughts that had ever yet dawned upon it, and trying to grasp and to measure the mighty vision before which it was humbled to the dust. The seer, in order to communicate to the world the result of his meditations, seems to catch at every symbol and every word hallowed by familiar usage, in order to set out in concrete shape the color and dimensions of mystic verities; he is employing an old language for the expression of new truths; he is putting new wine into old wine-skins, which burst and the wine is spilt; words fail, and the meaning is lost.

A Western reader may find many things in an "Upanishad" that seem trivial and absurd, and many that seem obscure and meaningless. It is very easy to ridicule this kind of literature. But in fact these ancient writings are well worth studying, as the most astounding products of the human intellect. In them, we see the human mind wrestling with the greatest thoughts that had yet dawned upon it. We see it trying to grasp and measure the mighty vision that humbled it to the dust. To share the results of his meditations with the world, the seer seems to reach for every symbol and every word made sacred by familiar use. He does this to give concrete shape to the color and dimensions of mystical truths. He is using an old language to express new truths. He is putting new wine into old wineskins, which burst, and the wine is spilled. Words fail, and the meaning is lost.

It is not lost, however, to those who will try to study the "Upanishads" from within, and not from without: who will try to put himself in the attitude of those earnest and patient explorers who brought so much light into the human life of the East, and so much joy and tranquillity to the perturbed spirit of their fellow-men. Those who thus study these ancient writings will find in them the fundamental principles of a definite theology, and, more wonderful still, the beginnings of that which became afterwards known to the Greeks, and has been known ever since, as metaphysics: that is, scientific transcendentalism. This much will be apparent to anyone who will read and study the "Kaushîtaki-Upanishad," which is one of the most wonderful of the religious books of the East. Laying aside the doctrine of metempsychosis and the idea of reincarnation, there is something sublime and inspiring in the imagery with which the destiny of the soul after death is described, while in the metaphysical subtlety of this book we find an argument against materialism which is just as fresh now as when it was first stated.

It is not lost, however, to those who try to study the "Upanishads" from within rather than from outside. They try to adopt the outlook of those earnest, patient explorers who brought so much light to human life in the East. Those explorers also brought so much joy and peace to the troubled spirits of their fellow human beings. People who study these ancient writings in this way will find the fundamental principles of a definite theology in them. More wonderful still, they will find the beginnings of what the Greeks later called metaphysics, the name it has kept ever since. Metaphysics is scientific transcendentalism. Anyone who reads and studies the "Kaushîtaki-Upanishad" will see this. It is one of the most remarkable religious books of the East. Even setting aside the doctrine of metempsychosis and the idea of reincarnation, the imagery describing the soul’s destiny after death is sublime and inspiring. The book’s subtle metaphysical reasoning also offers an argument against materialism that is just as fresh now as when it was first stated.