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The Upanishads are amongst the greatest, perhaps the greatest, of all the books in the history of world religions. Their origins predate recorded history, being revealed to the Rishis of the Vedic civilization some 5000 to 10000 years ago. They form the kernel of the mystical, philosophical truths which are the basis of the Higher World religion of Hinduism, their cradle; Buddhism is a successor; Judaism, an offshoot, as are the civilizations of the Ancient World; Islam and Christianity are offshoots of Judaism. These beautiful literary works give the answer to the riddle of the universe-I am "That" I am. For 5000 years they have inspired the best men and women of all times, who by their understanding have lifted the intelligence of humanity to mitigate the burden of suffering inherent in the complex world of suffering and illusion. Much of the original text of the Upanishads is archaic, and occasionally corrupted, but it does convey a moral and ethical thrust that is abundantly clear. Alan Jacobs uses modern free verse to convey the essential meaning and poetry of the original text. He omits Sanskrit words as far as possible, and the commentary provided is contemporary rather than ancient.
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Alan Jacobs has accomplished a challenging task of transcreating selected portions of the twleve major Upanishads in free verse. Quality of paper and printing are excellent. ~ The Vedanta Desari
I am most impressed, but then, it could not have been otherwise. There is no better person than Alan Jacobs for this prestigious job of rendering the ancient Hindu wisdom into free-flowing modern verse.,/i> ~ Ramesh Balsekar
I am absolutely sure that Alan Jacobs has a unique and indispensable message for the world. ~ Douglas Harding
Alan Jacobs recreates these ancient texts of non-dual wisdom in exquisite poetry. He brings them to life, passing on the essence of this perennial message in a totally fresh way. ~ Mira Pagal-Decoux
Alan Jacobs has produced yet another literary masterpiece in his transcreation of the 'Principal Upanishads', which together with his 'Bhagavad Gita', aim to convey the nondualist teaching (Advaita Vedanta) of the ancient Indian scriptures as well as explore the author's own poetic expression. ~ Paula Marvelly
Alan Jacobs unwraps and dusts an ancient jewel allowing modern readers to fathom its wisdom effortlessly. How rare to have Death, Lord Yama, instruct us I how to truly live. Come sit with Truth itself! ~ Pamela Wilson
