The Upanishads

Choose a fundamental religious text, such as the Qur’an, the New Testament, the Talmud, the I Ching, or the Dhammapada. What are the similarities and differences between the key concepts in the work you chose and the ideas in the Upanishads?

Describe the moral and ethical system of the Upanishads. What is the importance of moral action? In what ways are the morals of the Upanishads relevant to modern life?

Discuss the roles of reincarnation and karma in the Upanishads and Hinduism in general. How does karma and reincarnation as presented in the Upanishads inform moral behavior and action?

What influence and role have the Upanishads played in Western New Age spiritual and religious movements? Are there any particularly important concepts or misunderstandings that the Upanishads have introduced into the English-speaking world’s understandings of Hinduism?

Describe the concept of the gods and God in the Upanishads. How does it compare to other understandings of the gods and divinity within modern Hinduism?

What is the significance of emotions and reason within the Upanishads? How do the texts explore the role of each in the process of spiritual enlightenment and liberation?

Analyze the Atman. What is its relationship to the body and to Brahman? How does the Atman compare to other concepts of the self or the Soul in other religions and philosophical traditions?

Some scholars have suggested that Juan Mascaró’s translation of the Upanishads are “orientalist,” an academic interpretation taken from Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978) that argues that Western scholars’ work on Middle Eastern, Indian, and East Asian cultures have been deeply shaped by biases held toward “the East.” Would you argue that Mascaró’s translation of the Upanishads are orientalist? Why or why not?