THE ETERNAL QUEST FOR PEACE: ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH THE SACRED TEACHINGS OF THE UPANISHADS

The Upanishads are philosophical texts written in India over 2,500 years ago that explore fundamental questions on the nature of existence and consciousness. Central ideas include the Atman (individual soul), Brahman (supreme reality), Samsara (rebirth) and moksha (liberation). Inquiring past exterior rituals, the Upanishads turn inward, examining the crux of the human self and its relation to the universe. Through discourses and metaphors, they describe achieving spiritual visions of unity with the divine ground of being by transcending ego boundaries. Recommending spiritual paths from knowledge to meditation, their visions of transcendent states of consciousness and non-duality between self and universe have deeply impacted Indian philosophy and understanding of who we are.