Upanishad represents a higher form of culture, wisdom and thought predominantly existent in ceremonials and rituals, to lead man along a right path of action meant to prepare him for higher levels of attainment. In attaining what is known as Vedanta , man achieves the ultimate goal of wisdom which is spiritual vision. It is believed that the Upanishads predate the Buddhist system, which began in 6 th B.C., by several centuries. Originally, they were designed as words and books that would lead man to a knowledge of God as well as a knowledge of self. The Upanishads pride themselves in containing the ultimate wisdom in form of a vital message that is dispensable to all persons at all times. A common Upanishad quote in this regard is:
Fools dwelling in ignorance, yet imagining themselves wise and learned, go round and round in crooked ways, like the blind led by the blind.
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At any moment in time, the Upanishads are beneficial because they are neither local nor racial in conformity with a modern and changing world, but they are a higher representation of a oneness of truth and a unity of life ( Parmananda, 2004) .
The Upanishads have influenced other expressions of Indian Spirituality in that, while different beings have different forms of a single manifestation, an all-powerful god, the Hindus refer to him as Isvara . Parmananda (2004) posits the ultimate and end-goal of the Upanishads is thus in man attaining a union in consciousness with this supreme being, where serenity and harmony are finally established between oneself, others and Isvara . The Upanishads begin with the shanti-patha , a peace chant that is believed to create an atmosphere of serenity and purity. To attain higher levels, mam has to tranquilize his thoughts and concentrate his energies, withdrawing and distracting himself from the agitations arising from the affairs of this world in order to attain the high forms of religiosity.
The spiritual Hindu law also delves into Karma, in which the Upanishads assert that the universe has a way of responding to a man’s words, thoughts or actions, whether in this life or in the next one. In this world where all creatures are subject to undergo birth, death and rebirth, and the wheel of consciousness revolves around these three spheres, until the creatures attain immortality. The law of karma basically asserts that one becomes what he does; when one does goods, he does become good and by doing evil, one becomes evil ( Dhiman, 2018) .
References
Dhiman, S. (2018). Law of Karma: Just Our Moral Balance Sheet or a Path to Sagehood and
Fulfillment?. The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment , 1-30.
Parmananda, S. (2004). The upanishads . 1st World Publishing.
