In the first module, we will introduce the concept of an Upaniṣad, and begin reading from Īśā Upaniṣad. This Upaniṣad is perhaps the most well-known Upaniṣad of all, and is taught first in traditional institutions of Upaniṣadic learning. Mahatma Gandhi famously wrote about it: “If all the Upanishads and all the other scriptures happened all of a sudden to be reduced to ashes, and if only the first verse in the Isha Upanishad were left in the memory of the Hindus, Hinduism would live forever.” It is a very short Upaniṣad, consisting of only 17 verses, offering a critique of established paths and extreme paths, while presenting a path forward for one who seeks immortality. 

Students will learn what an Upaniṣad is, how the Upaniṣads developed, were transmitted, and codified, as well as be introduced to the central message of the Īśā Upaniṣad.

In this module, we will uncover the secrets of the Īśā Upaniṣad. It tells us of those who follow the path of “ignorance”, and those who follow the path of “knowledge”. One leads to a blinding darkness, and the other to an even blinder darkness! How do we reconcile this difference, and what does a person need to do to escape the trap of this duality? How does one become immortal? We will let the Īśā Upaniṣad speak for itself.

Students will learn about Upaniṣadic responses to ritualism and “lower” knowledge, and witness a compelling appeal to the Sun God (Pūṣan) by a person at the time of death.

In this module, we will begin reading the Praśna Upaniṣad, which follows a dialogue between the teacher Sage Pippalāda and six of his students, who ask six questions (praśnas, hence the name of the Upaniṣad). In this module we will see his answer to the second and fourth questions, which discuss the primacy of the breath among the deities that make the body function, as well as an explanation of dreams and dreamless sleep.

Students will be introduced to an Upaniṣadic conception of the breath and its relationship to self-knowledge.

In this module, we will read the fifth and sixth questions of the Praśna Upaniṣad. We will learn about the nature of the syllable Oṁ and the results of the practice of meditation on Oṁ. We will also learn of the 16 parts of man, and how they flow together to form the one imperishable Person.

Students will be introduced to the secret concept of Oṁ and its efficacy in achieving the highest, as well as a thought-provoking metaphor of rivers flowing into an ocean.

In this module, we will begin reading the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, which follows a dialogue between Śaunaka, the student, and Sage Aṅgiras, the teacher. Śaunaka begins by asking, “What is that, by knowing which, a person comes to know the whole world?” to which Aṅgiras replies, there are two types of knowledge — higher and lower. The lower knowledge is the knowledge of rituals, and higher knowledge is the knowledge of brahman. This Upaniṣad famously presents a critique of ritualism and a veneration of knowledge. In it, we see several Upaniṣadic descriptions of the nature of brahman. The teacher presents a beautiful analogy of the relationship between brahman and the world as similar to one between a spider and its web.

Students will be introduced to another Upaniṣadic critique of ritualism as well as a distinct conception of brahman, and a famous set of verses that are regularly recited in spaces of Upaniṣadic learning even today.

In the final module, we will conclude the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, as well as the course. We will discuss the Upaniṣads’ role in offering “higher” knowledge as well as a path for one who is interested in knowledge of brahman. What is the nature of brahman and the self, according to them, and how do we come to that understanding in our daily lives? We conclude with the story of two birds on the branch of a tree — one who eats a fig, and one who looks on, unaffected…

Students will come away with a deeper appreciation of the nuances, complexities, and variation within the Upaniṣadic corpus, as well as a common impetus that underlies the composition of the Upaniṣads. They will learn the process of reading Upaniṣads and the methods prescribed by the Upaniṣads to achieve their stated goals.