Spiritual Forums

Home


Donate!


Articles


CHAT!


Shop


 
Welcome to Spiritual Forums!.

We created this community for people from all backgrounds to discuss Spiritual, Paranormal, Metaphysical, Philosophical, Supernatural, and Esoteric subjects. From Astral Projection to Zen, all topics are welcome. We hope you enjoy your visits.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest, which gives you limited access to most discussions and articles. By joining our free community you will be able to post messages, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload your own photos, and gain access to our Chat Rooms, Registration is fast, simple, and free, so please, join our community today! !

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, check our FAQs before contacting support. Please read our forum rules, since they are enforced by our volunteer staff. This will help you avoid any infractions and issues.

Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Hinduism

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-03-2019, 02:36 AM
Crystalsun Crystalsun is offline
Knower
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 101
  Crystalsun's Avatar
Post Question about The Vedas, The Upanishads

Namaste,

I need a little help.Excuse for the intelligent questions, but no other way.I generally in the past, have had found myself being confused when reading writings of Hinduism. So, here I am again.

I want to read The Vedas and the Upanishads.

In some sites it said that Upanishads are part of the Vedas. I don't really know that and what exactly is are their purposes.

I have downloaded:

"Four Vedas - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda & Atharva Veda." So i just want confirmation , that these are the real, actual writings.

"The Upanishads" by Swami Paramananda. It says, there are three Upanishads in that book.All editions of the Upanishads I could find, in English or my Native language are all not more than 120-smartphone pages, which usually is not much information. And seems to be small amount of data for the Upanishads. Unless, i am just wrong.

----------!

I ask these questions, because I want to read the actual writings. And I have experience in the past with false information.

If you want to suggest a very particular edition or a guru who has intepretated the writings and/or a credible download source i am very open to auggestions.

Thank you.
Om!
__________________
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom."
- Aristotle
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-03-2019, 04:04 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
Master
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 10,861
  Shivani Devi's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crystalsun
Namaste,

I need a little help.Excuse for the intelligent questions, but no other way.I generally in the past, have had found myself being confused when reading writings of Hinduism. So, here I am again.

I want to read The Vedas and the Upanishads.

In some sites it said that Upanishads are part of the Vedas. I don't really know that and what exactly is are their purposes.

I have downloaded:

"Four Vedas - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda & Atharva Veda." So i just want confirmation , that these are the real, actual writings.

"The Upanishads" by Swami Paramananda. It says, there are three Upanishads in that book.All editions of the Upanishads I could find, in English or my Native language are all not more than 120-smartphone pages, which usually is not much information. And seems to be small amount of data for the Upanishads. Unless, i am just wrong.

----------!

I ask these questions, because I want to read the actual writings. And I have experience in the past with false information.

If you want to suggest a very particular edition or a guru who has intepretated the writings and/or a credible download source i am very open to auggestions.

Thank you.
Om!
Namaste.

There have been so many translations and purports given to the original Vedas and Upanishads, that unless one can read and understand Sanskrit, it is ALL pretty much up for interpretation - it is why I leaned Sanskrit.

However, when I get lazy, what I like to do is to compare translations of the same Upanishad (or Veda) by different scholars.

Max Muller has been criticised by academics, but his translations are perhaps the easiest to understand for a lay person.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...elNG0HgkA0057I

Then, Swami Krishnananda from the Divine Life Society wrote some rather good translations on the Vedas and Upanishads...

https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/hist/hist_1.html

However, in the digital age, enter the glorious beauty of Android Apps...

https://www.google.com/search?q=upan...obile&ie=UTF-8

*just click on the down arrow to see them all*

The same can be done for the Vedas:

https://www.google.com/search?q=veda...obile&ie=UTF-8

This will give you a good starting point to proceed at your own pace and not get overwhelmed with large words or convoluted concepts.

....and yes, the Vedas and Upanishads are all surprisingly SHORT!
120 Smartphone pages is about right.

There are many different translations...many different authors...some will have their favourites, some will be biased and will say either this translation or that one is "definitive" thus confusing people even further..

Just graze amongst it.

Aum Namah Shivaya
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-03-2019, 04:12 AM
Crystalsun Crystalsun is offline
Knower
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 101
  Crystalsun's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shivani Devi
Namaste.

There have been so many translations and purports given to the original Vedas and Upanishads, that unless one can read and understand Sanskrit, it is ALL pretty much up for interpretation - it is why I leaned Sanskrit.

However, when I get lazy, what I like to do is to compare translations of the same Upanishad (or Veda) by different scholars.

Max Mueller has been criticised by academics, but his translations are perhaps the easiest to understand for a lay person.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...elNG0HgkA0057I

Then, Swami Krishnananda from the Divine Life Society wrote some rather good translations on the Upanishads...

However, in the digital age, enter the glorious beauty of Android Apps...

https://www.google.com/search?q=upan...obile&ie=UTF-8

*just click on the down arrow to see them all*

The same can be done for the Vedas:

https://www.google.com/search?q=veda...obile&ie=UTF-8

This will give you a good starting point to proceed at your own pace and not get overwhelmed with large words or convoluted concepts.

....and yes, the Vedas and Upanishads are all surprisingly SHORT!
120 Smartphone pages is about right.

There are many different translations...many different authors...some will have their favourites, some will be biased and will say either this translation or that one is "definitive" thus confusing people even further..

Just graze amongst it.

Aum Namah Shivaya

Thank you very much for your help.

(@)--------/-----
__________________
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom."
- Aristotle
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-03-2019, 04:19 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
Master
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 10,861
  Shivani Devi's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crystalsun
Thank you very much for your help.

(@)--------/-----
You are very welcome.

I just included a link to the free PDF of Swami Krishnananda Saraswati's treatise on The Vedas.

The Divine Life Society is as good of a place to start as any on this subject.

I wish you all the best and please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions that need clarification.

Aum Namah Shivaya
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-03-2019, 04:30 AM
Crystalsun Crystalsun is offline
Knower
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 101
  Crystalsun's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shivani Devi
You are very welcome.

I just included a link to the free PDF of Swami Krishnananda Saraswati's treatise on The Vedas.

The Divine Life Society is as good of a place to start as any on this subject.

I wish you all the best and please don't hesitate to ask if ypu have any questions that need clarification.

Aum Namah Shivaya

I have a question and you might help. I remember a long ime ago I saw that "Indiana Jones" and the tample of the doomed movie. I am sure you have seen it.

The first time i saw indian people, they were Shiva devotees, actually.They seemed very kind and spiritual and respectful. I just liked them.

I am interested how such people live in their everyday life. Just thei culture, relations ,customs, and their life generally. And spiritual life.

I guess i need a book like a novel, like from an indian author. Just some ordinary story, something Indian. Sth. that can show what are they like and how do they live ( and their spirituality).

You understand me. :)
__________________
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom."
- Aristotle
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-03-2019, 05:08 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
Master
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 10,861
  Shivani Devi's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crystalsun
I have a question and you might help. I remember a long ime ago I saw that "Indiana Jones" and the tample of the doomed movie. I am sure you have seen it.

The first time i saw indian people, they were Shiva devotees, actually.They seemed very kind and spiritual and respectful. I just liked them.

I am interested how such people live in their everyday life. Just thei culture, relations ,customs, and their life generally. And spiritual life.

I guess i need a book like a novel, like from an indian author. Just some ordinary story, something Indian. Sth. that can show what are they like and how do they live ( and their spirituality).

You understand me. :)
Of course I understand you.

Shiva devotees are usually and for the most part, peaceful, serene and loving people who are in tune with nature and the cosmic forces.

I like that Indiana Jones movie, by the way.

The Vedas and Upanishads are all pretty much impersonal...the latter in particular...basically, and when all is said and done, the message is: "Dont look outside yourself to find Shiva, because you ARE that".

There we go, I have just saved you months of reading.

However, for a few of us, that is too cut and dried, or it raises more questions than it answers. We like to find the path that leads from the without TO the within and from the within, back to the without and mythology suits that purpose..

...and who cares if it is "true" or not? It may be...it may not be...nobody knows for sure and that's the whole beauty of mythology, because noboby knows for sure if what they perceive as being "real" or "true" is thus anyway.

If you would like to see a book about how the devotees of Shiva live, let me introduce you to Swami Krishnananda's Guru, Swami Sivananda Saraswati and his book, "Lord Siva and His Worship":

https://www.google.com/search?q=lord...obile&ie=UTF-8

For some reason I cannot get the exact URL on my mobile phone, but I am sure you can find it.

This was the first book I ever read on Lord Siva.

For the more adventurous, Youtube has episodes of the Shiva Maha Purana subtitled in English:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E62xx3mjEwI

Just follow each episode from there and it goes into ALL of the stories of Shaivism and Hinduism one by one....if you watched each episode back to back, it takes about 6 weeks to see them all.

If you want to go into the more esoteric side of it, there are two books that explain it all....neither of them are free though:

Shiva and the Primordial Tradition - Alain Danielou
Bali - Sekala and Niskala - Fred Eisman

There we go, you have just exhausted all of my reading, watching and listening material which should keep you very busy for the next six months.

All the best and good luck with it.

Aum Namah Shivaya
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-03-2019, 05:59 AM
Crystalsun Crystalsun is offline
Knower
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 101
  Crystalsun's Avatar
Book1

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shivani Devi
Of course I understand you.

Shiva devotees are usually and for the most part, peaceful, serene and loving people who are in tune with nature and the cosmic forces.

I like that Indiana Jones movie, by the way.

The Vedas and Upanishads are all pretty much impersonal...the latter in particular...basically, and when all is said and done, the message is: "Dont look outside yourself to find Shiva, because you ARE that".

There we go, I have just saved you months of reading.

However, for a few of us, that is too cut and dried, or it raises more questions than it answers. We like to find the path that leads from the without TO the within and from the within, back to the without and mythology suits that purpose..

...and who cares if it is "true" or not? It may be...it may not be...nobody knows for sure and that's the whole beauty of mythology, because noboby knows for sure if what they perceive as being "real" or "true" is thus anyway.

If you would like to see a book about how the devotees of Shiva live, let me introduce you to Swami Krishnananda's Guru, Swami Sivananda Saraswati and his book, "Lord Siva and His Worship":

https://www.google.com/search?q=lord...obile&ie=UTF-8

For some reason I cannot get the exact URL on my mobile phone, but I am sure you can find it.

This was the first book I ever read on Lord Siva.

For the more adventurous, Youtube has episodes of the Shiva Maha Purana subtitled in English:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E62xx3mjEwI

Just follow each episode from there and it goes into ALL of the stories of Shaivism and Hinduism one by one....if you watched each episode back to back, it takes about 6 weeks to see them all.

If you want to go into the more esoteric side of it, there are two books that explain it all....neither of them are free though:

Shiva and the Primordial Tradition - Alain Danielou
Bali - Sekala and Niskala - Fred Eisman

There we go, you have just exhausted all of my reading, watching and listening material which should keep you very busy for the next six months.

All the best and good luck with it.

Aum Namah Shivaya

You've been a very helpful Spirit. Thanks. I will go for "Lord Shiva and His Worship".

I don't want to be cheeky, but if you could throw an eye of this, it is Upanishads, by Swami Paramananda.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3283


I like my books to be in epubs or mobis because i have ability for bookmarks and other options as well, and playstore apps (books) dont let me do things. The other way is if i somehow extract tolhe content... That just came to mind now... But if you could see , if that link is worth.

Om!
__________________
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom."
- Aristotle
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-03-2019, 06:03 AM
Crystalsun Crystalsun is offline
Knower
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 101
  Crystalsun's Avatar
By the way, I just want to mention - i used to like Indiana Jones, but now I see, that, in my opinion, it tries to make that little Indian society, that village to look like some religious idiots, who are ignorant and definately being inferior to the western culture. This i dont like.
__________________
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom."
- Aristotle
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-03-2019, 06:29 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
Master
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 10,861
  Shivani Devi's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crystalsun
You've been a very helpful Spirit. Thanks. I will go for "Lord Shiva and His Worship".

I don't want to be cheeky, but if you could throw an eye of this, it is Upanishads, by Swami Paramananda.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3283


I like my books to be in epubs or mobis because i have ability for bookmarks and other options as well, and playstore apps (books) dont let me do things. The other way is if i somehow extract tolhe content... That just came to mind now... But if you could see , if that link is worth.

Om!
Thank you for saying that.

I'll get back to you on that over the next few days. My fingertips swell up when I type too much and I can't use a stylus (coordination probs)...time to go and put my fingers on ice.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-03-2019, 06:55 AM
Crystalsun Crystalsun is offline
Knower
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 101
  Crystalsun's Avatar
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shivani Devi
Thank you for saying that.

I'll get back to you on that over the next few days. My fingertips swell up when I type too much and I can't use a stylus (coordination probs)...time to go and put my fingers on ice.

Alright. :)
__________________
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all Wisdom."
- Aristotle
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
(c) Spiritual Forums