Period of Upaniṣad (lectured by Mr. Udita Garusiṅgha) 2011
As far as the Upaniṣad period is concerned, the Upaniṣadic literature is important. It is accepted that the Upaniṣadic literature is the most developed step of Veda, Brāhmaṇa and Āraṇyaka literature. There are texts in Upaniṣad literature which have been compiled in pre-Buddhist era, contemporary to the Buddha and after the Buddhist era as well.
Pre-Buddhist Era Contemporary to the Buddha Post-Buddhist Era
Chāndogya Upaniṣad Cha Upaniṣad Praśna Upaniṣad
Taittareya Upaniṣad Kathā Upaniṣad Maitrāyanī Upaniṣad
Kauṣitakī Upaniṣad Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad Māṇḍukya Upaniṣad
Kena Upaniṣad Śvetaśvara Upaniṣad
It is difficult to find the names of authors and philosophers of this philosophical literature. The reason for that is, that these philosophers perhaps neglected their individual reputation. But we can see some names of superhuman characters in Upaniṣad who were called as Ṛṣīs. Manidāsa, Aitareya, Gāṇḍilya, Satyakāma, Uddālaka, Śvetakotu etc.
Philosophical Background of Upaniṣad
The Upaniṣad philosophy is not a well-organized philosophy introduced by one philosopher. It has been developing for several centuries. The Upaniṣad philosophy represents the well-organized era of Indian philosophy. It was well-matured way of thought which began from the period of the arrival of Āryans. The meaning of the term Upaniṣad is 'the eradication of the ignorance leading the Brahmins'. The teachings of Upaniṣad are not well-opened, therefore they are also called as Rahasyaṃ, which means 'secret'. There are many technical terms concerning this secret nature of Upaniṣad, such as rahasyaṃ, itirahaśyam, guyha ādeśaḥ, paramaṃ guyham, gudaṃ, and guyhatamam.
There is an another meaning of Upaniṣad. That is “sitting near the teacher”. When the student sat down close to the teacher, the teacher taught this secret science. There is yet another meaning of Upaniṣad, namely “the worship and offering”.
As the philosophy of Upaniṣad does not belong to one philosopher, there can be seen the different philosophical ideas. It starts with the ideas of free thinkers. Later it developed with the experience of ṛṣi, who practiced meditation and cultivated their mind and wisdom. The main task of these thinkers and meditators was to explore the nature of self (ātmānaṃ vidhi). They made efforts to go to truth from untruth, to light from darkness, to deathlessness from the defeat. These thinkers presented the concept of Brāhman and ātman. According to them, from where the man comes, where the man lives after his birth, where the man enters after death, that is Brāhman. That is why they used the following phrase to introduce the Brāhman: “The Brāhman is the noble universal soul.”
The ātman is an individual soul. It can be introduced as 'pratyagātma'. In other words, the 'jagadātma' (Brāhman) represents universal truth, while the 'pratyagātma' (ātman) represents individual truth. According to the Upaniṣad philosophy, this ātman has five koṣa (covers):
(1) Annamayakoṣa (physical body made by food)
(2) Prāṇamayakoṣa (living nature)
(3) Manomayakoṣa (the cover of mind)
(4) Viññānamayakoṣa (the cover of consciousness)
(5) Ānandamayakoṣa (the real soul exists in the consciousness).
Likewise, the Upaniṣad thinkers were able to find the internal establishment of ātman and later they revealed that the ātman and the Brāhman are the same. Moreover, according to them, the soul (ātman) of a person who practices celibacy, virtuous life and meditation, is not subjected to rebirth.
