Essence of the Upanishads

Book excerpt: Essence of the Upanishads - A Key to Indian Spirituality (Revised edition of Dialogue with Death, with new series preface and introduction - 19 new pages from transcripts of Easwaran's talks) Easwaran shows how the Katha Upanishad can help us understand our lives today Easwaran takes one of India's classic wisdom texts, the Katha Upanishad, and explains how it embraces all the key ideas of Indian spirituality within the context of a powerful mythic quest - the story of a young hero who ventures into the land of death in search of immortality. Illustrating the insights of the Katha through analogies and everyday examples, Easwaran shows how these ancient teachings help us gain a deeper understanding of our world and ourselves today.