Kiseong Shin

 

"stated above, the true self of all things in the whole world is atman/Brahman. Human beings do not realize their true self and assume that the material body, including physical body as well as mind, is the true self. That is ignorance (avidya). For Sankara, human predicament is caused by ignorance, not by sin. To be liberated, one must remove the ignorance, confusing one’s true self with something else. To remove the ignorance,"

Jason Gregory

"In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad from 700 BCE there is an emphasis on understanding that Atman (the true self, the deep-down, real you with no mental content or attachment to the physical world) is Brahman (ultimate reality), meaning that the idea of separateness in the world is born only from believing each of us is a permanent individual with a lasting personality. This illusion of a personal and permanent soul is known as the jiva or jivatman in Sanskrit."

Dave DeLuca

"We are not our bodies, we are not our minds, we are not our thoughts, we are not our ego. We have a body, we have a mind, we have thoughts, and we have an ego, but our highest truth is the Ever-Blessed Atman, the fountainhead of all joy and light and love that is the core and fundamental truth of our being. One"

Jagadish Chandra Chatterji

 

"The Being as Atman is also feeling. Feeling is the very root and ground of our existence as conscious entities. And this feeling is joyousness (ananda); to live and to be is joy; suffering is only when we are not able to live and to be as we would. Suffering is not the essential nature of Being, but joy (ananda) is; it is joy that is the root of all love and peace and bliss."

Ken Wilber

 

"In this regard, the pure Ego or pure Self is virtually identical with what the Hindus call Atman (or the pure Witness that itself is never witnessed, is never an object but contains all objects in itself)."

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

"These differences are not important, and the Upanishads agree on their central ideas: Brahman, the Godhead; Atman, the divine core of personality; dharma, the law that expresses and maintains the unity of creation; karma, the web of cause and effect; samsara, the cycle of birth and death; moksha, the spiritual liberation that is life’s supreme goal."

Bede Griffiths

"There is a beautiful expression of this in the Chandogya Upanishad: 'There is this City of Brahman, (that is the body), and in this city there is a shrine, and in that shrine there is a small lotus, and in that lotus there is a small space, (akasa). Now what exists within that small space, that is to be sought, that is to be understood.' This is the great discovery of the Upanishads, this inner shrine, this guha, or cave of the heart, where the inner meaning of life, of all human existence, is to be found."

Ramanuj Prasad

"Kathopanishad: This is one of the most beautiful and popular Upanishad. Some understand this as ‘Kata’ for ‘Katha’, which is derived from the recension of Krishna Yajurveda - Taittiriya Brãhmana. The sublime doctrine of the Vedãnta, presented in this Upanishadis very attractive and appealing. This has won the appreciation of many inquirers, including French and German scholars. It is one of the best books on Vedãnta philosophy and poetry of ancient Hinduism. Swami Vivekananda often used to quote from this Upanishad. No other Upanishad has so much of thought elevation, depth of expression, and beauty of imaginations that this Upanishad possesses."

Varadaraja Raman

 

"Upanishads we read: satyam vada,  dharmam cara:  Speak the truth, follow the path of dharma. Note that Auvaiyār is not instructing us to do the right thing, but to cultivate a desire to do the right thing. Once that desire is inculcated in a person, doing the right thing will become natural. We are reminded of the saying: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Auvaiyār could have added: mei cholla virumbu: Desire to speak the truth. "

"Indeed a sacred speech : OM

"The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead the life of continence is Om. This syllable Om is indeed Brahman. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires. This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma."