Meditation in the Upanishads

Abstract

The Upanishads are the abode of the highest truths of Hindu Dharma and the bedrock of Hindu philosophical thought. The Upanishads are the crown jewel of Vedic thought. It has the distinction of being one of the foremost books of the ‘Prasthana Triyas’ of Hinduism. The Upanishads, which originate from the word ‘sath’, are seen as the divine wisdom that frees us from the transitory life of samsara and destroys the ignorance that hides our true nature and leads us to the illusion of God. Thus the Upanishads say that attaining God is the ideal of every soul. This is the stage of maturity known as the stage of birth bliss. The Upanishads insist that souls attain the ideal state of maturity by living in this worldly life. For this the best method shown by each of the Upanishads is meditation. Meditation means unceasingly focusing our attention on God. It is noteworthy that the truth of Brahman is explained to the disciples during the Gurukul education of the Upanishads and meditation is pointed out as the way to reach it. It is therefore noteworthy that the Upanishads proclaim meditation as the best way for the soul to attain God by freeing itself from worldly sufferings.