Ancient
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Aitreya-Aranyaka Upanishad
The word Upanishad (upa-ni-shad) consists of, “Upa” means “near;” “ni” means “down;” “shad” means “to sit.” Thus, Upanishad is to sit down near the teacher to discuss, learn, practice, and experience. There are some 200 or more Upanishads. Some are lost and are only known about because of being referenced in other Upanishads. Most of the Upanishads were kept secret for centuries, only passed on to others orally in the form of Shlokas (a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anustubh meter). Aryanka (Snskrit) ?????? means means pertaining to the forest. Aranyaka refers to a treatise to be read or expounded by anchorites in the quiet of the forest. Some Upanishads are incorporated inside Aranyakas. The subjects treated by Aranyakas are, in general, liturgical whereas the Upanishads are philosophical. The Aitareya-Aranyaka consists of three Aryankas. The first Aranyaka is purely liturgical, giving a description of the Mahavrata ritual. The second and third Aranyankas consist of the Mahaitareya Upanishad, while the Upanishad generally known as Aitareya Upanishad comprises 4th, 5th, and 6th adhyayas of the second Aranyaka. The date of Aitareya Upanishad is not known but has been estimated by scholars to be sometime around 6th or 5th century BCE. The 11 principal Upanishads to which Sankara appeals in his great commentary on the Vedanta-Surtras are: Chandogya, Talavakara or Kena, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Vajasaneyi or Isha, Katha, Mundaka, Taittirtiyaka or Taittiriya, Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, and Prasna. They are also called the 11 classical Upanishads or the fundamental Upanishads of the Vedanta Philosophy. Apart from these, Maitrayana-Brahmana-Upanishad is also considered as an important Upanishad. The Upanishadic literature is not a religious scripture and is free from dogma and doctrines. It is not a part of any religion but is a philosophy for all times and for all. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, impressed by the Upanishads, called the texts “the production of the highest human wisdom”. – Summary by Jothi
Cratylus
Cratylus (????????) discusses whether things have names by mere convention or have true names which can only be correctly applied to the object named and may have originated from God. (Summary by Geoffrey Edwards)
Critias
This is an incomplete dialogue from the late period of Plato’s life. Plato most likely created it after Republic and it contains the famous story of Atlantis, that Plato tells with such skill that many have believed the story to be true. Critias, a friend of Socrates, and uncle of Plato was infamous as one of the bloody thirty tyrants. (Summary by Kevin Johnson)
The Book of Good Counsels – From the Sanskrit of the “Hitopadesa”
The term ?Hitopadesha? is a combination of two Sanskrit terms, ?Hita? (welfare/ benefit) and ?Upadesha? (counsel). As the term suggests, The Hitopadesha is a collection of tales that gives good counsel. Hitopadesa was presumably written by Narayan Pandit and is an independent treatment of the Vishnu Sarman’s Panchatantra (3rd century BC) which it resembles in form. In Hitopadesha, Vishnu Sarman is depicted as a Sage who undertakes to give good counsel to the sons of Sudarsana, the king of Pataliputra, through stories within stories involving talking animals. The dating of Hitopadesha is problematic as no other work by Narayan Pandit is known. The earliest manuscript of Hitopadesha dates from 1373; it could be of East Indian origin during the Pala Empire (8th-12th centuries). This book is a condensed but faithful transcript of Hitopadesha in sense and manner rendered in English by Sir Edwin Arnold. Sir Edwin says in the Preface that the Hitopadesa may be styled ‘The father of all Fables’; for “from its numerous translations come Esop and Piplay and in latter days, ‘Reineke Fuchs’.” Summary by Jothi
The Book of Lieh-Tzu
Although Lieh Tzu’s work has evidently passed through the hands of many editors and gathered numerous accretions, there remains a considerable nucleus which in all probability was committed to writing by Lieh Tzu’s immediate disciples, and is therefore older than the genuine parts of Chuang Tzu. There are some obvious analogies between the two authors, and indeed a certain amount of matter common to both; but on the whole Lieh Tzu’s book bears an unmistakable impress of its own. The geniality of its tone contrasts with the somewhat hard brilliancy of Chuang Tzu, and a certain kindly sympathy with the aged, the poor and the humble of this life, not excluding the brute creation, makes itself felt throughout. – From Lionel Giles Introduction
The Consolation of Philosophy (Version 2)
The Consolation of Philosophy was written about 524 A.D. and has been called one of the most popular and influential books ever written. The book is presented as a dialogue between Boethius, the author, and Lady Philosophy, his tutor. Through her teaching, Boethius learns the true nature of fortune, misfortune, wealth, good, and evil. This dramatic reading is an attempt to present this wonderful work in an audio format while maintaining the dialogic structure of the work. (Devorah Allen) Cast List Boethius, the Narrator: Larry Wilson Philosophy: Devorah Allen Headings and Footnotes: KevinS