Today I am reading the Isha Upanishad ..
I would like to know who wrote this little book …
Anyone know ?
The root of the word Ishvara comes from īś- (ईश, Ish) which means "capable of" and "owner, ruler, chief of". The word Isha (ईश) literally means "ruler, master, lord". The term vāsyam (वास्य) literally means "hidden in, covered with, enveloped by"…. the term "Isha" in the Upanishad is used interchangeably as "Lord" and "Self" (one's soul). Puqun Li translates the title of the Upanishad as "the ruler of the Self".
“Isha” is the ancient Sanskrit girl name which literally means plank, board, particular measure, a rod, pole or shaft of a carriage or plough. Isha also means the lord or ruler and the ruling goddess.
“Isa” is a classical Arabic عيسى name and a translation of Jesus.
In Hebrew the word “Ish” means man… איש
Jesus calls himself Bar - “Ish” … The Son of Man … bar’nasha in Aramaic … בר נשא
In Israel Jesus is called Yeshu ha Notzri (Jesus the Nazarene) … but Notzri also means branch, rod, pole, shaft, sapling
The teaching of the Isha Upanishad reminds me of The Ethics of Baruch Spinoza, I wonder if Spinoza studied this ancient work… along with Albert Einstein and a few others.
It is ancient … the Isha Upanishad was likely one of the earliest Upanishads, composed in the 1st half of 1st millennium BCE
The Isha Upanishad (Devanagari: ईशोपनिषद् IAST īśopaniṣad) is one of the shortest Upanishads, embedded as the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda.
It is a Mukhya (primary, principal) Upanishad,… a brief poem, consisting of 17 or 18 verses.
It is a key scripture of the Vedanta sub-schools, and an influential Śruti to diverse schools of Hinduism. It is the 40th chapter of Yajurveda. The name of the text derives from its incipit, īśā vāsyam, "enveloped by the Lord", or "hidden in the Lord (Self)".
The text discusses the Atman (Soul, Self) theory of Hinduism, and is referenced by both Dvaita (dualism) and Advaita (non-dualism) sub-schools of Vedanta
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isha_Upanishad
OM!
That (the Invisible–Absolute) is whole; whole is this (the visible phenomenal); from the Invisible Whole comes forth the visible whole.
Though the visible whole has come out from that Invisible Whole, yet the Whole remains unaltered. OM! PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!
The indefinite term “That” is used in the Upanishads to designate the Invisible–Absolute, because no word or name can fully define It. A finite object, like a table or a tree, can be defined; but God, who is infinite and unbounded, cannot be expressed by finite language. Therefore the Rishis or Divine Seers, desirous not to limit the Unlimited, chose the indefinite term “That” to designate the Absolute. In the light of true wisdom the phenomenal and the Absolute are inseparable. All existence is in the Absolute; and whatever exists, must exist in It; hence all manifestation is merely a modification of the One Supreme Whole, and neither increases nor diminishes It. The Whole therefore remains unaltered.
Part I
All this, whatsoever exists in the universe, should be covered by the Lord.
Having renounced (the unreal), enjoy (the Real). Do not covet the wealth of any man. We cover all things with the Lord by perceiving the Divine Presence everywhere. When the consciousness is firmly fixed in God, the conception of diversity naturally drops away; because the One Cosmic Existence shines through all things. As we gain the light of wisdom, we cease to cling to the unrealities of this world and we find all our joy in the realm of Reality.
The word “enjoy” is also interpreted by the great commentator Sankaracharya as “protect,” because knowledge of our true Self is the greatest protector and sustainer. If we do not have this knowledge, we cannot be happy; because nothing on this external plane of phenomena is permanent or dependable. He who is rich in the knowledge of the Self does not covet external power or possession.
It goes on to say the following …
When a man sees God in all beings and all beings in God, and also God dwelling in his own Soul, how can he hate any living thing? Grief and delusion rest upon a belief in diversity, which leads to competition and all forms of selfishness. With the realization of oneness, the sense of diversity vanishes and the cause of misery is removed.
Source: http://www.yoga-age.com/upanishads/isha.html
The Isha Upanishad also reminds me of some of the sayings found in the Gospel of Thomas (The Secret Sayings of Jesus 30 AD)
These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.
And he said, "Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death."
Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]"
Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you.
When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."
Source: http://gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html