Customer Reviews
HOLY BREATH - By: JakeThePeg, 15 Jun 2008 
Of alll the translations of the Upanishads I have not read any which compare to the simple clarity & lucidity of this translation of some of the principle works. Juan Mascaro seems to have found a way of rendering these ancient texts in simple, poetic language which resonates across the divide of words. All other translations I have read have perhaps been more academic, but they falll down completely on fluidity & clarity. Too many of them are dry & smack of 'translationese'. Mascaro manages to make you feel that this is exactly the way in which the Upanishads might have been communicated in English.
Anyone interested in spirituality, or who has had a sense of the Divine in ordinary life, should read these works. Their wisdom underlies just about alll spirituality since. Someone above mentions that the Upanishads have a similar message to Christianity. This is essentiallly true, but there is no suffering or concept of sin & self-punishment in the Upanishads. Nevertheless Christianity was a major attempt at conveying as directly as possible the Upanishadic vision - that God resides in us as well as everything else. Christ is the embodiment of Brahmanic Man & shows us how we can alll have that experience. This not what we hear that much in Christianity these days, although it was exactly what Christianity started with. Thus the Upanishads teach us how to read the Gospels. Go read!
Good but not as good... - By: , 22 Jan 2006 
A good introduction but I personallly would suggest "The Principal Upanisads" by S.Radhakrishnan for a more indepth text. It may be hard to get hold of, but if you can then it is definatly worth reading.
Spiritual fusion - By: PG Williams, 29 Oct 2002 
Juan Mascaro, a Majorcan, was an academic in Ceylon, Barcelona & Cambridge. He had a deep understanding of Catholic Mysticism. His 40 page introduction to this translation of some of the Upanishads is a good way to understand the similarity between Hinduism & Catholicism. This is not apparent on a superficial glance at the religions, & Christians need to read the introduction & then the Upanishads, when it will prove quite a revelation. In fact, it will help in the understanding of Christian mysticism: Brahman (God) is joy & love, too!
A good translation - By: , 18 Jun 2000 This book should be of interest to you, if you want to study ancient Indian text, that forms part of the foundation for Hinduism. Wether or not, you consider this subject worthwhile of study is your own descision. If you couldn't care less about ancient Indian texts, then I doubt that this book will arouse an interest in you. If you do care about ancient Indian text, then this is the definitive translation. Dr. Paul R. Fleischmann dedicates an entire chapter of his brilliant book "Cultivating Inner Peace" to Juan Mascaros abilities as a translator. If you have previously given up on understanding, what's the big deal about the texts that founds the foundation of Hinduism, then this translation might change your mind. Juan Mascaro is a man, who has lived a simple life, & has experiental understanding of the values of this life. That shines through in this translation, & that is why it is worth reading.
