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A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1364
Upanishads stand as a monumental memorial to the energy, persistency and
keenness of the Hindu metaphysical mind. But this fact has its weakness as
well as its strength, for just as it is often said in the West that “one may prove
anything, or disprove anything, by texts from the Bible”—so in India every
sect, school, or division of thought is able to fortify itself with authoritative
“texts” from the Vedas or Upanishads, proving each position and disproving
the others. But nevertheless, there is a fundamental agreement upon basic
principles—and between the lines of all may be read the words of the
inner teachings. And those Teachings all have as their essence the Truth:
“There is but one—and one only.”
Explanation of Hindu Terms.
One of the difficulties of the Western student of Hindu philosophies
and religious systems has been the lack of understanding of the technical
Sanscrit terms used in the works on these subjects. Accordingly we have
thought it desirable to issue a plain, simple, Glossary or Partial Dictionary,
containing a definition of, and short explanation of, the technical Sanscrit
terms used in our lessons, and in other works on the Subject. This Glossary
does not claim to give an “authoritative,” academical, definition of the terms,
but rather a plain explanation of each term, stated as clearly, and as simply
as possible. There has been no attempt toward academical preciseness,
or technical exactness in this Glossary—the sole desire and intent having
been to enable the student to know “what the term means in English.” The
definitions given are “free,” rather than in the “exact,” precise style and form
of the scholastic teachers of Sanscrit.
Pronunciation.
It is almost impossible to give in English an exact Key to Pronunciation
of the Sanscrit. The Sanscrit, you know, is the ancient language of the
Hindus—a most classical and polished language—now employed only in
the literary work, and sacred writings of India, and not in common use in