From the Back Cover:

Translated literally, upanishad means "sitting near devotedly," which conjures images of the contemplating student listening with rapt attention to the teachings of a spirtual master. The principal Upanishads offered in this edition have been recognized throughout the centuries by Hindu believers and great Western thinkers--such as Goethe, Schopenhauer, and Emerson--as philosophical and spiritual meditations of the highest order.

The Upanishads reflect the direct, overwhelming religious experiences of the Hindu sages in the often poetic language of divine inspiration. Although they are among India's oldest texts, this brilliant translation reveals their universal appeal, with their profound speculations about the creation of the world, the nature of reality, and the abiding unity of all existence.