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The Upanishads, Part 1

By Max Müller

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Title Page

The
Sacred Books of the East
Translated
By various Oriental scholars
and edited by
 

F. Max Müller
Vol. I
The Upanishads
Translated by F. Max Müller
 

In two parts
Part I
Oxford, the Clarendon Press
[1879]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, 1997 and 2003, by John Bruno Hare. This text is in the public domain because it was published prior to 1923.

TO
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, KG.
CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD,
LATELY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA,
SIR HENRY J. S. MAINE, K.OS.I.
MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF INDIA,
AND
THE VERY REV. H. G. LIDDELL, DD.
DEAN OF CHRIST CHURCH,
TO WHOSE KIND INTEREST AND EXERTIONS
THIS ATTEMPT TO MAKE KNOWN TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE
THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST
IS SO LARGELY INDEBTED,
I NOW DEDICATE THESE VOLUMES WITH SINCERE RESPECT AND GRATITUDE,
F. MAX MÜLLER.

'The general inclinations which are naturally implanted in my soul to some religion, it is impossible for me to shift off: but there being such a multiplicity of religions in the world, I desire now seriously to consider with my self which of them all to restrain these my general inclinations to. And the reason of this my enquiry is not, that I am in the least dissatisfied with that religion I have already embraced; but because 'tis natural for all men to have an overbearing opinion and esteem for that particular religion they are born and bred-up in. That, therefore, I may not seem biassed by the prejudice of education, I am resolved to prove and examine them all; that I may see and hold fast to that which is best ....

'Indeed there was never any religion so barbarous and diabolical, but it was preferred before all other religions whatsoever, by them that did profess it; otherwise they would not have professed it ....

'And why, say they, may not you be mistaken as well as we? Especially when there is, at least, six to one against your Christian religion; all of which think they serve God aright; and expect happiness thereby as well as you And hence it is that in my looking out for the truest religion, being conscious to my self how great an ascendant Christianity holds over me beyond the rest, as being that religion whereinto I was born and baptized, that which the supreme authority has enjoined and my parents educated me in; that which every one I meet withal highly approves of, and which I my self have, by a long continued profession, made almost natural to me: I am resolved to be more jealous and suspicious of this religion, than of the rest, and be sure not to entertain it any longer without being convinced by solid and substantial arguments, of the truth and certainty of it. That, therefore, I may make diligent and impartial enquiry into all religions and so be sure to find out the best, I shall for a time, look upon my self as one not at all interested in any particular religion whatsoever, much less in the Christian religion; but only as one who desires, in general, to serve and obey Him that made me, in a right manner, and thereby to be made partaker of that happiness my nature is capable of.'

    BISHOP BEVERIDGE (1636-1707).

Private Thoughts on Religion, Part 1, Article 2.