Upanishad (from upa, "beneath" or "near;" ni, "in;" and sad, "to sit") is the name of those Sanskrit works belonging to the Vedic literature which contain the mystical doctrine of the Hindi's on the nature of a Supreme Being, its relation to the human soul, and the process of creation. The object of the Upanishads is to impress the mind with a belief in one Supreme Spirit; to show that this Supreme Spirit is the creator of the world; that the world has no reality if thought of besides Brahman; and that the human soul is identical in nature with that same Spirit whence it emanates. They are looked upon as inspired writings. See Muller, Hist. of Anc. Sanskrit Lit.; Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More