Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.

- Upanishads

What are the Upanishads?
After the Vedas the Upanishads are the most revered texts in Hinduism. The Upanishads are texts which contain the basis of the later philosophy of the Hindus. Vedanta is based on the Upanishads. This shows the basic thought in the Upanishads with quotes from the principle Upanishads. The Upanishads were said to be the reflection of teachings given by the teacher (or guru) to the student. The word Upanishad can be said to mean ’sitting near’. The main concepts talked about in the Upanishads include: the soul, reincarnation, karma, Brahman and liberation. The insights in the Upanishads were later put into systematic form by the Vedandanta (which means “end of the veda’s”) the most famous of Indian philosophies – Advaita Vedanta – goes back to these teachings.