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This book explores the traditions of thought and wisdom that developed in the Indian sub-continent and the Far East:

• From India, you have the wealth of ideas, mental disciplines, religious and social practices that are collectively known as Hinduism, along with the Jain and Buddhist philosophies that developed within Hindu culture but were critical of Hindu orthodoxy and therefore emerged as separate traditions.

• From the Far East, you have the ancient traditions of Confucianism and Taoism, later blending with Buddhism to form the rich mixture of Chinese thought.

It also examines two wisdom traditions that are very different in approach - Tantra and Zen - the one based on ritual action and the creative use of the imagination, the other with an intuition of reality that goes beyond concepts.

 

Together, these traditions have a history that stretches back three thousand years, and have contributed vastly, not just to the eastern cultures, but globally. A book such as this can do no more than point to the central themes and issues that Eastern Philosophy has addressed, and to outline its main approaches and conclusions.

 

The following web resources may be useful for those wanting to follow up on ideas that are outlined in this book:

 

James Fieser An Introduction to the Classical Theories of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism at  www.utm.edu/staff/jfeiser/vita/teaching/eastphil.htm or select Chinese or Indian Philosophy from the topic list on his Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, on: www.iep.utm.edu

For information on Buddhist Philosophy, the BuddhaNet (www.buddhanet.net) gives a useful range of study materials from basic introductions to illustrations of Buddhist art. It covers all the main branches of Buddhism, and presents Buddhist teachings in a particularly accessible and straightforward way.

The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy has relevant sections - of which the outlines are freely available, but details are by subscription: e.g. try www.rep.routledge.com/article/G100 for material on Chinese philosophy.