Philosophies of India

A landmark account of Indian philosophy by acclaimed scholar Heinrich Zimmer

Philosophies of India is a landmark work on the foundations of Indian philosophy. Based on the copious notes of the great Indologist, linguist, and historian Heinrich Zimmer, and edited by Joseph Campbell, the book is organized into three sections. “The Highest Good” examines Eastern and Western thought, their convergence, and the foundations of Indian philosophy; “The Philosophies of Time” discusses the philosophies of success, pleasure, and duty; and “The Philosophies of Eternity” presents the fundamental concepts of Jainism, Sankhya and Yoga, Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Tantra. The subjects examined include the Buddhist Tantras, Buddhist Genesis, the Tantric presentation of divinity, the preparation of disciples and the meaning of initiation, and the symbolism of the mandala-palace Tantric ritual and twilight language.

Author Biography

Heinrich Zimmer (18901943) was an Indologist, linguist, and historian of South Asian art. His books include The King and the Corpse, Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization, and The Art of Indian Asia (all Princeton). Joseph Campbell (19041987) was the author of many books on comparative mythology, including The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Masks of God.