Description
A practical and succinct reading guide to classic texts in Indian philosophy.
Organized around a selection of sources ranging across roughly 2,000 years, this is an introduction to thinkers and themes in Indian philosophy. The guide helps readers engage with the diverse Indian subcontinent: it covers multiple philosophical traditions, from Buddhism to Vedanta to Nyaya, and multiple topics, from metaphysics to ethics to epistemology. The volume also includes the first-ever English translation of Abhinavagupta's Seed of the Banyan Tree of Tantra, a key text in the non-dual Saiva tradition.
The focus throughout is on how to read the texts. Tackling complex ideas and philosophical concepts, each chapter follows the same format. The historical context appears before the central themes and arguments are discussed. Textual excerpts accompany both close readings and explanation of philosophical reading practices, teaching readers to unpack arguments with textual sensitivity. A glossary and further reading suggestions give additional support.
For anyone coming to Asian philosophy for the first time, here are the skills and tools you need to read and understand major texts in Indian philosophy.
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Table of Contents
Contributors
Series Foreword
Acknowledgments
Pronunciation Guide
Timeline
Introduction
1 Dimensions of Equanimity (samatvam) in the Philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, Keya Maitra
2 The Discourse Setting the Wheel of Truth in Motion (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta): The Buddha's First Teaching, Jessica Locke
3 The Dhammapada: The Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering, Raman Sachdev
4 Nyayasutra 1.1.10 and Early Nyaya Commentators: Inferring the Self's Existence, Malcolm Keating
5 Vasubandhu's Twenty Verses: Mind, World, and Beyond, Ethan Mills
6 Selflessness and Compassion in the Bodhicaryavatara: Santideva's Argument for Universal Altruism (BCA 8:90–103), Stephen E. Harris
7 Approaching Sankara's Brahma Sutra Bhasya: An Integrated Theory of Perceptual Error, Emma Herzog
8 Jayarasi's Lion of the Destruction of Principles (Tattvopaplavasimha): The Destruction of Inference, Christopher Paone
9 Abhinavagupta's Seed of the Banyan Tree of Tantra (Tantravatadhanika): An Introduction to Non-dual Saiva Philosophy, Klara Hedling
10 The Self and the World in the Teachings of Gunatitanand Swami (Swamini Vato), Bhakti Mamtora
Appendix: Translation of the first chapter of Tantravatadhanika
Glossary
Index
Product details
| Published | 10 Dec 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 9781350552630 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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