The Religions and Philosophies of the East

The book is organized into eleven chapters. Chapter I discusses primitive civilization, the origin of religion, political influence on religion, and definitions of religion. Chapter II examines the Aryans, Brahmanism, caste, the Vedas, early Brahmanical literature, law codes, and gods. Chapter III treats later Brahmanism, Krishna, Krishnaism, the Bhagavad-Gītā, and marginalized social groups. Chapters IV and V focus on Buddhism, covering the Buddha’s life, teaching, illness and death, nirvāṇa, transmigration, Buddhist ethics, relics, Aśoka, edicts, and Buddhist writings. Chapters VI and VII present Islam, including the early Arabs, Mohammed, the Koran, Islamic ethics, fatalism, Sunnites, Shiites, Babism, and Behaism. Chapter VIII studies Judaism, Moses, monotheism, the Ten Commandments, Jewish morality, kingship, exile, and toleration. Chapter IX surveys Indian philosophy, Jainism, China, Confucius, Lao-Tze, Taoism, Mencius, Japan, Shintoism, Buddhism, Bushido, and the Samurai. Chapter X introduces minor Asiatic religions, including Babylonian religion, Zoroaster, Parsees, Hittites, and Mithraism. Chapter XI concludes by comparing East and West and emphasizing Asia’s influence on Europe.