We of the Occident , writes Zimmer, are about to arrive at a crossroads that was reached by the thinkers of India some seven hundred years before Christ. This is the real reason why we become both vexed and stimulated uneasy yet interested, when confronted with the concepts and images of Oriental wisdom. A monumwntal work, Philosophies of India is divided into three main sections: The Highest Good, a discussion of eastern and Western thought and their meeting, and of the foundations of Indian Philosoph; The Philosophies of success, of pleasure, and of duty; finally The Philosophies of Eternity, this forms the major portion of the work, Jainism, Sankhya and Yoga, Brahmanism, Buddhism and Tantra.

pt. 1.The highest good: The meeting of East and West -- The foundations of Indian philosophy -- pt. 2. The philosophies of time: The philosophy of success -- The philosophy of pleasure -- The philosophy of duty -- pt. 3. The philosophies of eternity: Jainism -- Sāṅkhya and Yoga -- Brāhmanism -- Buddhism -- Tantra -- Appendix A: The six systems -- Appendix B: Historical summary.