• There is currently a great deal of interest in understanding different ways of thinking, and much of this interest is directed to Indian worldviews
• The book introduces distinctively Indian concepts such as karma and rebirth
• It also shows that many of the issues on which Indian philosophy focuses are common to those of Western philosophy
• Indian thought differs from the Western tradition in that religion and philosophy are not separate undertakings
• Sue Hamilton is an authority on the subject, and has published widely on Buddhism thought and Indian philosophy more generally

  
India has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions.

This Very Short Introduction emphasizes the diversity of Indian thought, and is structured around six schools which have achieved classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of an inner or spiritual quest, and introduces distinctively Indian concepts such as karma and rebirth. She also shows how Indian thinkers have understood issues of reality and knowledge — issues which are also an important part of the Western philosophical tradition.