Asian Psychology

there is, of course, a basic human psychology common to all men in all places and at all times. But there is also a ""regional"" or ethnic psychology peculiar to the various human groupings insofar as these groupings' reactions to stimuli are conditioned by their individual traditions and circumstances. In that sense, it is proper to speak of an ""Asian psychology,"" or of a Latin, or of an American psychology. And it is in that sense that this book explores the psychological patterns and ideas of the three major communities of Asia, as set forth in the writings of each nation. The editors link the various passages by means of explanatory introductions, setting the excerpts in historical perspective and interpreting them for the occidental reader. For India, the passages are taken principally from the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Yoga Sutras. The particularly rich psychological components of Chinese civilization are examined in the Book of Changes, and in the writings of Confucianism and Taoism. Japanese psychology is studied in its Zen manifestations, both ancient and modern. Obviously, this is not, nor is it intended to be, an unraveling of the traditionally inscrutable oriental mind. It is, however, an instructive and readable introduction to the traditions that have formed the basis of those behavioral patterns known as ""oriental.