The Infinity Foundation
53 White Oak Drive
Princeton, N.J. 08540

Please find below a brief description of the objectives and progress to date of the Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, supported in part from a grant made by The Infinity Foundation to me.

The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies is an ongoing project to assemble and summarize all that is currently known about the various systems (darsana) of Indian philosophy. Initiated forty years ago, the entire series is planned to consist of some 25 volumes, 23 of which deal with particular philosophical systems, together with an introductory Bibliography and a concluding Glossary/Index. The General Editor of this series is Professor Karl H. Potter of the University of Washington.

To date, eight Volumes in the series have been published, with a ninth Expected shortly. These are:

Volume 1: Bibliography. Editor: Karl H. Potter. Published Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi 1970, 1974. Second, Revised Edition Delhi 1983.

Third Revised Edition, Two Volumes, Delhi 1995. (This Bibliography is kept up to date and available online and is available on the web at http://faculty.washington.edu/kpotter/.)

Volume 2: Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology: The Tradition of Nyåya- Vai e ika up to Ga¶ge a. Editor: Karl H. Potter. Published Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi and Princeton University Press 1977; Banarsidass 1995.

Volume 3: Advaita Vedånta up to a´kara and His Pupils. Editor: Karl H. Potter. Published Banarsidass and Princeton 1981.

Volume 4: Så´khya. A Dualist Tradition in Indian Philosophy. Editors: Gerald James Larson and Ram Shankar Bhattacharya. Published Banarsidass and Princeton 1987

Volume 5: The Philosophy of the Grammarians. Editors: Harold G. Coward and K. Kunjnni Raja. Published Banarsidass and Princeton 1990

Volume 6: Indian Philosophical Analysis. Nyåya-Vai e ika from Ga¶ge a to Raghunåtha iromaµi. Editors: Karl H. Potter and Sibajiban Bhattacharya. Published Banarsidass and Princeton 1993

Volume 7: Buddhist Philosophy up to the Mahåvibhå å. Editors: Karl H. Potter, Robert E. Buswell Jr., Padmanabh S. Jaini and Noble Ross Reat. Published Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi 1996

Volume 8: Buddhist Philosophy from 100 to 350 A.D. Editor: Karl H. Potter. Published Motilal Banarsidass 1999

Volume 9: Buddhist Philosophy from 350 to 600 A.D. Editor: Karl H. Potter. Publication forthcoming from Motilal Banarsidass.

Each Volume in the series contains an Introduction by its Editor(s), followed by summaries of all the texts known to exist in Western language translation, many of the texts extant in editions, and a few of those only available in manuscript. These summaries are arranged in the chronological order in which the texts appear to have been written, and provide a guide to the literature together with a flowing account of the development of thought through the history of the system being covered. The summaries are solicited from specialists in the field who have an intimate knowledge of the texts being summarized. These specialists come from throughout the world. The Volumes so far published have received enthusiastic reviews.

Work on the remaining projected Volumes in the series is ongoing. Practically all the planned Volumes have an Editorial team of one or more persons presently committed to collecting summaries and preparing the introductory material. The Volumes for which progress is currently under way include the following:

Yoga Philosophy. Editors: Gerald J. Larson and Ram Sankar Bhattacharya.

Buddhist Philosophy from 600 to 750 A.D. Editor: Karl H. Potter

Buddhist Philosophy from 750 to 1300 A.D. Editor: Karl H. Potter

Nyåya-Vai e ika from 1500 to 1650. Editors: Sibajiban Bhattacharyya and Karl H. Potter

Advaita Vedånta from 1300 to 1600. Editor: Paul Kuepferle

Jain Philosophy to 1150. Editor: Jayandra Soni

Kashmir aiva Philosophy. Editor: Navjivan Rastogi

Cårvåka Philosophy. Editor: Eli Franco

Dvaitådvaita Philosophy. Editors: Ram Shankar Bhattacharya and Karl H. Potter

Vi i "ådvaita Philosophy. Editors: Stephen H. Phillips and M. Narasimhacarya

Pørvamðmå´så Philosophy. Editor: K. C. Pandurangi

Dvaita Vedånta Philosophy. Editor: K. C. Pandurangi

Acintyabhedåbheda Philosophy. Editor: Srivatsa Gosvami

When completed the entire Encyclopedia will provide an unprecedented survey of the entire sweep of Indian philosophy. For purposes of control, "Indian philosophical works" as understood for the project is confined to treatises which are (1) of philosophical interest throughout; (2) theoretical rather than purely practical in their intended function, and (3) polemoical or at least expository in a context where defence of one view among alternatives is appropriate.

Sincerely yours,

Karl H. Potter,
Professor Emeritus,
University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98195