The Light of Asia: A History of Western Fascination with the East

by Christopher Harding

From the time of the ancient Greeks onwards the West's relationship with Asia consisted for the most part in outrageous tales of monsters and giants, of silk and spices trans-shipped over vast distances and an uneasy sense of unknowable empires fantastically far away. By the 20th century much of Asia may have come under Western rule after centuries of warfare, but its intellectual, artistic and spiritual influence was fighting back.

The Light of Asia is a wonderfully varied and entertaining history of this vexed, confused but centrally important relationship. From Marco Polo onwards Asia has been both a source of genuine fascination and equally genuine failures of comprehension. China, India and Japan were all acknowledged to be both great civilizations and in crude ways superseded by the West. Christopher Harding's captivating gallery of geniuses, adventurers and con-men celebrates Asia's impact on the West in all its variety.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Asia, China, Philosophy, Religion, Japan

449 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2024

About the author

To sign up for my free weekly newsletter, 'Japan and the World', visit: www.chrishardingjapan.com.

Reviews

[Jennifer Litchfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Religion, philosophy, and psychology. Not perhaps the concepts that the title and blurb immediately evoke, but this book is a worthy and thought-provoking read nonetheless.

The most obvious (commercial) allures to the Western mind - spice, porcelain and silk - don’t feature at all in The Light of Asia. Instead the book explores the psychological fascination with the religions and philosophical cultures of India, and to a lesser extent, Japan and China, and how these can and cannot be melded with Christianity. Historically the Christian West looked to convert the heathens of the East. This book’s strength is looking at the flip point in the 19th century when Western philosophers and early psychologists started looking east out of a desire to widen their ideas about how to live.

The Light of Asia is very dry and academic in tone and some of the paragraph breaks are annoyingly odd. But it’s worth persevering with to enrich your ideas about the philosophy of life.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought, given the content, that I would love this book; as an undergraduate Asian history, philosophy & religion major with a later M.A. in the field, and having taught university undergraduates courses in this area during the "Hare Krishna era", I have/had read 95% of the quoted volumes and authors, but the style and presentation was so flat that I could feel my initial enthusiasm disintegrating almost page by page. My reading circle agreed and while the book generated an interesting discussion amongst those of us who had spent significant portions of our lives similarly fascinated by the subject or trying to live the lifestyles dictated by the respective gurus of our age (we are all now current or former residents of Asian countries including India, China, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore), we all agreed the style lacked that special touch that makes such historical & philosophical overviews engaging. Nevertheless, for newcomers to the field who aren't familiar with the names that introduced Asian religions and philosophy to the west-- names such as as Rhys Davids, Coleridge, Ram Mohan Roy, Erna Hoch, Alan Watts, Alan Griffiths, Katherine Mayo, Swami Vivekananda and others--this would be a good reference if you were curious about the individuals' backgrounds both physical and spiritual.

[Thomas H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy devouring every new work by Christopher Harding, one of my favourite authors. This work I saved until Christmas, and I read it across three days. It pains me to leave only three stars for a book that I really enjoyed reading, but it doesn't live up to the promise and the three parts don't gel well enough together to merit the five stars that I gave to his 'Japan Story' and 'The Japanese: A History in Twenty Lives' (he doesn't refer to many of these lives in this work).

Granted, this is a very different topic, and Japan is not by any means the main focus - rather, India takes centre stage. This isn't initially clear - the first part is an interesting history up until 1600 of early encounters of Asia which feels at times random in its selection, but I also learnt much from this. It covers a lot of time at a quick pace, and tries to make connections between chapters, even though it soon jumps ahead to Marco Polo. The discussion on Megasthenes and the chapter on Thomas Coryate were brilliant. The point that Cicero and Propertius saw the practice of sati (widow self-immolation on her husband's funeral pyre) as noble and indicative of the greater morals of Indian women over that of morally decadent Roman woman, contrasted in a very fascinating way with a later discussion on how the British saw the practice as barbaric and banned it (working with Indian liberal figures). It raises the question - how useful is this approach of running through 'Western' fascination with the East. British sensibilities were not, after all, much like the Mediterranean Greeks and Romans of millennia prior. The section is thought provoking and well worth reading, but I get the impression that Harding is rushing ahead, frustrated that he has not yet approached the material that can bring to the fore the ruminations he is beginning to ponder.

I enjoyed the second part the most, as a work of history. The discussions of Schleiermacher, Schopenhauer, William James, Edwin Arnold, Coleridge, Southey, and Annie Besant, were all brilliant and thought provoking. Covering the 1600s to 1900s, it is more manageable, the chapters flow well and the examples from poetry are well selected. I didn't know the origin of the Juggernaut - truly fascinating stuff!

The third part, however, could, and should have served, as its own book, which Harding could have expanded further. Suddenly there is no China or Chinese thinkers, no Japan and only a few Japanese thinkers, and instead a focus on a few figures, mostly from Britain, and their attraction to Indian thought in light of their personal disillusionment with, but consistent attachment to, their Christianity - with reference to George Harrison, psychedelics, and the origins of modern psychotherapy.

It is all very interesting, but this third section is not as much a history as it is an account through the lives of Besant, Hoch, Watts, and Griffiths, which is entirely valid and interesting on its own terms, but is somewhat at odds with the earlier parts in its narrative approach and in the ever-present intervention of the author's meditations. This sympathetic treatment of Western fascination with the East becomes more than a history, with Harding asking in his conclusion 'what is real, who says and how should we live'; followed by a philosophical meditation based on Besant, Hoch, Watts, and Griffiths, with cursory references to other figures from parts one and two, contemplating the 'garden left untended' of the damaged souls of Westerners - all the while sympathetic to his protagonists in their search for meaning.

Harding has convinced me to take Swami Vivekananda, Watts and Griffiths seriously, and he wrote about them very movingly. It entirely takes over the book from its earlier focuses. Perhaps this should have already been the approach - the microfocus means that the China and Japan mentioned before are forgotten, with one brief justification that this may be because China is Communist and Japan is industrialised.

I like how Harding has really grappled with reading the Bhagavad Gita while writing this book, and I respect that he wanted to approach something new, away from his previous work and knowledge of Japanese thinkers (which he avoids even when he could include more contemporary figures in his discussion of zen and psychotherapy). Even though I think there is something lacking as a consequence, in light of earlier chapters on China and Japan, I do understanding that his encountering of Bede Griffith's autobiography was the spark that begun this project, and therefore proved itself to be the final revealed focus.

In 2026 I aim to read and review the Bhagavad Gita (and Shahnameh), so I can try and understand more about the specific context of Harding's many fecund references and quotes. I look forward to reading Harding's future works.

[Riza (Pages and Coffee Cups) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Hikari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book which demands a lot of from its readers: to follow what's going on without constantly looking up people/works mentioned, you'll need a reasonable knowledge of the history of western intellectual and religious thought from the Greeks onwards as well as a rough grasp of India, Chinese and Japanese traditions (especially Indian as China and Japan had long periods where either foreigners weren't welcome or the west didn't know about them).

I enjoyed the early section on Antiquity to 1600 as it ranged across India, China and Japan. The second section 1600-1900 focussed heavily on India as China and Japan were rather closed. The third section, 1900-present, was my least favourite as it really slows down to focus on a few individuals and their appreciation/appropriation/adaptation of Indian ideas especially (as well as some Zen and Taoist thought). I'd not heard of these individuals and this part dragged as it was too detailed compared to the previous sections.

Worth a read to see how westerners reacted to Indian thought but there's scant space given to Japonisme etc. trends in the western decor and furniture, or vogues for Japanese/Chinese influenced gardens.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dr_Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rating is an average. I would give 2 stars to Part 1, a perfunctory race through pre-modern expeditions to the East and the tall stories they inspired, 3 stars to Part 2, an entertaining account of East-West encounters in the age of colonialism, and 4 stars to Part 3, which zooms in on a handful of 20th century sages, eccentrics, prophets and dreamers who sought wisdom in Asian religious traditions. I get the feeling that this is the part of the book the author really wanted to write but he felt obliged to backfill.

[Philipp · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did i miss that this book is basically just history of religion. Its still an interesting book, but be aware, its just talk about religion.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was looking for books to borrow for my trip, I saw this and thought it would be a good fit. I might be going to the Near East and the Far East and yes, I am coming from Southeast Asia but all these countries have, in recent times, been heavily influenced by if not defined by the Western Gaze.

Starting from the Roman Empire, Christopher Harding charts the history of the West’s interaction with the East. As we can see, Asia in the general sense has always been “known” to the West (this was also clear from A Traveller’s Guide to the Middle Ages, which I thought was a really good book to read together with The Light of Asia). I thought the belief in the Middle Ages that all spices came from India, and were somehow near the Garden of Eden, as well as the belief in ‘Prester John’, were good examples of how Asia has always been conceived as a relatively exotic place where much good could be derived. In a way, though the West has learned more about Asia through the centuries, I had the sense that the general perception of Asia as somewhere exotic and with hidden knowledge has never really changed, just evolved into different forms.

The book is divided into roughly three sections:

1. Discovering Asia, which is from the Roman times onwards
2. Fathoming Asia, which would be from the 17th century onwards
3. Inward, detailing how both Asians and Westerns “exported” Asian beliefs to a Western audience in the 20th century

Personally, I found the first two sections to be the most interesting. The first section because I had never really known that so much of Asia was known to the Romans and others in the West (although Japan seems to have remained as a somewhat mythical place of cannibals, perhaps because of its island status), and all the information was new and fascinating. The second section because of the extended discussions on how Christian missionaries to Asia dealt with the need to understand the local context and the debate over how much localisation is acceptable before what is taught becomes heresy.

The third section is where my interest dipped a little, because once we go into the twentieth century, Harding chooses to focus on a few prominent figures – Alan Watts, Alan Griffiths, and Erna Hoch are three figures that dominate the chapters. The section almost feels like a collection of mini-biographies and I wasn’t sure if what these people thought and taught could be generalised to how the West viewed the East at that time, although I can see how all these people influenced perceptions of Asian culture.

As the subtitle of the book says, this book is very much “a History of Western Fascination with the East” and as such, the book has to look at things from one side. While the Westerners were pre-occupied with how the East would fit into their understanding of the world and the possibility of salvation from a King in the East who shared their beliefs, what we also saw from trade was “just how marginal Europe was, in these centuries, to a global spice trade whose supply centred on India, Indonesia and Indochina, and whose customer base ranged from small European countries in the west through the vast expanse of Asia.” In other words, this book is necessarily just one part of the whole story. While I did recommend another book that goes well with this, I do hope to one day find a book that tells the same story, but from Asia’s point of view – how we have engaged with the West through the ages and how perceptions have changed. I think it would be interesting to learn that and also see if there’s anything similar or anything wildly different about the way we have viewed one another.

Overall, the Light of Asia was a fascinating look at how the West has engaged with the East/Asia through history and while I look for more books to complement my reading, I am definitely interested in reading more of Harding’s books and his substack.

This review was first posted at Eustea Reads

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focus of the first half or so is on historical meetings between West - Europe - and East - India/Japan/China - and viewpoints/perceptions recorded of what individuals or groups from each encounter thought of the other side and customs, civilisation, religion.

The second half takes a deeper look at the lives of several ‘western’ figures over the 20th century as they delve into identity/philosophy/spirituality/psychology and explore ‘eastern’ thought, including the developments of theosophy and the ‘new age’ movement.

I hesitate to describe it as dry, but it certainly took me a while to get though - gripping it is not. Gently interesting perhaps, would have been best read in the afternoons with a cup of green tea rather than at bedtime. 😁

Favourite quotes:

‘Westerners are petty indeed. It is impossible to reason with them because they do not understand larger issues as we understand them in China. There is not a single Westerner versed in Chinese works, and their remarks are often incredible and ridiculous. To judge from this [papal bull (of 1715 condemning Chinese rites)] their religion is no different from other small, bigoted sects of Buddhism or Taoism. I have never seen a document which contains so much nonsense. From now on, Westerners should not be allowed to preach in China, to avoid further trouble.’ ~Kangxi emperor


‘The English Nation [are] practical Atheists, professing to believe a God, yet acting as if there were none … from Africa the unnumbered Victims of a detestable Slave-trade - in Asia the desolated plains of Indostan and the Million whom a rice-contracting Governor caused to perish.’ ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

‘And certainly, there had always been a strong element of convenience in Watts’ image of the Christian God: personal enough to be lively, interesting and joyous, but not so personal as to seek a committed relationship with him, make demands of him or censure his behaviour.’

[Wild Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book, even if I hoped to find more about China and Japan in there. The bulk of the philosophical, cultural and religious influence was connected to India and I especially liked to learn about the early Christian missions eastward and how their faith changed, the mistakes they made with an imperialistic view but also the cultural exchange. Later there was kind of a partial obsession with only some aspects of living and thinking chosen by the picky Americans and British, celebrities included, the times of making yoga great and hippies taking the VW bus on the road East to find themselves with psychedelic drugs in some mountain hut.
The focus on certain people as case studies like Bede Griffith and Erna Hoch was really insightful.
I would have loved to read more of the European approach to the East though, since the Anglo-American usually goes hand in hand. Was it the same? Or, was there not enough material useful for research? The question remains whether THE WEST was represented as detailed as could be, since our cultures are different and so might have been the specific interest in Eastern philosophy and living.

[Giovanna Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst my rating is low, it is nothing to do with the amount of research done on this book, which is truely expansive.

Like another reviewer, how the HECK did I miss that this was mostly about religion? That part for me was WAY too much information. I had hoped to find out more about the economic, people, art, culture - side. Whilst there is that - from the first steps into India from Europe and how it challenged their world view, and there is some reference to what the 'locals' think of the 'invaders' - I would have liked more insight. Not just the colonialism, but the stripping of the land and people of anything of value to the colonists.

Also like another reviewer, I think the author realllllly wanted to write about the modern religious obsession with religion on the east.

To be honest, I skipped A LOT. Finished, yet felt unsatisfied.

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't help but marvel at how ambitious this book is while also being incredibly accessible. The narrative begins with big-picture stuff about Western encounters and ideas about the East and then tapers towards three or four individuals like Alan Watts and Bede Griffiths who embodied this 'Western fascination with the East'. I was quite surprised that the book became about Western fascination with the spirituality of the East, and based on Harding's previous works on Japanese history I was half-seriously hoping for an entire chapter on weeaboos. Perhaps this is my calling

[Brian Thomas Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. The story of the Jesuits in Japan and the chequered career of Alan Watts are just two among the stories that I hadn't known about before, or that I'd known only partly. They were fascinatingly told.