16th century European contacts with Hinduism

[George Thompson]

In a message dated 7/5/00 8:24:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
s.hodge at PADMACHOLING.FREESERVE.CO.UK writes:

> Of course, though much later, there was the Neo-Platonist interest in
>  things Eastern.   Plotinus accompanied the ill-fated expedition of the
>  emperor Gordian into Persia with the specific intention of making
>  contact with Indian philosophers.  Though he never made it to India,
>  some see clear signs of Indian thought in his later works though the
>  similarities are more probably coincidental.   I can't find the
>  reference but I recollect there was an account of some "gymnosophist"
>  visiting the emperor who expounded his philosophy and then immolated
>  himself in fire to prove his detachment.  I am not sure however
>  whether this was during Gordian's trip or earlier -- perhaps somebody
>  else might know.

This is Calanus, who was brought back to Greece by Alexander and made a big
impression of the Greeks [accounts in Onesicritus, Arrianus, Strabo -- going
back to Megasthenes, if I recall].  So the knowledge of gymnosophistai is
much older than Plotinus.  See the book of Klaus Karttunen already cited for
details.

Best,

George Thompson