There is certainly some influence of Indian thought, but I am sceptical about there being other eastern influences, and I don't see the Indian influence as being heavy.
P. M.

"Rickard A. Parker" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>CR (and others), below is the latest addition to the Wikipedia page for
>"Tradition and the Individual Talent." 
>
>Any comments?
>
>
>His own work is heavily influenced by non-Western traditions. In his
>broadcast talk "The Unity of European Culture," he said, "Long ago I studied
>the ancient Indian languages and while I was chiefly interested at that time
>in Philosophy, I read a little poetry too; and I know that my own poetry
>shows the influence of Indian thought and sensibility." His self-evaluation
>was confirmed by B. P. N. Sinha, who writes that Eliot went beyond Indian
>ideas to Indian form: "The West has preoccupied itself almost exclusively
>with the philosophy and thoughts of India. One consequence of this has been
>a total neglect of Indian forms of expression, i.e. of its literature. T. S.
>Eliot is the one major poet whose work bears evidence of intercourse with
>this aspect of Indian culture" (qtd. in ''The Composition of'' The Four
>Quartets).