Thich Nhat Hanh s Awakening of the Heart: Essential Buddhist Sutras and Commentaries Parallax, 2012.

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1 Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Dept. of English & Modern Language Studies Pace University LIT 297 Special Topics in Literature Course Title: Now and Zen: Contemporary Buddhist-inspired Film and Fiction from The Beats to The Matrix Fall 2016 Pleasantville Campus Instructor Information Dr. Jane Collins Office: 352 Choate House Phone: Course Description: You ve probably seen The Daily Show segment called Moment of Zen, but what does that title mean or imply? Restaurants, skin-care products, TV shows and even a local pet salon have appropriated the word zen to sell their products. This course considers Zen Buddhism not as a religion, but as a collection of philosophical texts and practices that claim to see the way to end human suffering. Modern translations of select Zen texts are put in conversation with contemporary films, like The Matrix and Fight Club, and fiction, which have been inspired by, or exemplify, Zen ideas and practices. Students will use traditional literary analysis skills to investigate these texts and will explore Zen ideas through personal reflection and social experiments. Required Texts: Thich Nhat Hanh s Awakening of the Heart: Essential Buddhist Sutras and Commentaries Parallax, Joko Beck s Nothing Special: Living Zen HarperSanFrancisco, Novels: A Tale for the Time Being Ruth Ozeki 2013 Oxherding Tale: A Novel Charles Johnson 2005 Buddhaland Brooklyn Richard C. Morais 2013 The Dharma Bums Jack Kerouac 1958 On ereserve:

2 Hershock, Peter D. Chapter 10 Zen Here and Now in Public Zen, Private Zen Rowman & Littlefield The Cakkavatti-Sihanada Sutta: The Lion s Roar on the Turning of the Wheel Walsh, Maurice (trans.) in The Teachings of the Buddha: The Long Discourses of the Buddha Wisdom Publications. Yen, Sheng. Footprints in the Snow: The Autobiography of a Chinese Buddhist Monk Doubleday, , , Why Buddhism for Black America Now by Charles Johnson in Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on Politics, Race, Culture, and Spiritual Practice 2014 Selected essays from: Green, Ronald. Buddhism Goes to the Movies: Introduction to Buddhist Thought and Practice. Routledge, Short stories available online: Beheadings by Kira Salak Teddy by J. D. Salinger Peace is Every Step: Meditation in Action: The Life and Work of Thich Nhat Hanh (1998) dir. Gaetano Kazuo Maida. Zen (2009) dir. Banmei Takahashi The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) dir. Liu Chia-Liang Fight Club (1999) dir. David Fincher Enlightenment Guaranteed (2002) dir. Doris Dörrie Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) dir. Kim Ki-duk A Small Act (2011) dir. Jennifer Arnold Cloud Atlas (2012) dir. Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski Groundhog Day (1993) dir. Harold Ramis Dhamma Brothers (2007) dir. Andrew Kukura Departures (2008) dir. Yōjirō Takita KanZeOn (2011) dir. Neil Cantwell and Tim Grabham I Heart Huckabee (2004) dir. David O. Russell The Matrix (1999) dir. Wachowski Brothers Waking Life (2001) Richard Linklater

3 Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, students should know how to: -Use writing as a tool for formulating original thoughts about literary and philosophical texts and works of film; -Think critically and experientially about literary, philosophical and film texts and communicate ideas in essays and creative work; -Make, express and undermine judgments about the aesthetic purposes or value of texts and films; -Reach and challenge conclusions from group and class discussions about literature, philosophy and films; -Explore the practices of philosophical or spiritual communities to understand their ideals and values; -Work collaboratively with other students to make meaning and to unpack challenging texts; -Make connections between ancient and modern texts; - Research a topic and create an oral presentation, accompanied by a research paper. Approach to Teaching & Learning: This class is organized around readings and film viewings, followed by small group discussions and informal and formal writings. All students must be prepared and must contribute their ideas in order for the class to succeed. Reading Requirements: *Read each assignment carefully and thoughtfully by the due date. *Read actively by taking notes, highlighting your texts, annotating the margins of the texts, asking and answering questions, and re-reading important passages. Course Schedule: Weeks 1 and 2: Introduction to Zen in the Modern World: Hershock, Peter D. Chapter 10 Zen Here and Now in Public Zen, Private Zen Rowman & Littlefield Iwamura, Jane Introduction and Spiritual Romance Today in Virtual Orientalism: Asian Religions and American Popular Culture Peace is Every Step: Meditation in Action: The Life and Work of Thich Nhat Hanh (1998) dir. Gaetano Kazuo Maida.

4 Zen (2009) dir. Banmei Takahashi Weeks 3 and 4 I: An End to Suffering: The 4 Noble Truths Satipatthana Sutta: The Four Establishments of Mindfulness Joko Beck Sisyphus and the Burden of Life and The Cocoon of Pain in Nothing Special The Four Noble Truths and Fight Club in Buddhism Goes to the Movies (ereserve) A Tale for the Time Being Ruth Ozeki 2013 Fight Club (1999) dir. David Fincher The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) dir. Liu Chia-Liang Enlightenment Guaranteed (2002) dir. Doris Dörrie Weeks 5 and 6 II. Karma Mangalla Sutta: The Sutra on Happiness Fo Shuo Ba Da Ren Jue Jing: The Sutra on the Eight Realizations of the Great Beings Joko Beck Chapter IV Change in Nothing Special Why Buddhism for Black America Now by Charles Johnson in Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on Politics, Race, Culture, and Spiritual Practice 2014 (ereserves) Oxherding Tale: A Novel Charles Johnson 2005

5 A Small Act (2011) dir. Jennifer Arnold Cloud Atlas (2012) dir. Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski Groundhog Day (1993) dir. Harold Ramis Weeks 7 and 8 III. Compassion Reading: Cakkavatti-Sihanada Sutta: The Lion s Roar on the Turning of the Wheel Angulimala Sutta Japanese Shin Buddhism and Departures in Buddhism Goes to the Movies (ereserve) Joko Beck Sacrifice and Victims, Justice, and Forgiveness in Nothing Special Short Stories: Beheadings by Kira Salak Teddy by J. D. Salinger Dhamma Brothers (2007) dir. Andrew Kukura Departures (2008) dir. Yōjirō Takita KanZeOn (2011) dir. Neil Cantwell and Tim Grabham Weeks 9 and 10 IV. Buddha Nature: Awakening and Practice

6 Lotus Sutra (excerpts) Joko Beck Chapter 6 Freedom in Nothing Special Buddhaland Brooklyn Richard C. Morais 2013 Footprints in the Snow: The Autobiography of a Chinese Buddhist Monk (excerpts) Buddhist Awakening and Waking Life in Buddhism Goes to the Movies (ereserve) The Empire Strikes Back (1980) dir. Irvin Kershner Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003) dir. Kim Ki-duk. Waking Life (2001) Richard Linklater Weeks 11 and 12 V. Emptiness or Non-duality or Interbeing Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra: The Heart Sutra Shobogenzo (excerpts) Joko Beck Chapter 8 Nothing Special in Nothing Special The Dharma Bums Jack Kerouac 1958 Selected poetry of Gary Snyder Zen Master: Gary Snyder and the Art of Life by Dana Goodyear in The New Yorker October 20, Dependant Origination and I Heart Huckabees in Buddhism Goes to the Movies (ereserve)

7 I Heart Huckabee (2004) dir. David O. Russell The Matrix (1999) dir. Wachowski Brothers Weeks 13 and 14 Student presentations of Experiential Research Projects: Experiential Research Project: Go out and visit a Buddhist organization for an introduction to their practice. Act as an anthropologist/journalist and take notes of your experience, the place, the people you meet, describe the practices the group 1. Before you go: What are your preconceptions? What do you think is going to happen? What are your hopes? Fears? Describe how and why you chose the place you will visit. Analyze their website: what does it look like? What does it say? What does it lead you to feel or think about them? What is the image of the place that the website creates? 2. Immediately after you have gone: You will not take notes while you are at the place you choose. In that setting, you should work to join in with the spirit and the practices of the people there. However, you should be observing and write down your responses immediately afterwards. Keep notes on what happened, what you felt, what you experienced mentally, physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually (you don t have to comment on all of these-i m just giving you some ideas for generating your response). Describe the space: what are the furnishings? Implements? Things or objects? How did the space feel? Why? What did the participants do? Was there a leader? What did the leader do? What kinds of interactions were there? Visit must take place by Week 5 at the latest. Zen Groups in Westchester County, NY: Bronxville: Cedar Knolls Sangha. Meets on Saturday mornings. Contact George Chen, (914) Larchmont: Quiet Mountain Sangha, (914) , Larchmont. Mt. Kisco: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 236 S. Bedford Road (Route 172), Mt. Kisco NY, Mindfulness Meditation in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Contact Jan Weiss by or call (914)

8 New Rochelle: Empty Hand Zen Center, (914) , 45 Lawton Street, New Rochelle. Ossining: Sleepy Hollow Sangha, (914) , 1407 Eagle Bay Drive, Ossining. Pleasantville: The Many Branches Sangha meets at the in Pleasantville. Rye: Quiet Harbor Sangha meets the second and fourth Thursday evenings of the month at 7 p.m. at the Wainwright House in Rye, 260 Stuyvesant Ave., Rye, (914) Contact is Anne Woods. White Plains: White Plains Zen Meets Tuesday nights at St. Bartholomew's Church in White Plains. 6:45 p.m. intro. 7:30-9 p.m. (914) , 82 Prospect St., White Plains.