Religion 186 Religious Traditions of Buddhism

Transcription

1 Religion 186 Religious Traditions of Buddhism Spring 2010 Hall of Languages 107 MW 10:35-11:30 Instructor: Gareth Fisher Office: Hall of Languages 513 Office Hours: Mondays 1-3 or by appointment TAs: Patty Giles TA Office: Hall of Languages 512 Jeremy Vecchi TA Office Hours: By appointment Overview This course will provide a general introduction to the Buddhist religion. We will start by exploring the foundations of Buddhist teachings from its beginning in India more than two thousand years ago. We will then move out to consider the development of Buddhist thought, institutions, and practices throughout Asia and eventually other parts of the world. In this course you will be encouraged to combine both historical knowledge and personal reflections. The aim of the course is twofold: (1) to acquaint you with ways of thinking and being that are presently unfamiliar to you or, if you have practiced Buddhism yourself, a new way of thinking about that practice and (2) to expose you to a religious system with significant influence on the cultural, economic, and political development of a large part of the world. In our examination of Buddhist traditions, we will take care to avoid seeking an essential definition of what Buddhism is about. Instead, we will explore the range of beliefs and practices of those who, in different times and places, have considered themselves Buddhist. Course Texts The following texts are required reading for the course. They are available for purchase from the university bookstore: Taigen, Dan Leighton Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes and their Modern Expression. Boston: Wisdom Publications. Reynolds, Frank E. and Jason A. Carbine, eds The Life of Buddhism. Berkeley: University of California Press. In addition to readings from these texts, several course readings will be available on Blackboard [BB] as noted below. This course will not include a general introductory reader as most basic background material will be covered in class lecture. However, the following two readers will be placed on reserve in Bird library for your use as needed. 1

2 De Bary, William T The Buddhist Tradition: In India, China and Japan New York: Vintage Press. Harvey, Peter An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Course Assignments and Requirements 1. Section Grade (25%). You are required to enroll in one once-weekly discussion (recitation) section where you will be asked to discuss the course material of the past week. This portion of your grade will reflect your participation during these sections. While active participation is strongly encouraged, your grade will be weighted more on the quality than the quantity of your participation. Students who ask questions and make valuable contributions during the lecture portion of the course may also have their section grades raised. Because active participation requires your presence, attendance will also be taken during the section. Students missing three or more sections will receive a failing grade in section. Students missing six or more sections will receive a failing grade in the course. 2. Weekly Reflections (25%). For each full week of the course (a total of twelve), you should submit a short informal reflection ( words) on the subject matter of the week. You should your reflection to your TA no later than 4 p.m. on the Thursday of the week assigned. Late reflections will be accepted up to one week following the deadline for half credit only. You should also bring a printed or handwritten copy of your reflection with you to section for your reference as it may be used in discussion. Your reflection should feature your original analysis on the material covered during the past week. Reflections will be graded on both the strengths of your insights and your familiarity with the course readings and lectures for the week. You should make your references to lectures and readings as specific as possible. Good questions relate themes from more than one reading and/or lecture. As the course develops, you are also expected to make connections between recurring lessons and concepts as they arise in different cultural settings where Buddhism has spread. Your reflections will be used to generate discussion in Friday s section. Please bring a copy of your reflection with you to section for your reference. A list of sample reflections from the last time this course was taught will be distributed and discussed before the first reflection is due. 2

3 3. A midterm (15%) and final (15%) short paper (5 pages) relating course lectures, readings, films, and class discussions. The midterm paper is due February 22 and the final paper will be due at the conclusion of the final examination period. 4. A descriptive analysis of your visit to the Zen Center of Syracuse (5 pages) due April 19 (20%). Please note that there are no in-class examinations for the course. You will not be asked to memorize and regurgitate terminology. You will be expected to think through and use key terms and concepts very precisely in your written assignments. Academic Integrity The Syracuse Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the integrity of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the Policy and know that it is their responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verifications of participation in class activities. Serious sanctions can result from academic dishonesty of any sort. For more information, see Academic Integrity Office, Disability-Related Accommodations If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services(ODS), located in Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will issue students with documented disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible. 3

4 Course Readings and Assignments I. BASIC THEMES A. The Three Jewels 1. The Buddha [1/20, 1/25, 1/27] * 1) Lopez, Donald, ed Buddhist Scriptures. London: Penguin. Ch. 17, Why the Buddha had Good Digestion [BB]. 2) Leighton, Ch. 4, Shakyamuni as Bodhisattva, (pp only). 3) Brown, Sid Even Against the Wind: the Journey of One Buddhist Nun. Introduction and Chapter 1, A Young Buddhist Goes Forth. Albany: SUNY Press. Pp [BB]. 2. The Dharma [2/1, 2/3] * 1) Lopez 2004, Ch. 3, Karma Tales [BB]. 2) Mipham, Sakyong Turning the Mind into an Ally. In The Best Buddhist Writing Boston: Shambhala Press. Pp [BB]. 3) Reynolds and Carbine, Ch. 7, Meditation. 3. The Sangha [2/8, 2/10] * 1) Reynolds and Carbine, Ch. 1, Temples and Monastic Complexes, Ch.2, Image Consecrations, and Ch. 5, The Ordination of Monks and Novices. 2) Buddhaghosa A Tree Spirit Joins the Assembly of Monks. Trans. by Eugene L. Burlingame. In Dharma Rain: Sources of Buddhist Environmentalism. Stephanie Kaza and Kenneth Kraft, eds. Boston: Shambhala Press. Pp [BB]. II. THERAVADA BUDDHISM AND ITS SPREAD IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA A. The Arhat and the Theravadin Ideal; Karma and Village Life [2/15, 2/17] * 1) Reynolds and Carbine, Ch. 4, Village Rituals and Ceremonies. 2) Eberhardt, Nancy Imagining the Course of Life: Self-Transformation in a Shan Buddhist Community. Chapter 3, Souls into Spirits. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Pp [BB]. 3) Brown, Sid Even Against the Wind: the Journey of One Buddhist Nun. Chapter 2, Who Gets to Drink in the Dhamma and How. Albany: SUNY Press. Pp [BB]. B. Kingdoms, Polities, and the Sangha [2/22, 2/24] * 1) Reynolds and Carbine, Ch. 3, State Rituals and Ceremonies. 2) Tsomo, Karma Leshe Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations. Chapter 14, Aung San Suu Kyi. Albany: SUNY Press. Pp [BB] 4

5 3) Darlington, Susan M Buddhism and Development: the Ecology Monks of Thailand. In Action Dharma: New Studies in Engaged Buddhism. Christopher Queen et al, eds. New York: RoutledgeCurzon. Pp [BB]. 2/22: Midterm Short Paper Due III. MAHAYANA BUDDHISM AND ITS SPREAD IN EAST ASIA A. Mahayana Buddhism and the Bodhisattva Ideal [3/1, 3/3] * 1) Leighton, Ch. 1, The Bodhisattva Ideal, (entire); Ch.4, Shakyamuni, pp only; Ch. 5, Manjushri, (pp only); and Ch. 9, Maitreya (pp , only). B. The Development of Buddhist Schools of Thought in China and Japan (Hua-Yen, T ien-tai, Chan/Zen) [3/8, 3/10] * 1) Leighton, Ch. 7, Samantabhadra, (pp only). 3) Yampolsky, Philip, trans The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. New York: Columbia University Press. Pp [BB]. 4) Excerpts from Zen koans [BB]. 5) Merzel, Dennis Genpo Empty Your Cup. In The Best Buddhist Writing Boston: Shambhala Press. Pp [BB]. 3/15 3/19 Spring Break NO CLASS C. Buddhism and Popular Worship in East Asia [3/22, 3/24] * 1) Leighton, Ch. 7, Avalokiteshvara, (pp , only); and Ch.8, Ksitigarbha (pp only). 2) Reynolds and Carbine, Ch. 14, Death and Beyond. D. Pure Land Buddhism and the Growth of the Laity [3/29, 3/31] 1) Leighton, Ch. 10, Vimalakirti, (pp only). 2) Lopez 2004, Ch. 8, Rebirth in the Land of Bliss, and Ch. 44, Freeing Birds and Fish from Bondage [BB]. 3) Fisher, Gareth, ms. Mao and the Lotus: New Interpretations of the Sutra in Modern Beijing [BB]. 4/2 Good Friday No Sections No Reflections Due. IV. BUDDHISM IN TIBET AND CENTRAL ASIA A. Vajrayana and Esoteric Buddhism [4/5, 4/7] * 1) Lopez, Donald S., ed Religions of Tibet in Practice. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapter 7, The Life of Tilopa [BB]. B. The Practice of Tibetan Buddhism [4/12, 4/14] * 1) Reynolds and Carbine, Ch. 11, Cosmology and Law. 5

6 2) Major, John S. and Yeshi Dorjee, trans King Salgyel s Daughter, Princess Dorjee. In The Three Boys and Other Buddhist Folktales from Tibet. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Pp [BB]. V. BUDDHISM IN THE WEST [4/19, 4/21] * 1) Rocha, Christina Being a Zen Buddhist Brazilian: Juggling Multiple Identities in the Land of Catholicism. In Buddhist Missionaries in the Era of Globalization. Linda Learman, ed. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Pp [BB]. 2) Anonymous Mean Street Monks. Tricycle: the Buddhist Review 10(2). [online version] [BB]. 4/19: Zen Center Visit Paper Due (in class) VI. NEW DIRECTIONS AND CRITICAL REFLECTIONS [4/26, 4/28] * 1) Kraft, Kenneth [1986]. Wellsprings of Engaged Buddhism. In Not Turning Away: the Practice of Engaged Buddhism. Susan Moon, ed. Boston: Shambhala Press. Pp [BB]. 2) Gyatso, Tenzin (H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet) The Big Bang and the Buddhist Beginningless Universe. In The Universe in a Single Atom. New York: Morgan Road Books. Pp [BB]. 3) Lopez, Donald New Age Orientalism: the Case of Tibet. Tricycle [Spring 1994; online version] [BB]. 5/3 Course Wrap-up and Final Paper Review Final Examination Period Final Paper Due to Hall of Languages 107 on Tuesday, May 11 at 10 a.m. (the conclusion of the designated final examination period). 6