RS 321: Women in Buddhism: A Global Perspective. Class days: Tuesday/Thursday. Time: 1PM to 1:20 PM. Instructor: Mavis Fenn

Transcription

1 RS 321: Women in Buddhism: A Global Perspective Class days: Tuesday/Thursday Time: 1PM to 1:20 PM Instructor: Mavis Fenn Office: St. Paul s University College, Room 209 Contact information: mfenn@uwaterloo.ca ; Phone X211 Office Hours: 11:30 AM-12:30 P.M. Tues., 2:30-3:30 P.M. Thurs. or by appointment. Students are advised to make an appointment as, due to unavoidable meetings, occasionally office hours may have to be cancelled. Course Description An introduction to the roles of women, lay and ordained, within the Buddhist tradition. An examination of views about women found in Indian culture at the time Buddhism arose and the impact that had on the foundation of a nuns order in Buddhism and subsequently. As well as the development of Buddhism in India and the role women played in its foundation, we will examine Buddhism in China, Japan and the West, including Canada. Course Objectives: by the end of this course you should be able to: 1. Identify and explain the important role women have played in Buddhism 2. Identify and explain the challenges women have faced to become ordained 3. Identify and explain the ongoing challenges faced by Buddhist nuns 4. Identify and explain the way Buddhist nuns have responded to these challenges 5. Identify changes in the gender structure of Buddhism in the modern period and in its transmission to the West. 6. Identify some major female Buddhists within the tradition 7. Become familiar with the many women who are currently shaping Buddhism in Canada Required texts: There is no text for this course. Course Requirements 1. The focus of this course is on the articles and discussion of them and the ideas they raise. Students will read the article(s) for the class and place a summary not a blow by blow summary of 3 points that are being made in the article and of 2-3 questions that the article raised in the student s mind. These summaries are worth 36% of the final grade. The objectives of these summaries are to: a. Help students with reading comprehension b. Help students to learn how to extract the core elements of an article/argument c. Help students contextualize what they read d. Help students develop key points for discussion

2 e. Help students become aware of issues in the study of women in religion The length of the summary should be about 2-3 pages per article, typed, double-spaced. The student response should pay proper attention to grammar, punctuation and spelling so that the marker can assess the student s level of writing skills and make suggestions for improvement. Student comments on the material should demonstrate their understanding of it. Students may not use internet materials for these assignments. Opinions should be informed by their readings, the text and lectures. These summaries will form the basis of class discussion so the students should bring a copy of their summary to class. Assignments are due by 11:30 AM on the date of the lecture for that day. No assignments will be accepted after the drop box closes. Students should ensure they have sufficient time as clocks vary in time and the drop box cut off time may not correspond to your clock. Further, students should be aware that all submissions to any drop box are time-stamped. Thus, depositing it in the incorrect drop box by mistake will not help if the time-stamp is after the box closes. 2. In class discussion (14%). Students will discuss the questions and issues raised in their reading of the article(s). Students are encouraged to share their ideas based upon their academic readings in any areas they have studied that may prove helpful to the group. The focus is collaborative. The professor will contribute as well but should be seen primarily as a resource for information and current scholarly understanding of information or issues raised. 10 minutes or so before class ends, students will write a short reflection on the discussion or any conclusions made by the group and their perspective on it to be handed in. 3. Research workshop. Students will do research on an area of their choice. An appointment to discuss this research topic should be made with the professor for some time in the first six weeks of the course. An outline will be prepared for the professor s approval (10%). The student will describe their thesis and research to the group which will provide feedback in terms of suggestions, issues to think about and possible ways of proceeding (20%). Workshops are considered to be part of the discussion requirements and students are expected to attend and support their colleagues. 4. On the last day of class students will submit an academic paper based upon their research and workshop feedback (20%). The paper should be in proper academic form and submitted via dropbox no later than 11:30PM on the due date (Nov. 29 th ). Students should review the materials on Academic Dishonesty and Policy 71. Students are allowed to miss 1 summary and 1 discussion without penalty. Any additional absences must be supported by medical documentation or documentation regarding an emergency situation. Students who do not supply documentation will lose the value of the assignment There are no extra assignments that may be done as a substitute for a poor performance. Please note the following important information:

3 Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of th e University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, res pect and responsibility. [Check for more information.] Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her univ ersity life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4, ec/policies/policy70.htm. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance. Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity [check ww w.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/] to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take Responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about rules for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate Associate Dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline, For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties, tyguidelines.htm. Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances) (other than a petition) or Policy71 (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 (Student Appeals) cies/policy72.htm. Note for Students with Disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.

4 Class Schedule Sept. I will try to follow the schedule as noted below. However, sometimes adjustment is necessary for pedagogical reasons, practical reasons or unforeseen circumstances. 11th Introduction: Course Outline 13th Horner, I.B. (trans.). Cullavagga X in The Book of Discipline V. Sacred Books of the Buddhists vol.xx edited by Max Müller, Great Britain: Pali Text Society, 1988 (1952). Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321. Harris, Elizabeth J.. The Female in Buddhism in Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo, State University of New York Press, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS th Blackstone, Kate. Dhamming the Dhamma: Problems with Bhikkhunis in the Pali Vinaya in Journal of Buddhist Ethics vol. 6 (1999). Available online 20th Willis, Jan. Nuns and Benefactoresses: The role of women in the development of Buddhism in Women, Religion and Social Change edited by Yvonne Yazbec Haddad, Ellison Banks Findly, New York: SUNY, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS th Falk, Nancy Auer. The Case of the Vanishing Nuns: The Fruits of Ambivalence in Ancient Indian Buddhism in Unspoken Worlds: Women s Lives in Non-Western Cultures edited by Nancy Auer Falk and Rita M. Gross, Belmont: Wadsworth, 1989 Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321. Paul, Diana Y. The Bodhisattvas with Sexual Transformation in Women in Buddhism : images of the feminine in Mahāyāna tradition (2 nd ed.), London: University of California. Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS th Tsomo, Karma Lekshe. Change in Consciousness: Women s Identity in Himalayan Cultures in Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321.

5 Oct. 2 nd TibetanNuns: New Roles and Possibilities in Exile as Challenge: The Tibetan Diaspora edited by Dagmar Bernstorff and Hubertus Von Welck (English edition),new Delhi: Orient Longman,2004, th Kim Gutschow, Kim. Yeshe s Tibetan Pilgrimage and the Founding of a Himalayan Nunnery. Available online at If this link is too long, it can be found listed at the bottom of 9th Schuster, Nancy. Striking a Balance: Women and Images of Women in Early Chinese Buddhism in Women, Religion and Social Change edited by Yvonne Yazbec Haddad, Ellison Banks Findly, New York: SUNY, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS th Levering, Miriam. The Dragon Girl and the Abbess of Mo-Shan: Gender and Status in the Ch an Buddhist Tradition in Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 5/1 (1982), Available online through UW Library e-journals 16 th Okano, Haruko K. Women in Japanese Buddhism in Japanese Women edited by Kumiko Fujumera-Fanselow and Atsuko Kameda. New York: Feminist Press (City of New York University), 1995, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS th Arai, Paula. Japanese Buddhist Nuns: Innovators for the Sake of Tradition in Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS th Bivens, Jason C. Beautiful Women Dig Graves : Richard Baker-roshi, Imported Buddhism, and the Transmission of Ethics at the San Francisco Zen Center in Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. California: University of California Press, Vol. 17. No.1 (Winter 2007), Available online through JSTOR th Bivens (above) 30th Levering, Miriam. Lineage or Family Tree: The Implications for Gender in Innovative Buddhist Women: Swimming Against the Stream edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo. Curzon: Critical Studies in Buddhism, 2000, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321.

6 Nov. 1 st Workshop. 6th Cadge, Wendy. Gendered Religious Organizations: The Case of Theravada Buddhism in America in Gender and Society, Vol. 18. No. 6 (Dec.2004), Available online through JSTOR. jstor.org./stable/ th Workshop 13th Mrozik, Susanne. A Robed Revolution: The Contemporary Buddhist Nun s (Bhikshuni) Movement in Religion Compass Volume 3, Issue 3, pages , May Available online through the library. 15 th Workshop 20th Fenn, Mavis L. Canadian Buddhist Women: Multicultural Connections (unpublished). Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS nd Catch up or Study day 27 th Concluding discussion: revisiting course objectives 29 th Final Essay due.

7 List of Articles A. Foundations 1. Horner, I.B. (trans.). Cullavagga X in The Book of Discipline V. Sacred Books of the Buddhists vol.xx edited by Max Müller, Great Britain: Pali Text Society, 1988 (1952). Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Harris, Elizabeth J.. The Female in Buddhism in Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo, State University of New York Press, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Blackstone, Kate. Dhamming the Dhamma: Problems with Bhikkhunis in the Pali Vinaya in Journal of Buddhist Ethics vol. 6 (1999). Available online 4. Willis, Jan. Nuns and Benefactoresses: The role of women in the development of Buddhism in Women, Religion and Social Change edited by Yvonne Yazbec Haddad, Ellison Banks Findly, New York: SUNY, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Falk, Nancy Auer. The Case of the Vanishing Nuns: The Fruits of Ambivalence in Ancient Indian Buddhism in Unspoken Worlds: Women s Lives in Non-Western Cultures edited by Nancy Auer Falk and Rita M. Gross, Belmont: Wadsworth, 1989 Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Paul, Diana Y. The Bodhisattvas with Sexual Transformation in Women in Buddhism : images of the feminine in Mahāyāna tradition (2 nd ed.), London: University of California. Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321. B. Tibet 7. Tsomo, Karma Lekshe. Change in Consciousness: Women s Identity in Himalayan Cultures in Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS TibetanNuns: New Roles and Possibilities in Exile as Challenge: The Tibetan Diaspora edited by Dagmar Bernstorff and Hubertus Von Welck (English edition),new Delhi: Orient Longman,2004, Kim Gutschow, Kim. Yeshe s Tibetan Pilgrimage and the Founding of a Himalayan Nunnery. Available online at Yeshes_Tibetan_Pilgrimage.pdf If this link is too long, it can be found listed at the bottom of C. China 10. Schuster, Nancy. Striking a Balance: Women and Images of Women in Early Chinese Buddhism in Women, Religion and Social Change edited by Yvonne Yazbec Haddad, Ellison Banks Findly, New York: SUNY, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Levering, Miriam. The Dragon Girl and the Abbess of Mo-Shan: Gender and Status in the Ch an Buddhist Tradition in Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 5/1 (1982), Available online through UW Library e-journals

8 D. Japan 12. Okano, Haruko K. Women in Japanese Buddhism in Japanese Women edited by Kumiko Fujumera-Fanselow and Atsuko Kameda. New York: Feminist Press (City of New York University), 1995, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Arai, Paula. Japanese Buddhist Nuns: Innovators for the Sake of Tradition in Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321. E. Buddhism in the West 14. Bivens, Jason C. Beautiful Women Dig Graves : Richard Baker-roshi, Imported Buddhism, and the Transmission of Ethics at the San Francisco Zen Center in Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. California: University of California Press, Vol. 17. No.1 (Winter 2007), Available online through JSTOR Levering, Miriam. Lineage or Family Tree: The Implications for Gender in Innovative Buddhist Women: Swimming Against the Stream edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo. Curzon: Critical Studies in Buddhism, 2000, Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS Cadge, Wendy. Gendered Religious Organizations: The Case of Theravada Buddhism in America in Gender and Society, Vol. 18. No. 6 (Dec.2004), Available online through JSTOR. jstor.org./stable/ Mrozik, Susanne. A Robed Revolution: The Contemporary Buddhist Nun s (Bhikshuni) Movement in Religion Compass Volume 3, Issue 3, pages , May Available online through the library. 18. Fenn, Mavis L. Canadian Buddhist Women: Multicultural Connections (unpublished). Available in Dana Porter Reserves for RS321.