RLST 135/EAST 335 Zen Buddhism

RLST 135/EAST 335 Zen Buddhism Time: M 1:30-3:30 Location: Harkness Hall, room 07 Instructor: Eric Greene Email: eric.greene@yale.edu Office: 451 College Street, Room 309 Office hours: Wednesdays 11:30-1:30 Overview Zen ( Chan in its Chinese pronunciation) took shape as a distinctive form of Buddhism in China in the seventh century, claiming to represent a unique tradition stretching back to the Buddha. In the twelfth century, Zen spread to other parts of East Asia (especially Japan), and in the past 75 years has been one of the most popular forms of Buddhism in the West. Traditional Zen writings are among the most dramatic, profound and entertaining texts in the Buddhist tradition, and they are replete with both literary sophistication and philosophical depth. This seminar will present an introduction to the Zen tradition, with a focus on the reading and interpretation of primary texts (in English translation), including background readings in Buddhist history and philosophy, as well as many examples of famous Zen literature, such as, among others, the enigmatic dialogs known as koans. Our readings of Zen texts will focus on the classic writings of Chinese Zen masters from the 8 th -13 th centuries. We will, however, also give considerable attention to Zen as a form of Buddhist monasticism, and in this section of the course we will focus on Zen as it is found in contemporary Japan as well as in Korea. Finally, we will also consider various questions concerning the way that Zen has been presented in the modern Western world, and the historical, cultural, and interpretive forces that have shaped its reception. Two films, both concerning Zen in contemporary Japan, will supplement our readings. Prerequisites None. Grading Weekly response papers: 60% In-class presentation: 15% Final exam: 25% 1

Weekly papers Each week everyone must submit a 700-word essay pertaining to the assigned primary texts, in response to one or more questions that I will distribute. These essays will relate to the materials, that we have not yet discussed in class. The purpose of the essays is to make you read and think about the material ahead of time, and thereby prepare everyone for a productive discussion. Your task in writing the essays is to show that: 1) you have read the material, 2) you have thought about the significance of the material, and 3) that you have taken the time to express yourself clearly. You will not be penalized for not understanding the readings. As long as you do all three of the above tasks you will get full marks of 10/10. But you do need to do them all, because they are a major part of your grade (there will be 10 essays, so each one is worth 6% of your final grade). Essays must be submitted on paper, at the beginning of class. Late papers will not be accepted. If you have a dean s excuse, you will be permitted to write a make-up paper on a different topic/question. Presentation Each student will co-lead (with another student) the discussion for one class during the semester. You will not need to prepare a written essay that week, but you will be expected to address the content of the assigned essay question as part of your introduction to the material for that week. The main task of the presentations will be to introduce us to the primary readings and raise questions that can then serve as a starting point for our discussion. Attendance Although attendance and participation are not formal parts of your grade, you must attend class in order to submit your weekly paper, and I expect everyone to attend all class meetings. In-class computer policy Computers are not permitted in class. Materials Required books: Buswell, Robert E. The Zen Monastic Experience: Buddhist Practice in Contemporary Korea. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1992. Herrigel, Eugen. Zen in the Art of Archery. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Both of these books can be purchased used from Amazon for a few dollars each. We will not need them until much later in the course, but please buy them NOW so that you will have them when we do. (I have had terrible luck in the past using the Yale bookstore things not ordered on time, wrong books, etc. Since we do not need the books right away, we will just take matters into our own hands this semester). 2

Coursepack A large PDF file containing all of the primary readings will be placed on our Classes V2 site. You will need to print out a hard copy of these readings because you will need to have them with you in class. Please take the PDF file to a copy shop (such as TYCO printing at 262 Elm Street), print out all the pages, and then have them bound (I do recommend getting them bound - it will make your life easier). This will cost around $30. Supplemental readings A variety of secondary sources pertaining to the primary readings each week will be posted to our Classes V2 site. Some of these will be officially required, many others are optional. A few such readings, as noted in the syllabus, are available as ebooks through the library. Other Resources When reading primary texts about Buddhism or Zen, you are liable to encounter many strange and unfamiliar terms. Oftentimes knowing what these words mean is essential for understanding. Several recommended places to look for help include: The index and glossary to Rupert Gethin s, The Foundations of Buddhism Buswell, Robert E., ed. Encyclopedia of Buddhism. New York: Macmillan Reference, USA, 2004. (available as an e-resource through ORBIS) Buswell, Robert E., and Donald S. Lopez. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. 2014 (available as an e-resource through ORBIS). Use the above sources when looking for supplementary information, or definitions of unfamiliar terms. The wider world of the internet is teeming with information about Buddhism, but it is not always reliable. Statement on Academic Integrity (Yale College Undergraduate Regulations, 2014-2015 edition, pp.43-44) If one uses a source for a paper, one must acknowledge it. What counts as a source varies greatly depending on the assignment, but the list certainly includes readings, lectures, websites, conversations, interviews, and other students papers... In all situations, students who are confused about the specific punctuation and formatting must nonetheless make clear in written work where they have borrowed from others whether it be a matter of data, opinions, questions, ideas, or specific language. This obligation holds whether the sources are published or unpublished. Submission of an entire paper prepared by someone else is an especially egregious form of plagiarism, and is grounds for the imposition of a particularly serious penalty, including expulsion from the University. 3

Schedule 1. Friday September 2 Introduction to the class. Film: Enlightenment Guaranteed (Erleuchtung garantiert) 2. Monday September 12: Buddhism and the Buddha Primary texts - The Noble Search and A Life of the Buddha o Lopez, Donald S. Buddhist Scriptures. London: Penguin, 2004 (1-13) - The Lakkhana-sutta o Walshe, Maurice. The Long Discourses of the Buddha : A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995. (pp.441-460) (14-24) Secondary readings (required) - Rupert Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism, chapters 1, 3, 4, 6 Response paper question (DUE TODAY): How does the Buddha s search for awakening compare with that of the protagonists in Enlightenment Guaranteed? What understandings (contrasting, or parallel) of the nature and goals of Buddhist practice are reflected or exemplified in these stories? 3. Monday September 19: Emptiness and Buddha-nature - Tathagatagarbha-sutra o Lopez, Donald S., ed. Buddhism in Practice, Princeton Readings in Religions. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1995. (pp92-106) (25-36) - The Diamond Sutra o Conze, Edward. Buddhist Wisdom Books, Containing the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra. London,: G. Allen & Unwin, 1958. (pp65-92) (37-50) - Vimalakirti Sutra (chapters 2 and 3) o Thurman, Robert A. F. The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti : A Mahāyāna Scripture. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1976. (pp.20-33) 4

(51-57) - Peter Harvey, An introduction to Buddhism : teachings, history and practices Cambridge University Press, 1990), chapter 5 Mahayana Philosophy (V2) - Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism, chapter 9 Response paper question: To what extent are the ideas of the Tathagatagarbha-sutra compatible with those of the Diamond Sutra and the Vimalakirti-sutra? 4. September 26: The Chinese Context - Free and Easy Wandering, Discussion on Making All Things Equal, Horses Hoofs. o From Burton Watson, trans. The Complete Works of Zhuangzi, pp.1-18; 65-67; (58-68) - The Dao de jing (sections 1-38) (69-80) - Confucius o Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang, trans. Selections from Records of the Historian. Peking: Foreign Language Press, 1979, pp.1-27 (81-94) - Confucius and the Analects. o De Bary, William Theodore, and Irene Bloom, ed. Sources of Chinese Tradition. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999 (pp.41-63) (95-106) - The Spirits of Chinese Religions (V2) 5 October 3: Lineage and Enlightenment (1) - Annals of the transmission of the Dharma Treasure o McRae, John R. The Northern School and the Formation of Early Ch'an Buddhism. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1986, pp.255-269 5

(107-114) - Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind o John McRae trans. In Loori, John Daido, ed. The Art of Just Sitting : Essential Writings on the Zen Practice of Shikantaza. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2002, pp.205-217 (115-121) - Excerpts from Lives of the Nuns (nos. 15-29) o Tsai, Kathryn Ann. Lives of the Nuns: Biographies of Chinese Buddhist Nuns from the Fourth to Sixth Centuries. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1994, pp.38-57. (122-131) - Beyond the Jade Gate: Buddhism in China, Vietnam and Korea (V2) - The Foundations of Buddhism, chapter 10 - Inventing Tradition (Hobsbawn) (V2) 6. October 10: Lineage and Enlightenment II (The Platform Sutra) - The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (coursepack) (132-158) - Schlütter, Morten, and Stephen F. Teiser. Readings of the Platform Sutra. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. (ebook through the library) o Especially chapters 1-4 - Gómez, Luis. "Purifying Gold." In Sudden and Gradual, edited by Peter N. Gregory, 67-168. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1987. (excerpts V2) 7. October 17 Zen Masters - The Record of Linji 6

o Sasaki, Ruth Fuller, and Thomas Yūhō Kirchner. The Record of Linji. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2009. (pp.3-39) (159-177) - The Mind is the Buddha, and You see the logs o From Chang, Chung-Yuan. Original Teachings of Ch'an Buddhism. Selected from the Transmission of the Lamp. New York,: Pantheon Books, 1969. (pp.148-152; 164-173) (178-188) Secondary readings (required) - Urs App, Linji s Evergreens (V2) - Sharf, Robert H. "The Idolization of Enlightenment: On the Mummification of Ch'an Masters in Medieval China." History of Religions 32, no. 1 (1992): 1-31. Miriam L. Levering, Lin-chi (Rinzai) Ch'an and Gender: The Rhetoric of Equality and the Rhetoric of Heroism, in Buddhism, Sexuality, and Gender, edited by José Ignacio Cabezon (Albany: SUNY Press, 1992), 137-156. 8. October 24 Koans - The Biography of Miao-tsung o Addiss, Stephen, ed. Zen Sourcebook : Traditional Documents from China, Korea, and Japan. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. Co., 2008. (pp,126-131) (189-191) - Wumen s Gate (cases 1-21) o Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. Three Chan Classics. Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 1999. (pp.70-87) (192-216) - T. Griffith Foulk, "The Form and Function of Koan Literature: A Historical Overview." In The Koan: Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism, edited by Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright, 15-45. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. - Sharf, Robert H. "How to Think with Chan Gong'an." In Thinking with Cases: Specialist Knowledge in Chinese Cultural History, edited by Judith T. Zeitlin Charlotte Furth, and Ping-chen Hsiung, 205-43. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2007. 7

- Buswell, Robert E. Jr. "The "Short-Cut" Approach of K'an-Hua Meditation: The Evolution of a Practical Subitism in Chinese Ch'an Buddhism." In Sudden and Gradual: Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Thought, edited by Peter N. Gregory, 321-77. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1987. 9. October 31 Effort and Spontaneity: Dōgen and Hakuin, Two Japanese Zen Masters Primary Texts: - The Meditations of a Bodhisattva o Beyer, Stephan V. The Buddhist Experience : Sources and Interpretations. The Religious Life of Man Series. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co., 1974 (pp.99-115) (217-226) - Fukan zazengi (Dōgen) o Cook, Francis. How to Raise an Ox. Los Angeles: Center Publications, 1979. (pp.95-99) (227-229) - Orategama (excerpts) (Hakuin) o Yampolsky, Philip B. The Zen Master Hakuin: Selected Writings. New York,: Columbia University Press, 1971. (pp.29-73) (230-252) - The Sudden Practice, Carl Bielefeldt, Dōgen's manuals of Zen meditation (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988) chapter 4 (V2) - Dogen s Lancet of Seated Meditation (V2) 10. November 7 Monastic practice Primary text: - The Zen Monastic Experience chapters 1, 3, 5, and 6 - Daily Life in the Assembly o From Buddhism in Practice, edited by Donald S. Lopez Jr. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995), 461-472. (253-259) 8

11. November 14 Zen in modern Japan In-class film: Fancy Dance Primary readings: - The Zen Institution in Modern Japan, (classes V2) o In Zen: Tradition and Transition, edited by Kenneth Kraft (New York: Grove Press, 1988), 157-177. - "Ritual in Japanese Zen Buddhism." o In Zen Ritual, edited by Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright, 21-82. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. (ebook through ORBIS) Secondary readings (recommended) - Arai, Paula Kane Robinson. Women Living Zen : Japanese Sōtō Buddhist Nuns. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. (ebook through ORBIS) o Introduction and chapter 4 12. November 28 Modernist Zen Primary readings - Zen in the art of archery (all) Secondary readings (recommended) - McMahan, David L. The Making of Buddhist Modernism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. o Especially chapters 1, 5, 7, and 8. 13. December 5 Final Meeting: Recap and Review 9