Buddhism
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:30 11:20
Fall semester 2002
Knapp 302
Prof. John Cort
Knapp 310
x6254
Email address: cort
This course involves an historical and thematic survey of the Buddhist tradition from the time of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or "Awakened One," until the present. We will explore some of the ways in which Buddhist teachings and practices have interacted with and been changed by various cultures in Asia, and more recently in North America. This course does not aim to be comprehensive, but instead to introduce the student to some of the important and enduring themes of Buddhist life.
Among the questions we will investigate are:
- Who was the Buddha?
- What did he mean when he said, "Everything is suffering. Everything is impermanent. There is no soul"
- What are the Buddhist paths to nirvana or enlightenment?
- What does it mean to be a Buddhist?
- How does one lead a Buddhist life?
- How has Buddhism interacted with various cultures and societies?
The Buddhist tradition has changed greatly over its 2,500 year history. We will explore this diversity during the semester. At the same time, Buddhists say that at the core of the tradition is the Dharma, a set of eternal teachings about the nature of the world and what it means to be human. A theme in this course, therefore, will be the exploration of the issues of continuity and change. Is there one Buddhism, or is it more accurate to speak of multiple Buddhisms? In particular, we will look at the lives of specific individual Buddhists, to see how they have understood what it means to be a Buddhist. In such an exploration we are also asking questions of direct relevance to our own lives, as we live in a world which is also complex and diverse. Each one of us has to negotiate with our own religious and cultural traditions, just as Buddhists throughout the centuries have had to negotiate with their religious and cultural traditions.
Why Log Truck Drivers Rise Earlier than Students of ZenIn the high seat, beforedawn dark,
Polished hubs gleam
And the shiny diesel stack
Warms and flutters
Up the Tyler Road grade
To the logging on Poorman creek.
Thirty miles of dust.
There is no other life.
- Gary Snyder
Required Textbooks
Most readings are also on reserve in the library.
Kevin Trainor (ed.), Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide
John S. Strong, The Experience of Buddhism
Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding The 14th Dalai Lama, Freedom in Exile
Giei Sato and Eshin Nishimura, Unsui: A Diary of Zen Monastic Life
The Turning Wheel, Autumn 2002 Essays on ereserve
Frank E. Reynolds and Charles Hallisey, "Buddhist Religion, Culture, and Civilization"
Reynolds and Hallisey, "The Buddha"
Victor Sogen Hori, "Sweet and Sour Buddhism"
Course Requirements
Two inclass exams
Friday, October 4
Friday, October 25
Final exam
(either takehome essay or inclass exam)
Frequent short response papers
10-12 page research paper
Deadlines for paper:
Monday, October 14, in class: preliminary topic
Week of October 21: preliminary prospectus and bibliography
Friday, November 8, in class: paper prospectus and annotated bibliography
Wednesday, November 20: optional first draft
Friday, December 6, in class: final draft
The specific details of the short response papers are explained at the end of the syllabus. Details of the research paper will be explained in a separate handout.
Grades
Two inclass exams: 30%
Final examhh: 20%
Response papers + participationp: 20%
Research paperh: 30%
Provisional Class Schedule
Monday, September 2
Introduction to the course
Wednesday, September 4
The Life of Gautama the Buddha
Reading: Strong, 341
Friday, September 6
The Study of Buddhism
Reading:Frank E. Reynolds and Charles Hallisey, "Buddhist Religion, Culture, and Civilization" (ereserve)
Monday, September 9
The Indian Background to the Rise of Buddhism and The Buddha in History
Reading: Trainor, 10-21
Wednesday, September 11
The Life of Gautama the Buddha
Reading: Reynolds and Hallisey, "The Buddha" (ereserve)
Trainor, 69, 22-45
Friday, September 13
In the Footprint of the Buddha
Monday, September 16
All Conditioned Things are Unsatisfactory (duhkha)
Reading: Rahula, ch. 12 + pp. 9198
Strong, 3234, 8899
Trainor, 56-71
Wednesday, September 18
All Conditioned Things Things are Impermanent (anitya)
All Things are Devoid of a Self (anatman)
Reading:Rahula, ch. 6
Strong, 88-99
Friday, September 20
No class: study day
Monday, September 23
What is the Cause of Dukkha?
Reading: Rahula, ch. 3
Strong, 99-103
Wednesday, September 25
What is Nirvana?
Reading: Rahula, ch. 4
Strong, pp. 1041-110
Friday, September 27
The Path to Nirvana
Reading: Rahula, ch. 5 + pp. 97109, 119-138
Strong, pp. 111-126
Trainor, 7279
Monday, September 30
Meditation
Reading: Rahula, ch. 7 + pp. 109-119
Trainor, 80-89
Wednesday, October 2
Review Session
Reading: Rahula, ch. 8
Friday, October 4
First inclass exam
Monday, October 7
The Monastic Community
Reading:Trainor, 46-55, 90-105, 176-195
Strong, 45-86
Wednesday, October 9
First Library Session
Friday, October 11
No class: fall study day
Monday, October 14
The Lay Community
Reading: Trainor, 106-131
Preliminary research paper topic due
Wednesday, October 16
Buddhist Cultic Life and Images of Peace
Reading: Strong, 48, 39-40, 79-80, 215-236, 240-255
Friday, October 18
The Arhat and Bodhisattva Ideals
Reading:Trainor, 132-149, 196-211
Strong, 158-196
Monday, October 21
Emptiness and Suchness
Reading:Strong, 132-157
Nhat Hanh
Wednesday, October 23
Friday, October 25
Second inclass exam
Monday, October 28
The Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet
Reading: Trainor, 162-173
Wednesday, October 30
Tibetan Buddhism: Cycles of Interdependence
Friday, November 1
Esoteric Buddhism: Tantra
Exploring the Mandala
Reading: Strong, 256-294
Monday, November 4
Heart of Tibet
Reading: Dalai Lama, Freedom in Exile
Wednesday, November 6
Friday, November 8
Research paper prospectus and annotated bibliography due
Monday, November 11
The Transmission of Buddhism to China and Japan
Reading: Strong, 295-319, 32-242
Wednesday, November 13
Bodhidharma and Ch'an
Reading:Strong, 320-322
Trainor, 150-161
Friday, November 15
Principles and Practices of Zen
Reading: Sato and Nishimura, Unsui
Monday, November 18
Zen
Wednesday, November 20
Zen
Final date for rough draft of research paper
Friday, November 22
No class: study day
Thanksgiving Break
Buddhism in the Contemporary WorldMonday, December 2
Reading: Trainor, 212-237
XHori, "Sweet and Sour Buddhism" (ereserve)
Wednesday, December 4
Friday, December 6
Reading:Essays from Turning Wheel, Autumn 2002 (to be assigned)
Friday, December 6
Research paper due
Monday, December 9
Reading:Essays from Turning Wheel, Autumn 2002 (to be assigned)
Wednesday, December 11
Reading:Essays from Turning Wheel, Autumn 2002 (to be assigned)
Strong, 343-352/p>
Friday, December 13
Reading:Essays from Turning Wheel, Summer 2000 (to be assigned)
Response Papers
At least once, and sometimes twice, each week throughout the semester you will be responsible for a one or twopage written paper in response to the required class readings or films. These papers will form a basis for classroom discussion of the material, and so are due in class on the day assigned.
You will be given general directions for each response paper in advance. At the same time, the response papers are an opportunity for you to engage the course material in a way that enables you to achieve greater clarity concerning your own thoughts. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' response.
These assignments will be not be graded for either content or style. If you hand in the paper in class, you will receive a grade of 4. If the paper is late for any reason, except those verified by a written note from Health services or a dean, you will receive a grade of 1. Late papers will be accepted for one week after the due date. If you do not hand in a paper, you will receive a grade of 0. If it is obvious that you have not done the assignment, and are handing in a paper based on nothing but your own ingenuity and imagination, in all likelihood you will receive a 0. If you hand in every response paper on time throughout the semester, your grade for this portion of the course will automatically be an A.
As a favor to me, I ask that you type and doublespace the response papers. This will serve two beneficial functions for you as well: by typing the papers, you will have an easily accessible record of your responses from throughout the semester; and you will learn the valuable skill of being able to compose a paper at the keyboard. Papers that are handwritten, however, will not be penalized.