Download Syllabus History of the Early Buddhist Tradition, Spring 2012 upload

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012
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Rutgers University
History 21: 510: 226: 01 Topics in Religion: History of the Early Buddhist Tradition
Spring 2012
Instructor: Amita Satyal
Office: 317 Conklin Hall
Office Hours: M, 08:30-09:30 am; W, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Email: [email protected]
Class times: M, 2:30-3:50 pm
W, 1:00-2:20 pm
Class room: 352 Conklin Hall
Dharmachakra Mudra
The Buddha’s Dharmachakra Mudra (or gesture of the hand) is the principal teaching mudra
of the Buddha, symbolizing ‘the turning of the wheel of Dhamma’, i.e., teachings (of
Dhamma) from the heart. This mudra derives from the enlightened Buddha’s first discourse -the Dhammachakkapavattana Sutta to expound ‘the Middle Way’ comprising the Eightfold
Path and the Four Noble Truths -- delivered to the ‘Group of Five’ at Sarnath’s Isipatana or
Deer Park (near Varanasi, northern India), on a July full-moon day, two months after his
enlightenment. Symbolism: The thumb and the index finger touch at their tips to form a circle,
representing the wheel formed from the union of ‘wisdom and skillful method’: the hands are
held in front of the heart with the right palm facing outwards, representing the ‘skillful
method’ aspect of the transmission of the teachings to others, and the left palm facing inwards
indicating the ‘wisdom’ aspect gained through realization of the teachings within oneself. On
early Buddha images, the left hand often holds a corner of the Buddha’s monastic robe,
symbolizing the inner teaching of renunciation.
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A WARM WELCOME TO ALL!
Course Description
This course examines the Early Buddhist tradition (or, Theravada; lit., school of elders) that
originated in the Indian sub-continent with Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha (lit. ‘The
Enlightened One’) about the 6th century BCE. Gautama, a prominent samana (Sanskrit, Pali:
wandering teacher-monk) and an erstwhile royal, is one of the world’s most influential ethicoreligious thinkers, who lived and preached in the northern Indian Ganga plains between 563-483
BCE. The Buddha is notable for directly addressing the issue of suffering and liberation through
elaborating the contexts of the emergence of suffering, and stressing the significance of Dhamma
(Sanskrit: Dharma; lit. ‘Truth’, ‘universal laws’) as the way out of it. Central to the Buddha’s
understanding is an highly original understanding of the self and mind, making mental culture -i.e., training the mind to systematically contemplate the inner condition through a combination of
ethical discipline, concentration, and wisdom -- indispensable to the attainment of nibbana (Pali:
lit. Enlightenment; Sanskrit: nirvana). As we chart the historical Buddha’s ideas through the Pali
Canon, we examine their place within the overall Theravadan framework as well as the Buddha’s
socio-cultural milieu. The course ends with a look at the Theravadan Tradition’s new social face
adapted to challenging contemporary settings. The course will address several questions: What
questions did the Early Buddhist tradition raise and why? How did the Buddha explain the world
around him? How did ‘this world’ connect with the ‘world beyond’? What about the tradition’s
engagement with everyday situations? Finally, how does this help us understand the meaning of
‘religion’ in the South Asian historical-cultural context? The course format will be a combination
of lecture and discussion. Lectures will complement readings, using both written materials and
visual aids, and bringing additional inputs. Any previous acquaintance with South Asian/
Buddhism’s history would be an asset, but is neither required nor assumed for this course.
Course Readings
All the course readings are available on blackboard http://blackboard.rutgers.edu and can be
accessed by students registered for the course. Class lectures and presentations will not be
uploaded to blackboard. All course materials are proprietary, and should be accessed/used by
students registered for the course for course purposes only. Violations will invite appropriate
action.
Course Policies
Academic Integrity & Conduct
All students who register for this course and wish to remain registered MUST electronically sign
an ‘Agreement Concerning Cheating and Plagiarism’ available on http://blackboard.rutgers.edu.
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Further,
• Students must acquaint themselves with university policies on student conduct, academic
integrity and ethics at the outset. Also read interim university policies on student conduct and
academic integrity on http://policies.rutgers.edu
• As per the university policy on academic integrity, students are responsible for understanding
the principles of academic integrity fully and abiding by them in all their work at the
University. Registration for this course assumes the student’s agreement to sign the above
mentioned agreement and to abide by the said university policies.
• The various ways in which academic integrity can be violated, but not limited to, are: cheating,
fabrication and plagiarism in academic work; copying on quizzes and exams; denying others
access to information or material that also includes giving other students false or misleading
information and altering someone else’s computer files; and, knowingly or negligently
facilitating violations of academic integrity even if the facilitating student does not benefit
from the violation.
• Any violation of academic integrity is an offense and subject to appropriate penalty and/ or
sanction. All violations in this category will be reported to the university office overseeing the
academic integrity policy.
Attendance
• An attendance sheet will be kept near the entrance door for the FIRST 5 MINUTES of each
class after which it will be collected by the Instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure
that she/he has signed the sheet in each class attended prior to its removal.
• A student is required to be present for every class session unless excused by the instructor for a
valid reason. The final decision on determining a valid reason will rest with the instructor.
Keep all the relevant medical documentation ready.
• Unexcused absence for more than 2 classes will lower the grade by one half (e.g., from B plus
to B); Unexcused absence for more than 3 classes will lower the grade by one and a half grades
(e.g., B plus to C plus); Unexcused absence for more than 4 classes will lower the grade by 2
(e.g., B plus to C); Unexcused absence for more than 5 classes will lower the grade by 3 (e.g.,
B plus to D).
• A student who misses seven or more sessions -- through any combination of excused and
unexcused absences -- will not earn credit in this class. Such a student should withdraw
from the class.
Late Arrivals/Early Departures
A late arrival (i.e., after the 5-minutes attendance slot is over) will be counted as an ‘absent’
unless a valid reason has been provided beforehand to the Instructor. Note that leaving class
early without the instructor’s prior permission will also fetch an ‘absent’ for that particular class.
The only exemption will be a medical emergency causing a late arrival, or an early departure, in
which case, it must be brought to the Instructor’s attention on email as soon as possible. Keep all
the relevant medical documentation ready.
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Reading Assignments
Students must finish all assigned readings before each class and must come prepared to class
with their observations, suggestions and questions. Reading assignments will vary each week.
Refer to the syllabus for more information.
Class Discussion & Preparation
Under this category, you will be graded for the following:
(a) overall conduct and behavior over the semester;
(b) questions and observations brought to class/office hours;
(c) level of preparedness for the class on the basis of assigned readings;
(d) sincere attempts to answer questions that will be asked in class.
Class discussion/preparation is not optional. Note that our classroom will provide a safe
environment with zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any sort, which includes but is not
limited to discrimination on grounds of color, race, religion, gender, ethnicity and nationality.
Violations will invite appropriate action and also be reported to the university.
Papers
Plagiarism
Blackboard will automatically scan all papers for plagiarism. Thus, the student will make sure
that all course assignments are strictly in accordance with the university policy on academic
integrity. Plagiarized papers will fetch a straight ‘F’ on the paper and course. Refer back to
‘Academic Integrity and Conduct’ (p. 3) for more details.
Submission
Papers must be submitted via ‘Assignments’ on Blackboard by the due date and time (See ‘Paper
Schedule’ given below). NO PAPERS ON EMAIL. Blackboard can verify student submissions;
it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the paper has been successfully submitted.
Format
Up to 4 pages each (anything beyond 4 pages will not be read); MS Word document; US letter
size; Double-space typed; Times New Roman 12 point font; All-sided one-inch margins; Page
numbers & student name in the header; Paper title = student’s ‘Last name, First name: Buddhism
Paper #’. No non-course readings permitted. Papers outside the format specified here will
invite grade cuts.
Topics
Paper topics will be posted to blackboard well in advance.
Writing
See ‘Tips on Writing an History Essay’ on blackboard..
Late Papers
Papers submitted after the deadline will be considered late. All late papers will invite a straight
deduction of 4 points. Papers more than 24 hours late will not be accepted unless a valid reason
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is provided to the Instructor prior to the deadline. Keep relevant documentation, if applicable,
ready.
Quizzes
Closed book quizzes of exactly 10-minutes each will be given at the end of the class. All quizzes
are scheduled for Wednesdays. Exception: Quiz 1, Monday, Jan 30, 10 minutes at the
beginning of the class. The syllabus covered on each quiz will be the CURRENT WEEK’S
READING. The lowest three quiz scores will be counted out of the final quiz grade. Make-ups
are not permitted; medical emergencies are exempt (upon documentation). The first quiz is
exclusively a map quiz.
Recording Lectures & Capturing Slide Images
For students with special needs, challenges, and disability, recording lectures or capturing slide
images of lecture presentations will be allowed with the Instructor’s prior permission.
Classroom Etiquette
Students will switch off all cell phones, messaging equipment, recording devices, and pagers in
class. All such behavior will be considered inappropriate and disruptive. Violators will be asked
to leave immediately and marked absent for that class. Violations in this category will also
impact your ‘Class Participation’ grade.
No resting your feet on seats. No sleeping, eating, or drinking in class. Students with medical
conditions and special needs requiring exemption must see the Instructor at the outset.
Students with prior permission to arrive late, or leave early must occupy seats nearest to the
entrance door so as to cause minimal disturbance to the rest of the class.
Students With Disability
Students with disability will contact the Paul Robeson Campus Center Office of Student Life and
Leadership, Services for Students with Disabilities for requesting academic accommodations,
approvals, and related documentation. For further information see http://robeson.rutgers.edu/
studentlife/disability.html. If a Letter of Accommodation is granted, the student must provide the
Instructor with a copy of this letter and discuss how the listed accommodations would be
implemented. The Instructor will make every effort to implement such accommodations to the
extent permitted by the university.
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Course Requirements
• Class Attendance
• Class Participation: Students will be graded for the following:
(a) overall conduct and behavior;
(b) level of preparedness for the class;
(c) participation, including sincere attempts to answer questions asked of the class;
(d) questions and observations brought to class/office hours.
• In-class Quizzes: In-class, closed book; 10 minutes each. Lowest three quiz scores counted out
of total quiz grade. Quizzes will have a varying combination of short note, objective type
questions, filling the blanks, one-line answers, and/or matching entries (Quiz 1 is a map quiz);
• Papers: Up to 4 pages each (anything beyond 4 pages will NOT be read); MS Word
document; US letter size; Double-space typed; Times New Roman 12 point font; All-sided oneinch margins; Page numbers & Student name in the header; Paper title = student’s ‘Last name,
First name: Buddhism Paper # ‘. Submissions only via ‘Assignments’ on Blackboard. No noncourse readings permitted. Papers outside the format specified here will invite grade cuts.
Course Grading (see also ‘Grading Policies’)
Class Attendance
Class Participation
Quizzes
Papers
10%
20%
35%
35%
Schedules and Deadlines
Papers (Up to 4 pages each, submission via ‘Assignments’ on Blackboard)
Paper 1: Fri, Mar 9, 3:00 PM
Paper 2: Mon, May 7, 6:00 PM
Quizzes
Quiz 1: Mon, Jan 30 (Map quiz; at the beginning of the class)
Quiz 2: Wed, Feb 1
Quiz 3: Wed, Feb 8
Quiz 4: Wed, Feb 15
Quiz 5: Wed, Feb 22
Quiz 6: Wed, Feb 29
Quiz 7: Wed, Mar 7
Quiz 8: Wed, Mar 21
Quiz 9: Wed, Mar 28
Quiz 10: Wed, Apr 4
Quiz 11: Wed, Apr 11
Quiz 12: Wed, Apr 18
Quiz 13: Wed, Apr 25
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Weekly Readings & Topic Schedule
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(1) All of the course readings are downloadable and printable from blackboard. Each week’s
assigned readings appear together for quick, easy reference on blackboard. Look under ‘Course
Documents’;
(2) Readings marked ‘Reference’ (in blue) are useful for the entire course throughout the
semester -- reference readings are, however, particularly helpful for understanding the week’s
theme when listed against the assigned readings for any week;
(3) This syllabus is subject to unscheduled changes. The class will be immediately notified via
‘Announcements’ on blackboard in that event;
(4) All quizzes are scheduled for Wednesdays at the end of the class (except Quiz 1);
(5) Both the papers are due via ‘Assignments’ (blackboard) by due date/time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jan 18
Introduction
Jan 23, 25
Geography of Early Buddhism
Bhikku Nanamoli, The Life of the Buddha, Maps, xvi-xvii.
Maps: (a) Chief Buddhist Sites, Buddhism’s Spread in India (b) Spread of
Buddhism (c) Trade_Buddhism.
In-class Documentary Film (Jan 25).
Reference: ‘Buddha/ Buddhism Timeline 563 BCE-2011 CE’.
Jan 30, Feb 1
Who is the Historical Buddha?
The Life of the Buddha, xi-xv; 182-204; (Notes: 354-355).
‘Buddha(s)’, Encyclopedia of Buddhism (hereafter EB), 71-74.
‘Life of the Buddha’, EB, 82-88.
‘The Social Milieu of Early Buddhism’, EB, 352-359.
Reference: Buddhist Literature in Pali, EB, 625-629.
Reference: ‘Buddha/ Buddhism Timeline 563 BCE-2011 CE’.
Feb 6, 8
Early Buddhism: Interpreting the Buddha’s Discourses I
The Life of the Buddha, 206-224; (Notes: 355-357).
Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 1-11.
Richard Gombrich, ‘Obsession with Origins: Attitudes to Buddhist
Studies’, x-xii; 3-15.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Ed. John T. Bullitt.
Feb 13, 15
Early Buddhism: Interpreting the Buddha’s Discourses II
The Life of the Buddha, 224-237; (Notes: 355-357).
Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 12-39.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.
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Feb 20, 22
Early Buddhism: Interpreting the Buddha’s Discourses III
The Life of the Buddha, 238-256; (Notes: 355-357).
Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 40-69.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.
Feb 27, 29
Mental Culture in Early Buddhism, the Vital Link
Nyanasatta Thera Tr., The Great Sutta on the Foundations of Mindfulness,
or the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, 2-18.
Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 70-110.
Suvimalee Karunaratna, Prisoners of Karma A Story, 3-10.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.
Mar 5, 7
Kamma and Rebirth
Nanamoli Thera, Tr., The Great Exposition of Kamma Sutta, 2-14.
Maurice O’Connell Walshe Tr., Kamma Sutta Small, 2-4.
Paul R. Fleischman, ‘Karma and Chaos Revisited’, VRI, 75-101.
Bhikku Bodhi, Does Rebirth Make Sense?, 2-7.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.
Wed, Mar 9
First Paper Due via ‘Assignments’, 3:00 PM
MAR 10-18
***SPRING RECESS - NO CLASSES***
Mar 19, 21
Selections from Pali Literature
‘Stories of Old Gathered From the Pali Commentaries, Tr. Nyanaponika
Thera et al., 1-20.
Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Living Message of the Dhammapada,
2-14.
Kalama Sutta, The Buddha’s Discourse on Free Inquiry. Tr., Soma Thera,
2-7.
Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, A Look at the Kalama Sutta, 2-6.
Reference: Buddhist Literature in Pali, EB, 625-629.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.
Mar 26, 28
The Buddha’s Last Year: ‘The Lion’s Roar’
Bhikku Nanamoli, The Lion’s Roar Two Discourses of the Buddha. Ed.,
Bhikku Bodhi, 2-38.
Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.
History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012
Apr 2, 4
Women and Representation in Early Buddhist Tradition
Bhikku Bodhi, Discourses of the Ancient Nuns Bhikkuni Samyutta, 2-20.
Hellmuth Hecker, Buddhist Women at the Time of the Buddha. Tr. Sister
Khema, 1-39.
Apr 9, 11
Early Buddhist Art and Imagery
John Huntington and Jaya Chandrashekhar, ‘Monasteries in Southern
Asia’, 55-66.
‘Buddhist Art in India’, EB, 360-366.
‘Theravada Art and Architecture’, EB, 841-844.
‘Stupa’, EB, 803-807.
‘Buddha Images’, EB, 79-82.
‘Mudra’, EB, 569-572.
‘Life of the Buddha in Art’, EB, 88-92.
Apr 16, 18
Social Relevance of Early Buddhism
Bhikku Bodhi, Facing the Future Four Essays on the Social Relevance of
Buddhism, 3-29.
---. Navigating the New Millennium, 1-5.
‘Engaged Buddhism’, EB, 248-249.
Apr 23, 25
‘Engaged Buddhism’: Prison Projects I-II
‘Vipassana’, EB, 889-890.
Bhikku Bodhi, ‘Two Styles of Insight Meditation’, 1-4.
In-class Documentaries.
Apr 30
Wrap-up Discussion
Mon, May 7
Second and Final Paper Due via ‘Assignments’, 6:00 PM
9
The course ends!!
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P.S.: SYLLABUS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGES. THE CLASS WILL BE NOTIFIED
OF THE CHANGE(S), IF ANY, IMMEDIATELY!
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