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Meditative, Mindful, and Happy
NCTH 114 / 21389
Course Syllabus - Fall 2015
Non-credit/face-to-face format
Instructor:
Kenneth Rose, PhD
[email protected]
Instructor Bio: Kenneth Rose is a professor of philosophy and religious studies and the director of the
religious studies program at Christopher Newport University. He holds a PhD in religious studies from
Harvard University and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He is the author of the
forthcoming Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks, as
well as Pluralism: the Future of Religion, and Knowing the Real: John Hick on the Cognitivity of Religions
and Religious Pluralism, in addition to many scholarly articles and reviews.
Dates/Times: Mondays, 6:30 - 8:30pm, Dates TBD.
Tentative Location: UVa Darden Graduate School of Business, Room 40.
SIS Course Description: Explores the spiritual roots of mindfulness in Buddhist and other classic
meditation traditions alongside academic and scientific study of the role that mindfulness plays in
human flourishing. Compares the practical understanding of ancient, modern, Asian, and European
philosophical and empirical views of what constitutes happiness. Introduces basic practices of
meditation and how to integrate them as a resource for the cultivation of happiness.
Course Overview: Who doesn’t want to be happy? Who doesn’t want increased life quality? The
problem is that we don’t always know what will make us happy—or we do, but we just seem unable to
get there.
This is where meditation comes in, since research makes it clear that mindfulness meditation—the
simple act of just settling the mind down and looking within—can make your mind—and you—calm and
happy. And happiness defeats depression, procrastination, addictions, decreases sensitivity to pain,
reduces stress, and increases your ability to learn.
Mindfulness meditation, or close observation of our always changing inner and outer circumstances, is a
magic bullet that brings waves of happiness flooding into our everyday lives by helping us turn unhelpful
thought patterns and habits into positive responses promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being,
or happiness.
Now that the study of the ancient meditation technique of mindfulness has moved from Buddhist
monasteries to Western universities, we will have the opportunity in this course to explore the spiritual
roots of mindfulness in Buddhist and other classic meditation traditions alongside academic and scientific
study of the role that mindfulness plays in human flourishing.
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
By course end, students will…
 Gain technical and practical understanding of ancient, modern, Asian, and European
philosophical and empirical views of what constitutes happiness.
 Have greater ability to think philosophically about spiritual practices such as meditation and
contemplation.
 Be able to explain the basic practices of meditation and to integrate them as a resource for the
cultivation of happiness.
Recommended Text:
 Rick Hanson, The Buddha's Brain
Suggested texts, materials, helpful websites, etc.:
The following books are not required but they can serve to broaden one’s understanding of current
research on and practice of mindfulness, meditation, and happiness:
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Dan Harris, 10% Happier
Daniel Haybron, Happiness
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project
Nyanaponika Thera, The Heart of Buddhist Meditation
Teresa Aubele, et al. Train Your Brain to Get Happy
Herbert Benson, The Relaxation Response
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English
Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis
Martin Seligman, Flourish
The Dalai Lama, How To Practice
SCPS Inclement Weather/Emergency Hotline: 434-924-4364
This line will be updated in the event that ALL SCPS classes are cancelled or if all UVa classes are
cancelled (this applies to evening classes as well). Individual SCPS class cancellations due to weather or
other instructor issues will likely NOT be included on this phone line, but will be communicated to
students via email as soon as a decision has been made.
Class Instruction: The course will center on discussions, which will be supplemented by mini-lectures,
PowerPoint slides, and online resources.
Class Expectations: This is a non-credit course, so there are no formal requirements for attendance and
participation, but students will derive more benefit from this course through regular attendance,
engagement with the required readings, and active engagement in class discussions.
Class Schedule
Wk 1 (9/14) Topic: Mindfulness, Meditation, and Happiness: What’s the Connection?
Reading: “A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind.” M. A. Killingsworth & D. T. Gilbert,
Science, 18 May 2010. Short handout to be read together during this session
Wk 2 (9/21) Topic: Getting Acquainted with Mindfulness
Reading: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapters 1-2
Wk 3 (9/28)
Topic: Mindfulness in Practice
Readings: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapters 3-4
Wk 4 (10/5)
Topic: Feeling Happy vs. Being Happy
Readings: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapters 5-6
Wk 5 (10/19) Topic: Changing our Happiness Style
Readings: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapters 7-8
Wk 6 (10/26) Topic: The Three Bases of a Meditative Practice
Reading: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapters 9-10
Wk 7 (11/2)
Topic: Mindfulness in the Spectrum of Meditation Practices
Reading: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapters 11-12
Wk 8 (11/9)
Topic: Happiness and Spirituality
Reading: Hanson, The Buddha's Brain, chapter 13
Communication: You can expect a prompt response to emails sent to me during business hours, the next
day for overnight emails, and by the end of the weekend for messages sent during the weekend.
Resources: The course syllabus will be handed out in class and is accessible through the course’s
Website on UVaCollab.
Technical Specifications: Computer Hardware
 Computer with basic audio/video output equipment
 Internet access (broadband recommended)
 Microsoft Word
Technical Support Contacts
 Login/Password: [email protected]
 UVaCollab: [email protected]
 BbCollaborate (Elluminate) Support: http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com
UVa Policies
SCPS Grading Policies: Courses carrying a School of Continuing and Professional Studies subject area use
the following grading system: A+, A, A-; B+, B, B-; C+, C, C-; D+, D, D-; F. S (satisfactory) and U
(unsatisfactory) are used for some course offerings. For noncredit courses, the grade notation is N (no
credit). Students who audit courses receive the designation AU (audit). The symbol W is used when a
student officially drops a course before its completion or if the student withdraws from an academic
program of the University. Please visit www.scps.virginia.edu/audience/students/grades for more
information.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Instructors establish attendance and
participation requirements for each of their courses. Class requirements, regardless of delivery mode,
are not waived due to a student's absence from class. Instructors will require students to make up any
missed coursework and may deny credit to any student whose absences are excessive. Instructors must
keep an attendance record for each student enrolled in the course to document attendance and
participation in class.
University Email Policies: Students are expected to check their official UVa email addresses on a
frequent and consistent basis to remain informed of University communications, as certain
communications may be time sensitive. Students who fail to check their email on a regular basis are
responsible for any resulting consequences.
University of Virginia Honor System: All work should be pledged in the spirit of the Honor System at the
University of Virginia. The instructor will indicate which assignments and activities are to be done
individually and which permit collaboration. The following pledge should be written out at the end of all
quizzes, examinations, individual assignments and papers: “I pledge that I have neither given nor
received help on this examination (quiz, assignment, etc.)”. The pledge must be signed by the student.
For more information, visit www.virginia.edu/honor.
Special Needs: It is the policy of the University of Virginia to accommodate students with disabilities in
accordance with federal and state laws. Any SCPS student with a disability who needs accommodation
(e.g., in arrangements for seating, extended time for examinations, or note-taking, etc.), should contact
the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) and provide them with appropriate medical or psychological
documentation of his/her condition. Once accommodations are approved, it is the student’s
responsibility to follow up with the instructor about logistics and implementation of
accommodations. Accommodations for test taking should be arranged at least 14 business days in
advance of the date of the test(s). Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the SDAC: 434243-5180/Voice, 434-465-6579/Video Phone, 434-243-5188/Fax. Further policies and statements are
available at www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/sdac/sdac.html
For further policies and statements about student rights and responsibilities, please visit
www.scps.virginia.edu/audience/students