Download INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM

INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM
Course Description
Instructor: Yu Feng
Office: Mandel 119
Phone: 62961
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: 1-2pm Monday and Wednesday
This course is an introduction to Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world.
Founded by Siddgartha Gautama or the Buddha in 6th century B.C., Buddhism has spread
from South Asia to other parts of Asia into a great variety of distinctive schools of
thoughts. Although at the present world Asia is still the place with the greatest Buddhist
population, Buddhism has also expanded to Europe and America as well. The term
“Buddhism” refers to a vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition with a
history that stretches over some 2,500 years. As for living Buddhism, it divides,
conventionally, into three major traditions: First, the Theravada tradition of Sri Lank and
South-East Asia; second, the Mahayana tradition of China (proper), Korea, and Japan;
and third, Tibetan Buddhism. While this course will take all the three traditions into
account, we shall, however, focus on the Mahayana tradition.
This course will be a combination of a series of lectures and seminar style discussions
based on intensive readings, mainly, the English translation of the original Sanskrit,
Chinese, or Japanese materials. The course will have the following five units:
Unit One: Buddha and early Indian Buddhism
 Purpose: Understanding the common foundation of all later Buddhist Schools or
Sects.
 Themes: The pre-Buddhism tradition of India. The story of Buddha. The Four
Truths. The Noble Eightfold Path. Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Arahat. The Law and
the Monks. The Scriptures.
 Readings: online materials on the Four Truths and the stories of Buddha.
 Test One (Focusing on the Four Truths)
Unit Two: Mahayana Buddhism before Zen (Chan)
 Purpose: Understanding the depth of Buddhist philosophy (its ontology and
epistemology)
 Themes: The “Great Vehicle” versus the “Small Vehicle.” “The Middle Way.”
“The Gold Lion.”
 Readings: Buddhist Philosophy Pp: 26-34, 46-60; “The Emptiness of Unreal”
(Handout); “The Treatise of the Gold Lion.” (Handout)
 Short Paper One
Unit Three: Zen in China and Japan
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Understanding the most influential school of Buddhism and its characteristics.
Themes: The “Buddha Nature.” The gradual enlightenment versus sudden
enlightenment. Koan and the Word of Wisdom.
Readings: The Platform Sutra (Online)
Test Two (Focusing on the idea of the Hui Neng)
Unit Four: Buddhist Rituals and Arts
 Purpose: Understanding the Buddhist way of life and its great varieties.
 Themes: Temples and monastic complex. Chanting and meditation. “Sending one
to Other Shore” (Buddhist funerals). Statues and “Tangka.” “Journey to the
West.” Lay practices.
 Reading materials: TBA
 Watching videos.
 Short Paper Two
Unit Five: The Worldly Buddhism
 Purpose: Understanding the relationship between Buddhism and contemporary
world by studying Taiwan’s “the Buddhism of This World” and mainland China’s
Shaolin Temple.
 Themes: The possibility of applying Buddhist principles to worldly matters such
as everyday life and economic growth. Commercialized Buddhism?
 Reading materials: TBA
 Short Paper Three
Unit Six: Understanding Buddhism by Comparison
 Purpose: Deepening the understanding of Buddhism as well as religion in general.
 Themes: The distinctive features of Buddhism as compared with other major
religions of the world. Comparison between Buddhism and other Chinese
traditions (Confucianism and Taoism). Dialogue between Buddhism and
Christianity.
Class Meeting Time and Place
 Time: 2-3:20 Tuesdays and Thursdays
 Classroom: TBA
Textbook:
Buddhist Philosophy, Essential Readings (Paper back), by William Edelglass & Jay
Garfield, Oxford University Press, 2009
Grading:
 Class attendance and participation in on class discussion: 20%
 Period tests: 20% (10% each)
 Short papers: 30% (10% each)
 Final Exam: 30%