Here are some of the Buddhist Studies courses that are regularly offered. Be sure to check our course gallery and the LSA Course Guide to find out everything being taught in a given semester.
ASIAN 230: Introduction to Buddhism
Over the course of its long history, Buddhism has been the most influential and widely practiced religion in Asia. Beginning in India 2500 years ago, it eventually spread to China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia, and to Sri Lanka and throughout Southeast Asia. More recently, it has spread to Europe, the Americas, and Australia. This course is an introduction to the major themes in Buddhist thought and practice. Beginning with the early teachings associated with the historical Buddha, the course will go on to consider the development of the tradition over its long history in India. The readings for the course will consist entirely of Buddhist texts in translation.
ASIAN 231: Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
Over the course of the past century, Tibetan Buddhism has gone from being the most maligned form of Buddhism to the most exalted. This course will survey the development of Buddhism in Tibet from its origins to the present day, focusing on its doctrines and practices. The course will begin with a close reading of a famous work on Tibetan Buddhist practice and will then turn to consider selections from a wide range of Tibetan works, including ritual manuals, meditation texts, pilgrimage guides, and prayers. The course will conclude with an assessment of the current state of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama’s efforts to preserve it. The format of the course will be lecture and discussion. Readings will consist entirely of primary texts in translation. No previous knowledge of Buddhism is required.
ASIAN 234: Buddhism and Death
Buddhism is comprised of a complex of traditions, spanning multiple cultures over the course of more than two millennia. Despite its dizzying diversity, there are a number of unifying themes — loosely woven networks of beliefs and practices found throughout Buddhist traditions across time and space. Such themes include the problem of suffering, the goal of liberation, the authority of the Buddha, and the centrality of texts, to name just a few. The topic of this course — the role of death in Buddhism — stands alongside and in relation to other central aspects of the Buddhist tradition. Why death? From a certain perspective, conceptions and practices of dying, death, and the afterlife are the fundamental concerns of all Buddhists. How does the immanence of death influence the actions of the living? How should one die? What happens at the moment of death? What should be done with the bodies of the dead? Is there an afterlife? What is it that is reborn? We will explore these and other issues as they manifest in distinct cultural contexts (India, Thailand, China, and Japan) and as cross-cultural phenomena. In addition to assigned readings of scholarly articles and translations of primary texts, relevant topics will be addressed in class through lectures, discussions, numerous images, and films.
ASIAN 325: Zen: History, Culture, and Critique
The term “Zen” has entered the American lexicon as a sort of synonym for words like “relaxing,” “peaceful,” “healthy,” and “focused.” We now have Zen breakfast cereals, Zen pipe cleaners, Zen singles services, and all manner of books beginning “Zen and the art of…” But what is Zen? Where did it come from? What does it teach? What does it mean to be a Zen Buddhist? In this course we will look at the Zen tradition from a variety of perspectives. We will begin by familiarizing ourselves with some of the most common features of the tradition: dharma transmission, the lives of eminent monks, meditation, and koans—especially as these things are represented from within the tradition itself. From this foundation we will take a more critical look at the historical and philosophical development of Zen as it spread throughout East Asia. Taking broader cultural contexts into account, we will re-examine some of the previous themes in light of recent scholarship on Zen. This course will also introduce students to the various forms Zen has taken in the ancient and modern world. Along the way, we will have the opportunity sample some of the key texts, teachings, and critiques of both Zen masters and contemporary Zen scholars.
ASIAN 326: Introduction to Japanese Buddhism
Over the course of its long history, Buddhism has been the most influential and widely practiced religion in Asia. Beginning in India 2500 years ago, it eventually spread to China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia, and to Sri Lanka and throughout Southeast Asia. More recently, it has spread to Europe, the Americas, and Australia. This course is an introduction to the major themes in Buddhist thought and practice. Beginning with the early teachings associated with the historical Buddha, the course will go on to consider the development of the tradition over its long history in India. The readings for the course will consist entirely of Buddhist texts in translation.
ASIAN 328: Introduction to Theravada Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, where it is the faith of 135 million citizens.
This course introduces students to the variety of Theravada Buddhist teachings, values, and practices found in South and Southeast Asia. Doctrine, myth, ritual, and symbolism will be explored across different cultures, both in the past and in the present. Which scriptures, doctrines, and rituals are central to the tradition? What distinguishes monks from the laity? How do ideas about karma, rebirth, and nirvana shape religious life? Why is asceticism and monasticism so important? How are Buddhist teachings preserved and transmitted in society? How have the literary, social, and ritual dimensions of Theravada Buddhism changed over the past centuries?
Readings will include both primary materials in translation and secondary scholarship investigating religion, society, and culture.
