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Introduction to Buddhism
EAST201a/REL201a

This course is an introduction to Buddhism with a focus on the East Asian Buddhist tradition. Students will learn the basics of Buddhist philosophy and doctrine and will also be exposed to debates in current scholarship on Buddhist Studies. We will examine Buddhism both as a textual tradition and as a lived religion.
Our course will trace the development of Buddhism from its origins in India and its philosophical foundations in the doctrines of no-self and dependant co-arising through its efflorescence in Central and East Asia. While we will have brief glimpses of the Buddhist cultures of Southeast Asia and Tibet, the primary object of our study will be the Mahayana tradition of East Asia. Within this tradition, particular attention will be accorded to the development of the doctrine of Buddha nature in China as a crucial aspect of the Sinification of the religion. Although much of our time will be spent reading, thinking about, and discussing doctrine, we will also examine the practices of Buddhism, including meditation, pilgrimage, and relic worship. Periodic slide presentations will introduce students to the rich visual culture of the Buddhist tradition

 

pages created and maintained by
Hank Glassman,
Haverford College

updated 8/27/03