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Indian Buddhism Syllabus Winter 2009

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Indian Buddhism Syllabus Winter 2009 HREL 35100: Indian Buddhism Winter Quarter 2009 Christian K. Wedemeyer M/W 15:30-16:50 Swift 310B Swift Hall Rm 201 Office Hours: M/T 10–11AM [email protected] Course description: This course is designed to serve as an introductory survey of the history, doc- trines, institutions, and practices of Buddhism in India from its origins through the end of the 20th century. Readings will be drawn both from primary sources (in translation) and secondary and tertiary scholarly research. There will be an in-class mid-term exam; students then have the option of either a take-home final exam or submitting a short (7–9 pp.) final paper on a topic approved by the instructor. All readings on electronic reserve through the course Chalk site (chalk.uchicago.edu), except The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti for purchase at Seminary Cooperative Bookstore. Schedule of Meetings 5 January 2009: Introduction Readings: none 7 January 2009: Orientation/The Indian Religious Context Topics: Brahmanism/Shramanism Readings: Jaini, “Śrāmaṇas: Their Conflict with Brāhmaṇical Society” Gomez, “Buddhism in India” [overview article] 12 January 2009: The Buddha: Myth and History Topics: The “Historical Buddha” Traditional narrative accounts Readings: Reynolds, “The Many Lives of the Buddha” Warren, trans., Buddhism in Translations, pp. 38-110 Bechert, “Introductory Essay: Dates of the Historical Buddha” (pp. 11–36) [optional] 14 January 2009: The Dharma: Basic Buddhist Teachings Topics: Cosmology and Worldview Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path Karma/Rebirth, Selflessness The Three Educations: Ethics, Meditation, Wisdom Readings: Agañña-suttānta (from Dīghanikāya: Walshe, trans., Thus Have I Heard) Warren, Buddhism in Translations, pp. 234–241 Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism, pp. 32–72 19 January 2009: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No Class) Readings: none Indian Buddhism 21 January 2009: Formation and Development of the Sangha Topics: The Nature of the Monastic Communities (incl. status of nuns) Lay Practitioners and dāna Sūtras and Abhidharma The Eighteen Schools and Vinaya(s) Readings: Robinson & Johnson, The Buddhist Religion, 4th ed., pp. 67–81 Prebish, Buddhist Monastic Discipline, pp. 1–33 Warren, Buddhism in Translations, pp. 441–447 26 January 2009: Meditation and Ritual in Nikāya Buddhism Topics: Types of meditation Ritual practice: worship, confession, offering, pilgrimage Readings: Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta Āṭānāṭiya Sutta Kūṭadanta Sutta Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism, pp. 246–257 28 January 2009: Developments through Aśoka to Buddhaghosa Topics: Canon formation and the Councils Abhidharma philosophy and early scholasticism Aśoka: the “Buddhist Constantine” Schismatic movements and the 18 schools Crystallization of Theravāda Buddhism by Buddhaghosa Readings: Warren, Buddhism in Translations, pp. 117–128 Gombrich, Theravāda Buddhism, pp. 127–136. Nikam and McKeon, The Edicts of Aśoka, pp. 1–69 Dutt, Buddhist Monks and Monasteries, pp. 249–260 2 February 2009: Rise of the Mahāyāna, the “Universal Vehicle” Topics: Origins of Mahāyāna: Hirakawa vs. Gombrich vs. Schopen Bodhisattva Emphasis The Literature of the Universal Vehicle Women in Mahāyāna Buddhism Readings: Hirakawa, “The Rise of Mahāyāna Buddhism” Gombrich, “Organized Bodhisattvas: A Blind Alley in Buddhist Historiography” Schopen, “The Bones of a Buddha and the Business of a Monk” 4 February 2009:Mahāyāna Dharma I: Upāya Topics: Liberative Art (upāya) as a key term in development of Buddhism Ethical revaluations “Docetic” Buddha Readings: Thurman, transl., Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Chs. 1–4 Tatz, transl., Upāyakauśalya Sūtra, pp. 51–70. Hurvitz, transl., Lotus Sūtra, pp. 22–83 9 February 2009: Mahāyāna Dharma II: Śūnyatā Topics: Subjective and Objective Selflessness An Anti-abhidharma? Readings: Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Chs. 5, 6, 7, and 9 The Heart Sutra (complete, Thurman trans.) 11 February 2009: In-class Midterm Exam Readings: none (review) 2 Indian Buddhism 16 February 2009: Philosophical Schools Topics: The Centrist School (Madhyamaka) The Yogic Practice (Yogācāra) or Mind-only (Cittamātra) School The Epistemological (Prāmāṇika) School Readings: Buddhist Spirituality, pp. 188-218 18 February 2009: Mystical Trends Topics: Theories of Buddha nature (tathāgata-garbha) Visionary access to new teachings Magnificent Buddha worlds Readings: Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra (complete) Harrison, transl., Samādhi of Direct Encounter. ., Chs. 3, 9, 13, 17 Vimalakīrti, Chs. 8, 10–12, and epilogue 23 February 2009: Rise of Esoteric Buddhism Topics: Context and Disputes (-emic and -etic) Nature of Movement and Revelations Readings: Kapstein, “Scholastic Buddhism and the Mantrayāna” Davidson, Indian Esoteric Buddhism, Ch. 4 25 February 2009: Mantranaya Dharma Topics: Pāramitānaya vs. Mantranaya Buddha or Cakravartin: No need to choose! The sādhana Consecration rituals and fire rituals Readings: Mahāvairocana Tantra, (only bold-faced sections): Chs. 1, 2 (§1–22, skim rest), 20, 29 Sarvadurgatipariśodhana Tantra (Chapter 1) Anupamavajra, Ādikarmapradīpa (selection) 2 March 2009: Vajrayāna Dharma Topics: Mahāyoga and Yoga-niruttara/Yoginī Tantras Yogas of Vital Airs and Psychic Veins Antinomian Language and Rites Readings: Guhyasamāja Tantra, Chs. 1, 2, and 5 Davidson, “The Subjugation of Śiva” (in RoIiP) Wedemeyer, “Beef, Dog and Other Mythologies” 4 March 2009: The “End” of Indian Buddhism Topics: Theories of Decline and Destruction The Kālacakra Tantra Evidence for Survival/Newari Buddhism Readings: Newman, “Islam in the Kālacakra Tantra” Gellner, “Monk, Householder, Tantric Priest” 9 March 2009: 19th Century Developments Topics: Impact of colonialism on world Buddhism Impact of the “Oriental Renaissance” on the West The rise of “Buddhist modernism” Readings: Schwab, The Oriental Renaissance (pp. 11–47) George D. Bond, The Buddhist Revival in Sri Lanka (chapters 1 and 2) *Take-home exams distributed to those choosing this option* 3 Indian Buddhism 11 March 2009: 20th Century and Contemporary Developments Topics: Dalit Buddhism, Diaspora Buddhisms, Western Buddhisms Transplants Re-transplanted: the Vipassanā Movement and the Tibetan Diaspora Bodh Gayā Today Readings: E. Zelliot, From Untouchable to Dalit (pp. 187–196, 235–248) Bond, Buddhist Revival (chapter 4) Gary Snyder, “Smokey the Bear Sutra” 11 March 2009: Take-home exams or final papers due by 3:30PM in Swift 201 4 Indian Buddhism Bibliography Jaini, Padmanabh S., “Śrāmaṇas: Their Conflict with Brāhmaṇical Society,” in P. S. Jaini, Collected Papers on Buddhist Studies (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2001), pp. 47–96. Gomez, Luis. “Buddhism in India,” in Kitagawa and Cummings, Buddhism and Asian History (New York: Macmillan, 1989), pp. 51–104. Reynolds, “The Many Lives of the Buddha: A Study of Sacred Biography and the Theravāda Tradition,” in Frank E. Reynolds and Donald Capps, eds., The Biographical Process: Studies in the History and Psychology of Religion (The Hague: Mouton, 1976), pp. 37–61. Warren, Henry Clarke. Buddhism in Translations. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1896. Bechert, Heinz, “Introductory Essay: Dates of the Historical Buddha,” in Heinz Bechert, ed., When Did the Buddha Live? The Controversy on the Dating of the Historical Buddha (reprint Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, 1995), pp. 1–36. Agañña-suttānta, from Maurice Walshe, transl., Thus Have I Heard: The Long Discourses of the Buddha (London: Wisdom Publications, 1987), pp. 407–415. Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Robinson, Richard H., and Willard L. Johnson. The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction. 4th edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1997. Prebish, Charles S. Buddhist Monastic Discipline. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1975. Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-, Āṭānāṭiya-, and Kūtadanta Sutta-s, in Walshe, Thus Have I Heard (as above Agañña- suttānta) Gombrich, Richard F. Theravāda Buddhism: A social history from ancient Benaras to modern Colombo. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1988. Nikam, N.A., and Richard McKeon, translators. The Edicts of Aśoka. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1959. Dutt, Sukumar. Buddhist Monks and Monasteries of India: Their History and Their Contribution to Indian Culture. 1962. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1988. Hirakawa, Akira, “The Rise of Mahāyāna Buddhism and its Relationship to the Worship of Stupas,” in Memoirs of the Research Department of The Toyo Bunko, No. 22, (Tokyo: The Toyo Bunko, 1963), pp. 57–106. Gombrich Richard. “Organized Bodhisattvas: A Blind Alley in Buddhist Historiography,” in Paul Harrison and Gregory Schopen, eds., Sūryacandrāya: Essays in Honor of Akira Yuyama on the occasion of his 65th Birthday (Swisstal-Odendorf: Indica et Tibetica Verlag, 1998), pp. 43–56. Schopen, Gregory. “The Bones of a Buddha and the Business of a Monk: Conservative Monastic Values in an Early Mahāyāna Polemical Tract,” Journal of Indian Philosophy, 27: 279–324. Thurman, Robert A. F., transl. The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti: A Mahāyāna Scripture. University Park: The State University of Pennsylvania Press, 1976. Tatz, Mark, transl. The Skill in Means (Upāyakauśalya) Sūtra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1994. 5 Indian Buddhism Hurvitz, Leon, transl. Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma (The Lotus Sūtra). New York: Columbia University Press, 1976. The Heart Sutra, in Robert A. F. Thurman, Essential Tibetan Buddhism (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995), pp. 171–172. Yoshinori, Takeuchi. Buddhist Spirituality: Indian, Southeast
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