Religion Department Office 103 Office Hours

Hindu Lives RELI 205

Spring 2012 Religion Department office 103 Office hours: 685-2293 Mon. & Thurs. 1.10-2 pm [email protected] & by appointment

Course objectives This course attempts to accomplish the following: (A) Familiarity with some of the more common teachings and practices associated with Hindu traditions. (B) Awareness of the diversity of religious traditions among Hindus. (C) Ability to understand Hindu traditions using the tools of comparative religious studies.

Please read each day’s material in the order indicated

Jan 26 Introduction

A beginning Jan 31 “A Virtual Village”: http://virtualvillage.wesleyan.edu

Feb 2 Ananthamurthy, Part One

Feb 7 Ananthamurthy, Part Two through Afterword

The Vedas and Vedanta Feb 9 Reader: “Vivekananda” article © Reader: essay by Raychaudhuri Reader: Chowdhury-Sengupta Map quiz

Feb 14 Lipner, ch. 2 Reader: Rg Veda (to p. 83) ©

Feb 16 Lipner, ch. 3 Reader: Rg Veda (rest of selection) ©

Feb 21 Reader: Vivekananda’s works © Media assignment no. 1 due: How do the Vedas figure into contemporary Hindu communities? Tantra, temple, & yoga Feb 23 Lipner, ch. 7 © Reader: “Ramakrishna” encyclopedia article Reader: Gospel of Ramakrishna (to p. 20)

Feb 28 Reader: Gospel of Ramakrishna (rest of selection) © Lipner, ch. 11

Bhakti Mar 1 Reader: “Translator’s Introduction”© Reader: poems of Mirabai Lipner, ch. 12

Friday, Mar 2 Visit to Middletown temple

Mar 6 Reader: Kabir biography © Reader: Kabir poetry Media assignment no. 2 due: Other than as places to do puja, what roles do temples play in Hindu communities?

Hindus, Hinduism, and India Mar 8 Gandhi, Part I (in India & Britain): chapter I-XIV © Lipner, ch. 1

Spring break

Mar 27 Gandhi, Part I (in Britain): chapter XX; Part II: chapters (in India) I-II, (in South Africa) VII-IX, XI-XIII, XV-XVI, XXII; Part III: (in South Africa) VII-X, (in India) XVII-XX ©

Mar 29 Lipner, pp. TBA Bhagavad Gita: Introduction, 21-57 ©

Apr 3 Bhagavad Gita: 59-118 ©

Apr 5 Bhagavad Gita: 119-146 © Gandhi, Part IV (in South Africa): X, XXV-XXXI; Part V (back in India): VII-X; Farewell ©

Defying Gandhi and the dharmashastras Apr 10 Reader: Ambedkar © Media assignment no. 3 due: Today, what is Gandhi’s legacy among Hindus (not Indians in general)? Apr 12 Lipner, ch. 4 © Reader: from The Laws of Manu, pp. 3-31

Apr 17 Reader: from The Laws of Manu, pp. 197-250, 278-290 © 4.30 pm: RAW paper thesis, outline, and bibliography due

Apr 18, 7-10 pm “Water” film screening

Apr 19 Reader: from Essential Writings of BR Ambedkar ©

Itihas Apr 24 Reader: Nathuram Godse, “May It Please Your Honour” © Reader: essay by C. Ram-Prasad Reader: essay by Sumathi Ramaswamy Media assignment no. 4a due: In what situations does caste become prominent in Hindu communities today?

Apr 26 Lipner, pp. TBA Ramayana, pp. 3-70 ©

May 1 Ramayana, 71-134 ©

May 3 Ramayana, 341-372 © A K Ramanujan “Three Hundred Ramayanas” Outlook article Rama (Amar Chitra Katha) Reader: from Prince of Ayodhya, Part One

Living together May 8 Film: “Sita Sings the Blues" Media assignment no. 4b due: Describe some of the ways in which Hindus performatively enact the Ramayana tradition.

Thursday, May 17, 2-5 p.m. – research presentations + RAW paper due

To be purchased or found at the Olin reserved reading desk: U. R. Ananthamurthy, Samskara: A Rite for a Dead Man (0195610792) Barbara Stoller Miller, trans. Bhagavad Gita: Krishna's Counsel in Time of War (0553213652) M. K. Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth (0807059099) Julius Lipner, Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (2nd ed., 0415456770) Rama (Amar Chitra Katha) (8175080981) Valmiki, Rama the Steadfast: An Early Form of the Ramayana. Translated by John Brockington and Mary Brocking (014044744X) Reader available at Cardinal Print and Copy (use your student portfolio)

Class participation This constitutes an important part of the class because of the opportunity it affords you to discuss the issues that are of concern to you and hear those of others. Class attendance is mandatory and students are expected to be punctual. Students who plan to miss class due to a religious holiday must notify the professor two weeks in advance.

Classroom etiquette Our time together is an opportunity to forge an environment and community of learning. The more focused and respectful we are of that time and place, the more intense our experience and the greater the possibilities for discovery. To that end, please observe the following courtesies during class. • Disagree with your classmates and professor, but do not disrespect any of them. • Have no communication with anyone outside of class during class. • Please do not leave the room unless in case of emergency. • If you’re loquacious, be mindful of allowing others the chance to speak; if you’re the strong silent type, rise to the occasion of helping carry the conversation.

Contemporary example exercise Each student will choose a reading for which ze will bring to class an example of the current reference either to the main person or to the use of the text under consideration in class that day.

Note regarding written assignments All written work must: • be printed in 12-point font and be double-spaced • have the name of the student written on the back of the last page (no cover pages, please) • be printed double-sided when possible • have the page numbers noted for all references to class readings

Media analysis assignments The three media assignments allow students the opportunity to fuse their class study with analysis of Hindu communities and events, while refining the ability to write succinctly. Using four to five current news sources or websites of Hindu organizations, answer three of the four questions listed on the syllabus with particular emphasis on analysis using the class readings, which must be cited. These must be only three pages long and use no more than three short (i.e., not more than 15 words each) quotes. Note: • Only 4a OR 4b can be chosen, not both. • The answers to each question must draw on examples and themes other than those discussed in our readings and discussion. So, for instance, it would be inappropriate to include examples from the Vedanta society in an answer to the first assignment, since we will have discussed the society in the context of Vivekananda’s life. • News sources can be from anywhere so long as (a) they are professional news outlets and (b) the question does not call for them to originate from India specifically. • Your grade will be determined by the appropriateness of the examples, the sharpness of the analysis, the successful application of the class readings, and the quality of the writing.

RAW Paper One research, analysis, and writing (RAW) paper (10-12 pages) on any approved topic that examines Hindu tradition(s) in a specific culture in light of one of the analytic themes (e.g., myth, ritual, social constructions, modernity, nationalism) discussed in class. Papers allow you an opportunity to explore personal interests and develop writing skills. These papers must be entirely original with sources fully cited and include a bibliography. An outline, thesis statement, and annotated bibliography of the paper are due by class time on April 17. Completed papers are due by 2 p.m. on May 17. BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULES of PLAGIARISM EXPLAINED BELOW. PLAGIARISM CAN RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE FAILING GRADE. Please observe all guidelines provided on the handout, which include submitting a copy to Turnitin.com. • Your grade will be determined by the depth of the research, the range of your resources, the sharpness of the analysis, the successful application of the class themes, and the quality of the writing.

Research presentation Each student will provide a ten-minute presentation to the seminar regarding their final project. This will occur on the day for which the seminar is scheduled to have its final exam.

Map Quiz A map quiz will be given on February 9 in order to prompt you to have an understanding of the geography involved in our work.

Basis of grade The following elements comprise each student’s grade: participation (including contemporary example exercise) – 10%; the map quiz – 10%; the research presentation – 10%; and each media analysis assignment – 10%; and the RAW paper (including the research presentation) – 40%.

Accommodations Wesleyan University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students should provide documentation and schedule an appointment with the Office of the Dean of the College at least two weeks before services are needed. In each class where a student requests academic accommodations, the student must meet with the faculty member teaching the course at least one week prior to the requested accommodation. PLEASE! do not hesitate to discuss with me your needs for any accommodation.

Curmudgeonly notice The use of computers, tablets, and cell phones is not allowed in the class. While I appreciate that some students may find it easier to type than write, the unfortunately inevitable web surfing, Facebooking, and texting by a few students distracts the rest, and the prof. Plus, if you have seen Battlestar Galactica, Terminator, or any number of Star Trek episodes, I think you’ll agree with me that we don’t want to bring computers into our classrooms and make them any smarter than they already are.

Honor System Students are expected to abide by the Honor System in regard to all work and participation in this class. For details, see http://www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/standardsregulations/studentco nduct.html Editorial marks

Note: Although many comments made on your paper mark mistakes that affect your grade, others simply offer suggestions for writing improvement or further reflection and do not mark mistakes. gen use gender inclusive language ? meaning unclear c’n contraction: do not use any sp spelling mistake par use a parallel construction aolien delete character cap capitalization mistake a lien delete space awk awkward: reword alieninvasion insert space ^ insert here ¶ make this a new paragraph 75¢ use a more sophisticated word <–– run together pl problem with plurality x y exchange x for y tense problem with verb tense inc incomplete sent. rep repetitious: avoid the overuse of the same word or sentence structure trans transition: sentences and paragraphs should flow into one another cons consistency: be consistent in plurality, tense, capitalization

Multiple mistakes of the same kind may be circled but not labeled.

Common mistakes

The key to successful writing is SIMPLICITY and DIVERSITY. Clearly express yourself in ways that makes reading enjoyable. Before you write anything, you should know who your audience is and what style best suits their expectations. Unless instructed otherwise, you should assume that university papers need to be formal. Avoid a conversational style. Do not use contractions (“I’ve,” “it’s,” “they’re”). Introduce your essay with a single paragraph within which you succinctly describe your thesis in a single sentence. Avoid passive and ‘-ing’ verbs. Active verbs give power to a sentence. • e.g., Babe was acting like a dog => Babe acted like a dog. Avoid ‘to be’ verbs in favor of active verbs which express more. • e.g., She is courageous => She works courageously. Spellcheck is not enough. You must proofread your work and can best accomplish this by reading aloud to yourself. Your ear often picks up mistakes that your eye will not.