Theravāda Buddhism: Spring 2011 RELIGIOUS STUDIES 312
Professor Todd T. Lewis Religious Studies Department, Smith 425 Office Hours: Thursdays, 4-5:30 PM Office Extension: 793-3436 E-mail: [email protected]
Course Description A course that examines the prominent texts, doctrines and practices of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. We will survey the historical development of the tradition in India with attention to major schools of interpretation and practice. Theravāda social philosophy and ethics are examined, as are the distinctive forms of meditation, popular narratives, and the patterns of accommodation with non-Buddhist religions. Village Buddhism and new forms of Theravāda tradition in urban contexts will be studied. The final and largest phase of the course in 2011 will focus upon traditions and modernity in Sri Lanka.
Course Design I. Four short papers, four pages maximum, to be written on assigned themes. Each will have separate guidelines. 1. Analysis of Milindapañha Dialogues 2. Belief and Practice 3. Analysis of two jâtaka stories 4. Final Paper: Modernity or Open Topic (25% of the evaluation will be based upon the oral summary during the last class; topic to be agreed upon with instructor)
II. Final Exam III. Participation
Course Grading Four papers…[10/10/15/20] ….….50 Final Exam….………………. 35 Informed Class Participation…..…15 100 pts
Theravāda Seminar Syllabus, pg. 2
Required Textbooks Walpola Rahula. What the Buddha Taught, NY: Publisher Resource, 1978. Bhikkhu Bodhi, ed. In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon. Boston: Wisdom, 2005. Nyanaponika Thera, Great Disciples of the Buddha. Boston: Wisdom, 2003. Todd Lewis and Subarna Tuladhar, trans. Sugata Saurabha. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Nyanaponika Thera. The Heart of Buddhist Meditation NY: Weiser, 1984. Richard Gombrich, Theravāda Buddhism: a Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo, 2nd. Ed. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 2006. Caroline Rhys-Davids, Stories of the Buddha: Being Selections from the Jataka NY: Dover, 1989 Nicola Tannenbaum. Who Can Compete Against the World? Power Protection and Buddhism in Shan World-View. (Ann Arbor: Association for Asian Studies, 1996)
Readings on ERE-s [Password: buddha]
Recommended Reading Joseph Goldstein, The Path of Insight. Boston: Shambhala Pocket, 1995
TOPIC ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. 1/26: Introduction to the Course: Orientalism and the Study of "the East" Required Reading Theravāda Buddhism, 1-31 Edward Said, “Orientalism.” [EREs]
2. 1/31: Film: "Footprint of the Buddha" Required Reading Theravāda Buddhism, 32-59 Walpola Rahula What the Buddha Taught, xv-xvi
TOPIC TWO: LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
3. 2/2: The Life of the Shākyamuni, the Buddha I Required Reading Sugata Saurabha, Chapters 1-7 In the Buddha’s Words, 41-78
2 Theravāda Seminar Syllabus, pg. 3
4. 2/7: The Life of the Shākyamuni, the Buddha II Required Reading Sugata Saurabha Chapters 8-13 Theravāda Buddhism, 60-78
5. 2/9: The Life of the Shākyamuni, the Buddha III Required Reading Sugata Saurabha, Chapters 14-19
TOPIC THREE: BASIC DOCTRINES
6. 2/14: Early Dhamma I: Analysis Required Reading What the Buddha Taught, Chapter 4,5,6 In the Buddha’s Words, 17-40; 79-104
7. 2/16: Early Dhamma II: Prescriptions for Householders Required Reading In the Buddha’s Words, 105-180 Theravāda Buddhism, 78-86 "Buddhist Texts from a Feminist Perspective" [ERE-s]
8. 2/21: Tripitaka Readings: Path to Liberation Required Reading In the Buddha’s Words, 181-370.
9. 2/23: Monk-King Debate in Gandhara: Student-led Discussion: Issues in the Milindapañha Required Reading Questions of King Milinda, Books I and II, pgs. 1-100. Case Studies as needed for Paper #1
2/24: Paper #1 Due
3 Theravāda Seminar Syllabus, pg. 4
TOPIC FOUR: THE SANGHA and MONASTICISM
10. 2/28: Monastic Community: The Early History of the Sangha Required Reading Theravāda Buddhism, 87-117 Vinaya Passages on Fixed Dwelling, Vassa retreat, Mendicant Ideal” [ERE-s]
11. 3/2: Sangha as Refuge: Reading the Vinaya Required Reading “Sanghadisesa and Pakittiya Dhamma Passages” [ERE-s] “Patimokkha Ceremony in text and in Sri Lanka” [ERE-s] “Ordination in Sri Lanka” 1872 [ERE-s]
Spring Break
12. 3/14: The Lives of Early Buddhist Monks Required Reading Nyanaponika Thera, Great Disciples of the Buddha. Boston: Wisdom, 2003. vx- xxxi; 1-105 + Assigned Individual Case
TOPIC FIVE: ASHOKA and the EXPANSION OF BUDDHISM
13. 3/16: Asoka and the Edicts Required Reading Nikam and McKeon trans The Edicts of Ashoka [ERE-s] Theravāda Buddhism, 81-86; 118-136
14. 3/21: Asoka as Paradigm: Theravāda Buddhist Statecraft Required Reading Frank Reynolds, "The Two Wheels of Dhamma" [ERE-s]
TOPIC SIX: POPULAR NARRATIVES
4 Theravāda Seminar Syllabus, pg. 5 15. 3/23: Dharma Stories: Jatakas and Avadanas Required Reading Caroline Rhys-Davids, Stories of the Buddha, 1-30; 159-240
16. 3/28: Student-led discussion: Stories and the Popularization of Buddhism Required Reading Caroline Rhys-Davids, Stories of the Buddha, assigned cases Theravāda Buddhism, 72-81
TOPIC SEVEN: TRADITIONS OF MEDITATION
17. 3/30: Vipassanā Meditation (I): Theory Required Reading Nyanaponika Thera, The Heart of Buddhist Meditation 7-84; 117-191 In the Buddha’s Words, 280-296; 353-391
Noon: Paper II Due
18. 4/4: or EVENING TBA: Vipassanā Meditation (II): Practice Required Reading The Heart of Buddhist Meditation, 85-116 What the Buddha Taught, Chapter 7 Recommended Reading Joseph Goldstein, The Path of Insight
19. 4/6: NO CLASS
TOPIC EIGHT: THERAVADA TRADITIONS in the MODERN ERA
20. 4/11: Buddhism in Sri Lanka: History and Central Practices Required Reading Theravāda Buddhism, 137-171 and What the Buddha Taught, Chapter 8 Martin Southwold, “The Concept of Nirvana in Village Buddhism” [ERE-s]
21. 4/13: Modernity in Sri Lanka/Burma: “Protestant Buddhism,” Buddhist Nationalism, Buddhist-Socialism Required Reading
5 Theravāda Seminar Syllabus, pg. 6 Theravāda Buddhism, 172-197 H.L. Seneviratne, “Dharmapala and the Definition of the Monk’s Mission” [ERES] E. Sarkisyanz, “Buddhist Backgrounds Of Burmese Socialism” [ERES]
22. 4/18: Sri Lankan Theravāda Practices: Bodhi Pūjā I Required Reading Theravāda Buddhism, 198-210 Gombrich and Obeyesekere, “The Bodhi Puja” [ERE-s]
23. 4/20: Sri Lankan Theravāda Practices: Relics and Bodhi Pūjā II Required Reading Kevin Trainor, “When is a Theft Not a Theft? Relic Theft and the Cult of the Buddha’s Relics in Sri Lanka,” Numen XXXIX, 1992, 1-26. [ERE-s] John Strong, “Relics of the Buddha” [ERE-s]
24. 4/27: Buddhism & the Spirit World: Sri Lankan Deities, Demons & Healing Required Reading Theravāda Buddhism, 67-132; 133-162; 163-199 G. Obeyesekere "The Ritual Drama of the Sanni Demons" [ERE-s] Daniel Kent, “Onward Buddhist Soldiers: Preaching to the Sri Lankan Army” [ERE-s]
25. 5/2: Burma: History of Buddhism; Stupa Studies; Buddhism and the Spirits I Required Reading Nicola Tannenbaum. Who Can Compete Against the World? Power Protection and Buddhism in Shan World-View. 1-104
26. 5/4: Burma: Buddhism and the Spirits II Required Reading Nicola Tannenbaum. Who Can Compete Against the World? Power Protection and Buddhism in Shan World-View. 104-224
CASE STUDIES of THERAVĀDA TRADITION
27. 5/9: Students Present Term Papers
6 Theravāda Seminar Syllabus, pg. 7 EXAM PERIOD: Take-Home Final Examination
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