Religion
Vedanta Sutras 840:403 Location: Loree 131 Douglass Campus 6th period 5:35-6:55 PM. Instructor: Edwin Bryant. Tel: x 23289. E-mail:
Course Description and Objectives: The Vedanta, or Brahma, Sutras has emerged as the most important of the six schools of Indian philosophy, and, indeed, has almost become synonymous with Hindu philosophy. Written in order to clarify the sometimes abstruse statements of the Upanisads, the oldest philosophical texts in Hinduism, the cryptic nature of the Vedanta Sutras in turn produced a number of distinct streams of commentarial interpretation. This course will attempt an overview of the main schools of Vedantic thought up to the medieval period -- Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Baladeva. Attention will be paid to some of the prominent points of agreement as well as contestation amongst some of these schools.
Course Prerequisites: None (but some prior knowledge of Hindu philosophy recommended).
Course Requirement: Class attendance and participation (10% of the final grade); a mid term exam (25% of the final grade each); a final exam (25% of the final grade), an 8- 10 page paper (40% of the grade). A one page discussion paper is due each week for each Gita chapter responding to a given question on that chapter reflecting a thorough reading of the material (late papers will be penalized). In addition to this, students will be assigned class presentations on the readings, and their attendance record and overall performance in class along with the response papers will factor into the remaining 10% of the grade. No make-ups for missed exams will be given without valid medical proof or a signed letter from a student dean.
The written exams will consist of short answer questions testing the students’ mastery over the information covered in the course, as well as mini-essay questions testing their insights and more in-depth understanding of the material. Essential Sanskrit terms will also be on the exams. The final paper gives students an opportunity to probe and research in more detail any particular aspect of ‘Hinduism’ connected or connectable to the Vedanta that has captured their interest.
Students must bring the Upanisads and the Synopsis of the Vedanta Sutras to every class, even after completetion of the reading of these texts, as the later readings will refer to them frequently.
Grading: A = 100-90 B+ = 89-87; B = 86-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-70; D = 69-65; F = 64 and below. Please note that outstanding class participation can make all the difference between grades
Required Reading Available at the Douglass Coop: Olivelle, Patrick. The Upanisads Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Available for download from Sakai: Deutsch, Eliot & van Buitenen, J.A.B A Source Book of Advaita Vedanta Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1971 (Vedanta Sutra summary, pp 54-61). Deutsch, Eliot Advaita Vedanta: a Philosophical Reconstruction Honolulu: East-West Center press, 1969. Adams, George C. Badarayana’s Brahma Sutras Motilal Banarsidass Delhi: Publishers, 1993. Shaubhag, D.N. Madhva-Siddhanta-Sara: A Primer of Dvaita Vedanta Banglaore, Dvaita Vedanta Studies, 1994 Raghavachar, S.S. Vedartha Sangraha of Sri Ramanujacarya Mysore: Ramakrishna Ashram, 1978. Chari, Srinivasa The Philosophy of the Vedantasutra Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1998.
Tue Jan 20th: Introduction to course
Thur Jan 22nd: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Introduction
Tue Jan 27th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Brihadaranyaka (approx half)
Thur Jan 29th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Brihadaranyaka (remainder)
Tue Feb 3rd: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Chandogya (approx. half)
Thur Feb 5th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Chandogya (remainder)
Tue Feb 10th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Kausitaki (entire)
Thur Feb 12th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Kena, Katha (entire).
Tue Feb 17th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Isa, Svetasvatara (entire).
Thur Feb 19th: Upanisads Readings: Olivelle, Mundaka, Prasna, Mandukya (entire).
Tue Feb 24th: Vedanta Sutras, first adhyaya Readings: Vedanta Sutras synopsis; Adams, chapters I-III & IV 1.1.1-4
Thur Feb 26th: Vedanta Sutras, first adhyaya (cont). Readings: Adams, chapters IV (remainder), V-VI
Tues March 3rd: Vedanta Sutras, first adhyaya (cont). Readings: Adams (VI-VIII).
Thur March 5th: Sankara & Advaita Vedanta Readings: Deutsch, chapters 1-4
Tues March 10th: Sankara & Advaita Vedanta Readings: Deutsch, chapters 5-8.
Thur March 12th: Mid-Term QUIZ.
Tue March 17th & Thur March 19th: Spring Break
Tue March 24th: Ramanuja & Visistha-advaita Vedanta Readings: Radhavachar, 1-105 (pp 1-35)
Thur March 26th: Ramanuja & Visistha-advaita Vedanta Readings: Radhavachar, 106-252 (pp 35-69)
Tues March 31st: Madhva Readings: Shaubhag, chapters 1-2
Thur April 2nd: Madhva Readings: Shaubhag, chapters 3-6.
Tues April 7th: The Three Main Vedantins: Comparative analysis Readings: Charu, Introduction & chapters 1-3
Thur April 9th: The Three Main Vedantins: Comparative analysis Readings: Charu, chapters 4-6
Tues April 14th: Readings:
Thur April 16th: The Three Main Vedantins: Comparative analysis Readings: Charu, chapters 7-9
Tues April 21st: The Three Main Vedantins: Comparative analysis Readings: Charu, chapter 10
Thur April 23rd: Readings: to be determined
Tues April 28th: Readings: to be determined.
Thur April 30th: Final Quiz; All Papers Due