Seminary Class: History through Texts, 2016

Note: This is a work in process. Please check the online Syllabus for updates. – This version updated April 1, 2016.  200-400 words of analysis submitted each week, by 7pm the date of the class. Email to both Genko & Kakumyo (genko@dharma-rain.org; [email protected])  50-100 pages of reading each week.  Passing course requires minimum of 8 out of 9 assignments completed, and one more can be late (no later than June 1).  Active participation in class. Quality of assignments and participation also counts.

Class One, Feb 9th: Intro Topics: Why study history and primary texts? Logistics. Buddha’s life story. Reading: Buddhakarita by Ashvagosha – This is out of place chronologically (Sanscrit) but it is literarily important and a great description of the Buddha’s life, so appropriate contextually: http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books7/Buddhacarita_The_Life_of_Buddha.pdf. (185 quick pages)

Class Two, Feb 16th: Buddha’s time and place Topic: Early sangha development and context Assignment: Read the first three short selections below, and write a paragraph on your response to each - how are you affected as a modern practitioner by encountering this material? How do you find it relevant (or not) to your practice, what immediate response do you find internally? Reading: 1. Going Forth "Pabbaja Sutta: The Going Forth" (Sn 3.1), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.3.01.than.html . 2. Sermon at Benares http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg17.htm 3. Fire Sermon "Adittapariyaya Sutta: The Fire Sermon" (SN 35.28), translated from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 13 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.028.nymo.html 4. Dhammapada http://zen-ua.org/wp-content/uploads/dhammapada_english.pdf

Class Three, February 23rd: Pali Suttas Topic: Major emphases, methods and concepts found in sutras Assignment: Discuss EITHER the Samannaphala OR Potthapada sutta and some personal or practice question the reading raised for you. Reading: 1. Questions not tending to edification. "Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta: The Shorter Instructions to Malunkya" (MN 63), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.063.than.html 2. Rhinoceros discourse "Khaggavisana Sutta: A Rhinoceros" (Sn 1.3), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.03.than.html 3. The Fruits of Recluseship: "Samaññaphala Sutta: The Fruits of the Contemplative Life" (DN 2), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html 4. "Potthapada Sutta: About Potthapada" (DN 9), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.09.0.than.html

Class Four, March 1st: Vinaya and Abhidharma Topics: Diversification of dharma; Pali canon and Tripitaka Assignment: questions of King Melinda - compare and contrast Sanscrit vs Zen style of answering these questions. Reading: 1. Questions of King Melinda: http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/milinda.pdf (pg 17-65) 2. Vinaya: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/vin/sv/bhikkhu-pati.html 3. Abhidharma http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/abhidhamma.pdf Chapter 1 4. How the Buddha Met a Schism within the Sangha: http://dharma-rain.org/wp- content/uploads/2016/02/Burtt-39-43.pdf

Class Five, March 8th: Spread of Buddhism Topic: Historical diversification and transmission of Buddhism across and from India Assignment: If you were to write an Edict (a la Ashoka) to post on a pillar in your front yard, what would it be?

Reading: 1. Edicts of Ashoka http://www.katinkahesselink.net/tibet/asoka1.html 2. Buddhaghosa - Vissudimagha (Chapter 1) http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/PathofPurification2011.pdf

Class Six, March 22nd: Mahayana and Wisdom Sutras Topic: Mahayana philosophy; literature; practice, bodhisattva Assignment: Set forth some differences and similarities between what we've been reading up to now (primarily from the Pali canon) and the Mahayana readings for this week. Reading: 1. Ashvagosha - Awakening of Faith http://www.investigacioneshistoricaseuroasiaticas- ihea.com/files/TheAwakeningofFaith.pdf 2. Ratnagunasamkayagatha http://www.buddhistische-gesellschaft- berlin.de/downloads/ratnagunasamcayagatha.pdf 3. Bhumis – Lankavatara Sutra http://www.anandavala.info/miscl/TheLankavataraSutra.pdf pp69-75

Class Seven, March 29th: Key Concepts and Teachers Topics: Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu; Tathagarbha, suchness, alayavijnana Assignment: Contrast Nagarjuna with Vasubandhu – which direction do you lean? Reading: 1. Read from one of the following major Mahayana sutras that you have not previously studied: Lotus, Lankavatara, Avatamsakha, Parinirvana, Diamond, Platform, or Vimilakirty 2. Nagarjuna (12 pages, just the verses.) http://www.cronksite.com/wp- content/uploads/2014/02/NagarjunaGC.pdf 3. Vasubandhu (30 verses on consciousness, pg 373-384) https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0FdVEOMQ7mLNFhfeDEwTFY2SjA/edit

Class Eight, April 5th: Diversification in China, Tibet, SE Asia, Topic: Translating to different contexts: Chan and Hua Yen in China, Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet and Japan, SE Asian Theravadin traditions Assignment: Give an I-tsing style account of a Sunday morning at DRZC. Reading: 1. Affirming faith - http://www.zentexts.org/faithmnd.html 2. Hua Yen Hua Yen Buddhism: Emptiness, Identity, Interpenetration, by Atif Khalil 3. Shantideva (Ch3 http://www.bodhicitta.net/Shantideva-chap-3.htm; longish scholarly article about Shantideva http://www.iep.utm.edu/santideva/ ) 4. I-tsing: Put "A record of the Buddhist religion as practised in India and the Malay" into your search engine. It will take you to google books, where you can read this, free. The assignment is to start after the introduction and read 4-5 sections - probably about 30 pages of a 200 page book.

Class Nine, April 12th: Medieval Japan 1000-1600 Topic: Transplant of Buddhism to Japan; different schools; key influences - politics, literature; Context for Zen. Assignment: Research a Japanese ancestor after Keizan and before Manzan, and present your research (you will likely have to look in books, not just the Internet) Reading: 1. Nichiren. On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime 2. Saicho. Writings on the Bodhisattva Precepts 3. Ippen. Hyaku Rikugo (Inagaki) 4. Kukai. Sokushin Sokushin-Jobutsu-Gi (Inagaki)

Class Ten, April 19th: Tokugawa to Postmodern. Topics: Tokugawa precedents and Meiji restoration and persecution; Impacts on Soto Zen; Transition to west; Influences of western culture on Buddhism - feminism, psychology, diversity of traditions, lay practice Assignment: Report on what you found about Buddhism coming to the west from Reading #2. Reading: 1. Jiryu_Meiji_Soto_Thesis_2014.pdf (required) 2. AND a chunk of one of the following:  Zen Master Who? A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen, by James Ishmael Ford  Buddhist Handbook, Part VI  How the Swans Came to the Lake, by Rick Fields

Other Resources E. A. Burtt, Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha Edward Conze, Buddhist Scriptures Heinrich Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A History, Vol 1 & 2 John Snelling, The Buddhist Handbook Lucien Stryk, ed., World of the Buddha