Buddhist Studies

BUS 120 The Study of Buddhism (1 Credit)

This course introduces students to the academic study of Buddhism through readings, lectures, and discussions. Students explore the ways that Buddhism is analyzed and interpreted through the perspectives of different academic disciplines, including anthropology, art, environmental humanities, gender studies, government, literature, philosophy, and religion. Each week features a different methodological approach. Materials to be considered include discourses of the Buddha, meditation manuals, painting, poetry, philosophical treatises, and more. This course meets during the first half of the semester only. S/U only. {H}

Fall

BUS 160/ REL 160 The Buddha (4 Credits)

Offered as REL 160 and BUS 160. Who was the Buddha? For some, he was an ordinary being who achieved awakening and became a teacher. For others, he was a savior and an enduring cosmic presence. And who is he now for the millions of Buddhists worldwide? This course examines how the figure of the Buddha has been understood, represented, and revered across Buddhist cultures. It explores depictions of the historical Buddha and conceptions of Buddhahood; asking what constitutes awakening; how exemplary lives shape communities; and how texts, art, and ritual create religious authority. Materials include scriptural sources, biographies, philosophical writings, painting, sculpture, film, and modern scholarship. (E) {A}{H}{L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

BUS 253 Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy and Hermeneutics (4 Credits)

This intensive course is taught at the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India, as part of the Tibetan Studies in India program. Students take daily classes, taught by eminent Tibetan scholars, in Buddhist philosophy, Indo-Tibetan hermeneutics, and Tibetan history and culture; they attend incidental lectures on topics including Tibetan art, astrology, history, medicine, and politics; and they participate in regular discussion sessions. Students also visit important Buddhist historical sites and explore Varanasi, home to thousands of Hindu temples. Each student is paired with a Tibetan student "buddy" to get an inside view of Tibetan culture. No prerequisites. Application and program acceptance required. This course takes place in India. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission required. {H}{N}{S}

Interterm, Variable

BUS 400 Special Studies in Buddhist Studies (1-4 Credits)

Normally, Buddhist studies minors only. Instructor permission required.

Fall, Spring