REL 101 World Religions
of Asia - Class
Schedule
Read assigned texts by the class meeting date indicated.
(CR: Course Reader; CR
1 = Course Reader Selection No. 1; RT:
Required Text)
Week 1 - Introduction; Hinduism I: Vedic Religion & The Bhagavad Gita
09/29 Mon: Introduction:
Syllabus; What is “Religion.” The Geography of Asian Religions.
10/01 Wed: Vedic Religion & Brahmanism. Read: Hymns of the Rgveda, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita (excerpt) CR 1.
10/03 Fri: L. Patton, trans., Bhagavad Gita, CR 2.
Week 2 - Indian
Religion: Hinduism II: The Gita Govinda; Buddhism I: Introduction to Buddhism
10/06 Mon: Dance
of Krishna & Gopis. Read (Gita Govinda): Campbell, Oriental
Mythology, CR 3. (Focus pages: 343-349).
10/08 Wed: Early Indian
Buddhism I - Shakyamuni Buddha. Read: Peter Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism,
CR 4.
10/10 Fri: Early Indian
Buddhism II - Nikaya Buddhism - Key concepts;. Read: P.
Harvey, Intro to Buddhism, CR 4.
Week 3 – Early Indian Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism
10/13 Mon: Mahayana Buddhism:
Nagarjuna and the Two-fold Truth. Read:
Jay Garfield, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way; “Key Ideas:
Nagarjuna and the Thought of Emptiness,” CR 5, 6. (Garfield Focus
pages: 294, 296, 302-3).
10/15 Wed: Bodhisattva ideal.
Read: The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti, CR 7 (Focus
pages: 58-63).
10/17 Fri: Chinese Buddhism:
"The Philosophical Schools." Read: "Key Ideas: Taitetsu Unno, 'Philosophical
Schools’," T. Unno, “Chinese Philosophical Schools,” CR 8 (Focus pages: 349, 353, 355-6). Short
paper I due
Week 4 - Ancient China I: Confucianism; Daoism
10/20 Mon: The World of the
Sage Kings. Read: Fingarette, Confucius: The
Secular as Sacred, 1-9, CR 9.
10/22 Wed: Confucius: Ritual
Activity & Orchestral Vision. Read: Fingarette, Confucius,
18-21, 71-75, CR 9.
10/24 Fri: Laozi (Lao Tzu) -
The Way: Read: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, 7-52, 53-96 (Book One) RT. Short exam A
(Focus
pages, Tao Te Ching: Chapters 1-4, 8, 19, 20,
28, 42, 43, 49, 55, 56, 66, 76, 80)
Week 5 - Ancient China II: Daoism
(Taoism): Laozi (Lao Tzu) and Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)
10/27 Mon: Laozi (Lao Tzu) -
The Way: Read: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, 97-143 (Book Two) RT
10/29 Wed: Zhuangzi - Read: Zhuangzi, 1-7, 31-41, 44 CR 10.
10/31 Fri: Zhuangzi: Read: Zhuangzi,
61-62, 114-117, 128-129 CR 10.
Week 6 - Medieval China: Early Chan/Zen; Medieval Korea: Unified
Silla Period; Early Japan
11/03 Mon: Bodhidharma and Zen
Buddhism. Read: Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism, CR 11. Short
paper II due
11/05 Wed: Korean Buddhists: Chajang, Uisang, and Wonhyo. Read: Thousand Peaks, pp. 28-38, CR 12.
11/07 Fri: The way of the kami
- gods and goddesses. Read: Kawai, "Japanese Mythology," CR
13. (Focus pages: 69-77)
Week 7 - Medieval Japan I: Dogen and Zen
Buddhism
11/10 Mon: Veteran’s Day (No
class)
11/12 Wed: Dogen
and Zen Buddhism.
Read: M. Unno, "Philosophical
Terms in the Zen Buddhist Thought of Dogen,"
"Shobogenzo Genjokoan,"CR
14.
11/14 Fri: Dogen
and Zen Buddhism (cont) Read: Shunryu
Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind RT
(Focus pages: 9-22, 25-26,
31-37, 43-48, 62-62, 92-95, 119-121)
Short paper III due
Week 8 - Medieval Japan II: Shinran and
Shin Buddhism; Modern Tibet: XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin
Gyatso
11/17 Mon: Shinran
and Shin Buddhism.
Read: Mark Unno, “The Original Buddhist Rebel – Shinran,”
CR 15; Unno, "Key Terms - Pure Land Buddhism," CR 16.
11/19 Wed: Shinran and Shin Buddhism.
Read: Taitetsu Unno, Tannisho: A Shin Buddhist
Classic, CR 17.
11/21 Fri: Video: Ram Dass: Fierce Grace Short exam B
Week 9 - Modern Buddhism: Tibet & Vietnam - The Dalai Lama
& Thich Nhat Hanh
11/24 Mon: The XIVth Dalai Lama,
Tenzin Gyatso
Read: Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness, CR 18, 33-59.
11/26 Wed: Thich Nhat Hanh.
Read: Being Peace, 1-90 RT.
11/28 Fri: (Thanksgiving
Break)
Week 10 - Modern Manifestations: Japanese and Korean
12/01 Mon: Soto Zen Nuns.
Read: Nishitani, "Ikebana," Paula Arai, "Soto Zen Nuns," CR
19, 20.
12/03 Wed: Zen Master Seung
Sahn. Read: Thousand Peaks, 191-314, CR 21.
12/05 Fri: Final Lecture. Final
papers due