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

09/28 Mon: Introduction: Syllabus; What is “Religion.” The Geography of Asian Religions.
09/30 Wed: Vedic Religion & Brahmanism. Read: Hymns of the Rgveda, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita (excerpt) CR 1.

10/02 Fri: L. Patton, trans., Bhagavad Gita, CR 2.

 

Week 2 - Indian Religion: Hinduism II: The Gita Govinda; Buddhism I: Introduction to Buddhism
10/05 Mon: Dance of Krishna & Gopis. Read (Gita Govinda): Campbell, Oriental Mythology, CR 3. (Focus pages: 343-349).

10/07 Wed: Early Indian Buddhism I - Shakyamuni Buddha. Read: Peter Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism, CR 4.

10/09 Fri: Early Indian Buddhism II - Nikaya Buddhism - Key concepts;. Read: P. Harvey, Intro to Buddhism, CR 4.

Week 3 – Early Indian Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism

10/12 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).

10/14 Wed: Bodhisattva ideal. Read: The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti, CR 7 (Focus pages: 58-63).

10/16 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

10/19 Mon: The World of the Sage Kings. Read: Fingarette, Confucius: The Secular as Sacred, 1-9, CR 9.

10/21 Wed: Confucius: Ritual Activity & Orchestral Vision. Read: Fingarette, Confucius, 18-21, 71-75, CR 9.

10/23 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)

10/26 Mon: Laozi (Lao Tzu) - The Way: Read: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, 97-143 (Book Two) RT

10/28 Wed: Zhuangzi - Read: Zhuangzi, 1-7, 31-41, 44 CR 10.

10/30 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

11/02 Mon: Bodhidharma and Zen Buddhism. Read: Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism, CR 11.                Short paper II due

11/04 Wed: Korean Buddhists: Chajang, Uisang, and Wonhyo. Read: Thousand Peaks, pp. 28-38, CR 12.

11/06 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

11/09 Mon: Veteran’s Day (No class)

11/11 Wed: Dogen and Zen Buddhism.

          Read: M. Unno, "Philosophical Terms in the Zen Buddhist Thought of Dogen," "Shobogenzo Genjokoan,"CR 14. 

11/13 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

11/16 Mon: Shinran and Shin Buddhism.
Read: Mark Unno, “The Original Buddhist Rebel – Shinran,” CR 15; Unno, "Key Terms - Pure Land Buddhism," CR 16.      

11/18 Wed: Shinran and Shin Buddhism.
Read: Taitetsu Unno, Tannisho: A Shin Buddhist Classic, CR 17.

11/20 Fri: Video: Ram Dass: Fierce Grace                                                                           Short exam B

Week 9 - Modern Buddhism: Tibet & Vietnam - The Dalai Lama & Thich Nhat Hanh

11/23 Mon: The XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
Read: Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness, CR 18, 33-59.

11/25 Wed: Thich Nhat Hanh. Read: Being Peace, 1-90 RT. Knight Lib online: https://tinyurl.com/45888wah

11/26 Fri: (Thanksgiving Break)

Week 10 - Modern Manifestations: Japanese and Korean

11/30 Mon: Soto Zen Nuns. Read: Nishitani, "Ikebana," Paula Arai, "Soto Zen Nuns," CR 19, 20.

12/02 Wed: Zen Master Seung Sahn. Read: Thousand Peaks, 191-314, CR 21.

12/04 Fri: Final Lecture.                                                                                                                     Final papers due