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 – Vedic Religion

09/27 Mon: Introduction: Syllabus; What is “Religion.”

09/29 Wed: The Geography of Asian Religions; Vedic Religion. Read: Hymns of the Rgveda, CR 1.
10/01 Fri: Vedic Religion and Brahmanism. Read: Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita (excerpt) CR 1 (Alt trans. of Gita Ch. 2).

Week 2 - Indian Religion: The Bhagavad Gita & Gita Govinda; Introduction to Buddhism
10/04 Mon: L. Patton, trans., Bhagavad Gita, CR 2.

10/06 Wed: Dance of Krishna & Gopis. Read (Gita Govinda): Campbell, Oriental Mythology, CR 3. (Focus pages: 343-349).

10/08 Fri: Early Indian Buddhism I - Shakyamuni Buddha. Read: Peter Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism, CR 4.

Week 3 – Early Indian Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism

10/11 Mon: Early Indian Buddhism II - Nikaya Buddhism - Key concepts; 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).

10/13 Wed: Bodhisattva ideal. Read: The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti, CR 7 (Focus pages: 58-63).

10/15 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

10/18 Mon: The World of the Sage Kings. Read: Fingarette, Confucius: The Secular as Sacred, 1-9, CR 9.

10/20 Wed: Confucius: Ritual Activity & Orchestral Vision. Read: Fingarette, Confucius, 18-21, 71-75, CR 9.

10/22 Fri: Laozi (Lao Tzu) - The Way: Read: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, 7-52, 53-96 (Book One) RT.    Short exam A

Week 5 - Ancient China II: Daoism (Taoism): Laozi (Lao Tzu) and Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)

10/25 Mon: Laozi (Lao Tzu) - The Way: Read: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, 97-143 (Book Two) RT

10/27 Wed: Zhuangzi - Read: Zhuangzi, 1-7, 31-41, 44 CR 10.

10/29 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

11/01 Mon: Bodhidharma and Zen Buddhism. Read: Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism, CR 11.                Short paper II due

11/03 Wed: Korean Buddhists: Chajang, Uisang, and Wonhyo. Read: Thousand Peaks, pp. 28-38, CR 12.

11/05 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;

11/08 Mon: Dogen and Zen Buddhism.
Read: M. Unno, "Philosophical Terms in the Zen Buddhist Thought of Dogen," "Shobogenzo Genjokoan,"CR 14. 

11/10 Wed: Dogen and Zen Buddhism (continued).

11/12 Fri: Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind RT.                                                  Short paper III due

Week 8 - Medieval Japan II: Shinran and Shin Buddhism; Modern Tibet: XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

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

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

11/19 Fri: The XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
Read: Dalai Lama, A Policy of Kindness, CR 18, 33-59.                                                              Short exam B

Week 9 - Modern Vietnamese Buddhism

11/22 Mon: Thich Nhat Hanh. Read: Being Peace, 1-44 RT.

11/24 Wed: Thich Nhat Hanh. Read: Being Peace, 45-90 RT.

11/26 Fri: (Thanksgiving Break)

Week 10 - Modern Manifestations: Japanese and Korean

11/29 Mon: Soto Zen Nuns. Read: Nishitani, "Ikebana," Paula Arai, "Soto Zen Nuns," CR 19, 20.

12/01 Wed: Zen Master Seung Sahn. Read: Thousand Peaks, 191-314, CR 21.

12/03 Fri: Final Lecture.                                                                                                                        Final papers due