CRN 15874 Religious
Studies 101 World Religions of Asia, Fall 2020
Remote: Lectures MWF
12:30-1:30; Discussion Sections Thursdays
Instructor: Mark T. Unno Office hours: Mon
& Tues 1:30-2:30 p.m., also by appointment.
Email: munno (at) uoregon.edu Home Page:
pages.uoregon.edu/munno/
Introduction to selected strands of Asian Religions. This course examines key
concepts and practices from such Asian religions as Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, and Daoism. This course is designed to provide in-depth samples
rather than a broad survey, with a focus on sacred scriptures and scholarship
as well as contemporary issues. The focus will be on philosophical understanding
of religious ideas supported by a critical examination of historical context.
We will study key ideas within the critical context of various cultural factors
such as gender, class, and ritual practices. What is “Asian religions”? What is
religion? What are the main ideas, practices, and stories?
Requirements
1. Attendance: This is a live remote class with live remote
discussion sections. The instructor will allow time for Q&A.
2. Short exams: Two short exams based on readings, lectures, and
course web site. First half of first exam is on writing papers.
3. Short papers: Three short papers on the readings. More specific
instructions will be provided on the course web site.
4. Presentations: Students will make a presentation on the
readings for one of the section meetings. The presenter(s) should NOT summarize
the reading but should use the presentation to discuss why the selected
ideas/passages in question are important for understanding the reading
and proceed to explain as well as raise questions about these ideas/passages.
The primary purpose of these presentations is to launch the
discussion, not to give summaries or to lead the discussion. Each presenter or
team of presenters will prepare a handout with 2 questions and brief,
corresponding quotations from the readings. More detailed instructions will be
provided on the course web site.
5. Medium-length paper: Each student will hand in a medium length
final paper of 4-6 pages double-spaced. Suggested topics will be provided.
Students may choose to create their own topics with the consent of their
discussion section leader. In the case of the latter, a one-paragraph
description of the topic must be submitted by email to the instructor one week
prior to the due date.
6. Late policy on written assignments: Three grace days total will
be allotted excluding the medium-length paper for which no extensions will be
given. For all other assignments, a cumulative total of three late days will be
allowed without penalty. Thereafter, each late day will result in a two-point
deduction from the course grade. Weekends are not counted against the grace
days.
7. Email Protocol. Suggestion: Begin the term using one of the
following when addressing the instructor: Dear,
Hello, Hi + Prof. Unno, Mr. Unno. If you like, you might later change to: Hello
Mark, Hi Mark, etc., when you have established a working relationship with the
instructor. Do NOT use: "Hey...." either with the instructor or with
the GEs.
Learning Outcomes
In this
course, you will: 1) gain a sampling (not a survey) of primary texts, ideas,
and scholarship on prominent strands and themes in Asian religions, 2) delve
into the assigned readings, uncovering layers of potential meaning, 3) gain an
understanding of the historical contexts and possible contemporary relevance of
the readings and course materials, and 4) further develop in your ability to
write papers as well as read texts closely and reason critically.
Grades
Required Texts (RT) (Information listed here is
given in footnote/endnote format.)
1. D. C. Lau, trans., Tao Te Ching (New York: Penguin Books, 2003).
Online: https://www.centertao.org/essays/tao-te-ching/
(scroll down to D.C. Lau’s Translation).
2. Shunryu
Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (Boulder, CO: Shambhala Press, 2020).
3. Thich Nhat
Hanh, Being Peace (New York: Perseus Books, 2005).
4. Course
Pack Articles, Religious Studies 101 World Religions: Asian Traditions, online
through Canvas
Course Reader (CR) (filenames
in parentheses)
1. Ralph T. H. Griffith, trans., The Hymns of the Rgveda (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass,
1973) 206, 633-4; Shree Purohit Swami and W. B. Yeats, trans., The Ten
Principal Upanishads (Calcutta: Rupa, 1992) 90-92. (1-Vedas.pdf)
2. Laurie Patton, trans, The Bhagavad Gita (NY: Penguin
Books, 2014) vii-xxiv, 3-29, 61-75, 145-149 (2-BhagavadGita.pdf)
3. Joseph Campbell, “IV: The Way of Delight,” Oriental
Mythology - The Masks of God (NY: Penguin, 1991) 343-364.
(3-GitaGovinda.pdf)
4. Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1990) 9-26. (4-IntroBuddhism.pdf)
5. Jay Garfield, trans., The
Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1995) 293-307.
(5-Garfield-Nagarjuna.pdf)
6. Mark Unno, "Key Ideas: Nagarjuna" and "Key
Ideas: Philosophical Schools." (6-Unno-Nagarjuna.pdf)
7. Robert A. F. Thurman, trans., “The Goddess,” The Holy
Teaching of Vimalakirti (University Park:
Pennsylvania State University Press, 1987) 56-63. (7-Thurman-Vimalakirti.pdf)
8. Taitetsu Unno, "Philosophical
Schools - San-lun, T'ien-t'ai,
and Hua-yen," in Buddhist Spirituality, ed. by Takeuchi Yoshinori
(New York: Crossroad, 1995) 343-365. (8-Unno-ChineseBud.pdf)
9. Herbert Fingarette, Confucius: The
Secular as Sacred (Long Grove, IL: Waveland, 1998) 1-9, 18-21, 71-75. (9-Fingarette-Confucius.pdf)
10. Burton Watson, trans., Zhuangzi:
Basic Writing (New York: Columbia Univ Press, 1993) 1-7, 31-41, 44, 61-62,
114-117, 128-129. (10-Zhuangzi.pdf)
11. Heinrich Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A History-India and China (New
York: Macmillan Publishing, 1988) 85-94. (11-Dumoulin-Bodhi.pdf)
12. Mu Soeng Sunim,
“Ch.4: Buddhism during the Unified Silla Period,” Thousand Peaks: Korean
Zen-Tradition & Teachers (Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1987) 28-48.
(12-KoreaBuddhism1.pdf)
13. Hayao KAWAI, "Japanese Mythology: Balancing the
Gods," in his Dreams, Myths and Fairy Tales in Japan (Daimon, 1995)
67-97. (13-Kawai-JapanMyth.pdf)
14. Mark Unno, "Key Terms - Philosophical Terms in the Zen
Buddhist Thought of Dogen"; Norman Waddell and
Masao Abe, trans., "Shobogenzo Genjokoan," by Dogen Kigen, The Eastern Buddhist 5:2 (10/1972) 129-140.
(14-Dogen-Genjokoan.pdf)
15. Mark Unno, “The Original Buddhist Rebel,” Tricycle (Winter
2017) 1-16. (15-Shinran-Rebel.pdf)
16. Mark Unno, "Key Terms - Pure Land Buddhism and the
Philosophy of Honen and Shinran."
(16-Unno-PureLand.pdf)
17. Taitetsu Unno, trans. Tannisho: A Shin Buddhist Classic (Honolulu,
HI: Buddhist Study Center Press) 4-9, 14. (17-Unno-Tannisho.pdf)
18. The Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), A Policy of Kindness (Ithaca,
NY: Snow Lion, 1990) 33-59. (18-DalaiLama.pdf
19. Nishitani Keiji,
"Ikebana," Kyoto Journal 4 (Fall 1987) 33-35.
(19-Nishitani-Ikebana.pdf)
20. Paula Arai, "Soto Zen Nuns in Modern Japan: Keeping and
Creating Tradition," Bulletin of the Nanzan
Institute for Religion and Culture 14 (Summer 1990) 38-51.
(20-Arai-ZenNuns.pdf)
21. Mu Soeng Sunim,
“Zen Master Seung Sahn,” Thousand Peaks: Korean
Zen-Tradition & Teachers (Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1987) 191-314.
(21-KoreaBuddhism2.pdf)
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; Hindiusm
09/30 Wed: Introduction:
Syllabus; What is “Religion.”
10/02 Fri: The Geography of
Asian Religions; Vedic Religion. Read: Hymns of the Rgveda,
CR 1.
Week 2 - Indian Religion: Vedic Religion the Bhagavad Gita
10/05 Mon: Vedic Religion and Brahmanism. Read: Upanishads,
Bhagavad Gita (excerpt) CR 1 (Alt
trans. of Gita Ch. 2).
10/07 Wed: L. Patton, trans., Bhagavad Gita, CR 2.
10/09 Fri: Dance of Krishna & Gopis. Read (Gita Govinda):
Campbell, Oriental Mythology, CR 3. (Focus pages:
343-349)
Week 3 – Early Indian Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism
10/12 Mon: Early Indian
Buddhism I - Shakyamuni Buddha. Read: Peter Harvey, Introduction to Buddhism,
CR 4.
10/14 Wed: 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)
10/16 Fri: Bodhisattva ideal.
Read: The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti, CR 7 (Focus
pages: 58-63); 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
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: Dogen
and Zen Buddhism.
Read: M. Unno, "Philosophical Terms in the Zen Buddhist Thought of Dogen," "Shobogenzo Genjokoan,"CR 14.
11/11 Wed: Dogen
and Zen Buddhism (continued).
11/13 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
11/16 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: The XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin
Gyatso
Read: Taitetsu Unno, Tannisho:
A Shin Buddhist Classic, CR 17.
11/20 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
11/23 Mon: Thich Nhat Hanh. Read: Being Peace, 1-44 RT.
11/25 Wed: Thich Nhat Hanh. Read: Being Peace, 45-90 RT.
11/27 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