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