Advanced Buddhist Studies

Catalog description

This class will examine the history of Buddhist forms of thought and engagement. We will focus specifically on Buddhist understandings of personal transformation—what it really is and should be, how it takes place, how it is depicted, why it is desirable, and under what circumstances it can happen. We will look both at ancient understandings of these questions within the Buddhist tradition, and at modern interpretations of them, from a variety of sources: scripture, poetry, philosophy, and ethnography. We will also look at contemporary attempts to extract aspects of Buddhist practice from their religious context and use them for the purposes of mental health, “wellness,” social justice, or environmental justice. Throughout, we will keep in mind the question of what constitutes a tradition, and what happens when traditional forms and ideas change or are changed in history, in order to arrive at more nuanced understandings of Buddhism, Buddhist culture, and authenticity. Prior coursework in Buddhism or Eastern Traditions is a requirement.