READINGS
IN BUDDHIST TEXTS
EAS
393 & REL 393 Spring 2006
Class
Time and Location: TTh 4:15–5:35 in HU 132
Instructor:
Mark Blum
Office:
HU 254E
Office
Hours: TTh 12:00–1:00
Phone:
442-4183
e-mail:
mblum@albany.edu
Required Textbooks:
The
Rhinoceros Horn and other early Buddhist poems, tr. by K.R. Norman (Pali Text Society, distributed by Routledge and Kegan Paul,
1985).
The
Diamond Sutra, tr. by
Mark Blum (unpublished)
The
Nirvana Sutra, tr.
by Mark Blum (unpublished)
The Sūtra
of Golden Light tr.
by R.E. Emmerick (Pali Text Society, 2001)
Awakening
of Faith tr.
by Y. Hakeda (Columbia Univ. Press, 1973)
Prerequisites:
One prior course in
Buddhist thought is required for this course. This may be any of the courses
taught on Buddhism at this
university in East Asian Studies, Religious Studies, or Philosophy. Students
who do not meet the prerequisite requirement may be admitted with permission of
the instructor, and this will require additional reading. Without a grounding in
basic Buddhist doctrine, a student will be seriously handicapped. The course
and all the readings will be in English and no knowledge of the Japanese
language is expected.
Course Description:
This course will
explore reading in five well-known, representative Buddhist scriptures from
Buddhist Asia. Generally reading will be restricted to the Buddhist texts
designated here as Required Textbooks, and we will be focused on reading these
works closely and carefully, with critical discussions to follow. The first
four texts are Indian in origin, the third is from Tang dynasty (medieval)
China.
The format will be
seminar-like, with some readings in class but most time devoted to discussion.
It is therefore imperative to do the assigned readings before class and to
attend all classes, as each meeting will be concentrated and cannot be
repeated.
The Sutta-nipāta is considered one of the
earliest Buddhist texts and is widely read within the monastic communities of
South and Southeast Asia. It is extant only in the Pāli language, and dates to
a time when it is thought there was only minimal editing of the historical
Buddha’s words. It consists of 70 small discourses, divided up into 5 chapters.
The Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedika sūtra) has been one of the most widely read Mahāyāna sūtra
from India to Japan; probably of fairly early Mahāyāna origins, it is famous
for its clear by paradoxical statements of many core Mahāyāna doctrines:
nonself, the nature of buddha, emptiness, expedient means, universality, and faith.
The Nirvana Sutra (Mahāparinirvāṇa sūtra) represents middle
Mahāyāna teachings that incorporate both the supreme teaching of Emptiness and
Non-emptiness, adding the tathāgatagarbha doctrine of buddha-nature. The
Sutra of Golden Light reflects yet a
later development; here we have an essentially occult appeal to kings, a
positive embrace of animals, and a mythologizing of the Buddhist preacher as
hero in a world peopled with spirits and demons. Finally, we will read the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna, a
text indigenous to China that created the influential doctrine known as original
enlightenment.
Grading:
Assessment will be
based on four areas of performance: class preparation and participation, three
short (2-3 pages) critical review papers, a research paper of 10-15 pages, and
a final exam based on readings and class discussions. There will be no midterm
exam. As this is a “second-tier” course with a prerequisite, the research paper
should reflect a fairly detailed look into the Buddhist topic of your choice,
using multiple sources, and with a proper bibliography and footnotes or
endnotes as necessary for citation and/or explanation.
Class preparation and participation: 20%
Written assignments 30%
Research Paper
30%
Final 20%
Schedule:
Readings are all in the
required texts: The Rhinoceros Horn, the
The Sūtra of Golden Light, and The Awakening of Faith, and selections
from the Diamond Sutra and Nirvāṇa Sūtra that will be posted to
ERes.
Topic Reading
|
Jan. 24 |
Distribution of Syllabus, course outline |
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Jan. 26 |
Sutta-nipāta |
Rhinoceros Horn: pp. 159-171 |
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Jan. 31 |
Sutta-nipāta |
Rhinoceros Horn: pp. 172-185 |
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Feb. 2 |
Sutta-nipāta |
Rhinoceros Horn: Snake ch. (1-36) |
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Feb. 7 |
Sutta-nipāta |
Rhinoceros Horn: Small ch. (37-68) |
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Feb. 9 |
Sutta-nipāta |
Rhinoceros Horn: Great ch. (69-128) |
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Feb. 14 |
Sutta-nipāta |
Rhinoceros Horn: Chapter of the Eights (129-158) |
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Feb. 16 |
First review paper due. Discussion |
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Feb. 21 |
Winter Break |
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Feb. 23 |
Winter Break |
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Feb. 28 |
Diamond Sūtra |
ERes |
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Mar. 2 |
Diamond Sūtra |
ERes |
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Mar. 7 |
Diamond Sūtra |
ERes |
|
Mar. 9 |
Nirvāṇa
Sūtra |
ERes |
|
Mar. 14 |
Nirvāṇa Sūtra |
ERes |
|
Mar. 16 |
Nirvāṇa
Sūtra |
ERes |
|
Mar. 21 |
Sūtra of Golden Light: buddha’s lifetime, relics, confession |
Golden Light: pp. 1-18 |
|
Mar. 23 |
Sūtra of Golden Light: buddha-body, emptiness, four kings |
Golden Light: pp. 18-44 |
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Mar. 28 |
Sūtra of Golden Light: goddesses Sarasvatī &Dṛḍhā, divine kingship |
Golden Light: pp. 44-49, 53-68 |
|
Mar. 30 |
Sūtra of Golden Light: saving animals |
Golden Light: pp. 81-100 |
|
Apr. 4 |
Sūtra of Golden Light |
Golden Light |
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Apr. 6 |
Second review paper due. Discussion |
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Apr. 11 |
Spring Break |
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Apr. 13 |
Spring Break |
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Apr. 18 |
Awakening of Faith: introduction, one mind |
Awakening: pp. 1-35 |
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Apr. 20 |
Awakening of Faith: original enlightenment |
Awakening: pp. 31-45 |
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Apr. 25 |
Awakening of Faith: karma & defilement |
Awakening: pp. 46-53 |
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Apr. 27 |
Awakening of Faith: suchness |
Awakening: pp. 54-72 |
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May 2 |
Awakening of Faith: evil, bodhicitta |
Awakening: pp. 73-104 |
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May 4 |
Third paper due. Discussion |
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May 9 |
Research papers due. Review |
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Final Exam at |
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