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Academic Year 2001/2002


Tibetan Buddhism
RELI 343 FA

Crosslistings:
EAST 343
Clusters:

Southern Asia and Indian Ocean

For centuries Tibet and Tibetan Buddhists have held an allure and mystique in the minds of westerners and others that is akin to the magical kingdom of Shangri-La. This seminar will seek to explore the realities as well as the myths of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. After a brief review of Indian Mahayana Buddhism, we shall survey the geographical, cultural and religious background of Tibet prior to the advent of Buddhism there, surveying the origins of the Tibetan people, and the pre-Buddhist religion known as Bon. Thereafter, focusing on the introduction of Buddhism and its subsequent development there, we will attempt to explore Tibet's complex interface of religion, culture and politics. To illuminate our discussions of Buddhist teachings as they are interpreted and practiced within the Tibetan framework and in order to attempt an appreciation of the distinctly Tibetan flavor of Buddhist tantric theory and practice, we shall draw both upon a number of sacred biographies of Tibetan sages as well as focus attention upon certain specific Tibetan Buddhist rituals. Finally, we will look at the contemporary situation of Tibetans today.

MAJOR READINGS

John Avedon's, IN EXILE FROM THE LAND OF SNOWS
John Powers', INTRODUCTION TO TIBETAN BUDDHISM
Trungpa and Fremantle (trs.), THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD
Donald Lopez's, PRISONERS OF SHANGRI-LA
Jan Willis (ed.), FEMININE GROUND
Jan Willis's, ENLIGHTENED BEINGS
Tarthang Tulku (tr.), MOTHER OF KNOWLEDGE
Anne Klein's, MEETING THE GREAT BLISS QUEEN

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

One short essay; a take-home midterm exam, final essay.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

RELI242 required.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS RELI    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: RELI242

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Willis,Janice D.   
Times: ...W... 07:00PM-09:50PM;     Location: PAC421
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 20)
SR. major: 6   Jr. major: 5
SR. non-major: 3   Jr. non-major: 3   SO: 3   FR:

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Ethical Reasoning, Writing
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2002


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