Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2016
This course is an advanced introduction to the major teachings of Indian Buddhism and their philosophical elaborations. We will cover the core tenets attributed to the Buddha, and the later doctrinal and scholastic developments that turned Buddhism into one of the principal philosophical traditions of India. For this we will read select primary sources—in principle, extracts of the scriptures and later treatises—and academic articles and book chapters. Rather than offering a broad introductory survey of Buddhist traditions across space and time, this class is geared towards students who are already familiar with the basics of Buddhism and want to deepen their understanding of the principal teachings of Buddhism originating in India.
Buddhist Thought in India: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016
This course is a broad introduction to the history, doctrine, and culture of the Buddhism of Tibet. We will begin with the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century and move on to the evolution of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist literature, ritual and monastic practice, the place of Buddhism in Tibetan political history, and the contemporary situation of Tibetan Buddhism both inside and outside of Tibet.
Tibetan Buddhism: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Summer 2008 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2004 10 Week Session, Fall 1996
This course is an introduction to the religions that have their origin on the India subcontinent--Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and tribal religions--as well as those that originated in other regions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Organizing this material chronologically rather than teaching it by separate religious traditions facilitates comparisons and promotes an understanding not only of the differences among these religions but also some of their commonalities in philosophy, theology, and praxis.
Religion in Early India: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2014
Whenever Pakistan comes up as a subject of sustained conversation in the US it usually is for all the wrong reasons: the worst nuclear proliferator in recent history, the refuge of Osama bin Laden, a major source of regional instability in South and Central Asia. Although Pakistan may be viewed with deep mistrust by US policy planners and the American public alike, this course seeks to remind us that it is also a country of great political, economic, religious, and social complexity. This course will situate Pakistan in its historical, political, literary, religious, economic and social contexts with the hope that students will develop nuanced and deeply grounded perspectives on a country that in fact defies easy stereotypes.
Pakistan: An Introduction: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2010
This course seeks to interrogate the highly contentious and controversial issue of Hindu and Muslim religious nationalism (otherwise known as "communalism") in South Asia. In so doing, we will interrogate the historical trajectory and development of religious nationalism from the colonial period through to the present. We will examine issues relating to the rise of (non-religious) nationalism outside of South Asia; Hindu and Muslim relations in the pre-colonial period; colonial attempts to construct South Asia's past along religious lines; the dialectical interplay of early Hindu and Muslim religious nationalism; the interplay between secular and religious nationalism; different intellectual attempts to articulate notions of bounded religious communities; the success of religious nationalism in contemporary South Asia; and the implications of religious nationalism for the future of South Asia.
Religious Nationalism in South Asia: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2014, Fall 2010
Tibetan Buddhists view the moment of death as a rare opportunity for transformation. This course examines how Tibetans have used death and dying in the path to enlightenment. Readings will address how Tibetan funerary rituals work to assist the dying toward this end, and how Buddhist practitioners prepare for this crucial moment through tantric meditation, imaginative rehearsals, and explorations of the dream state.
Death, Dreams, and Visions in Tibetan Buddhism: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2012
This course provides a place for graduate-level seminars in Tibetan Buddhism that rely primarily on secondary sources and Tibetan texts in translation. Content will vary between semesters but will typically focus on a particular theme. Themes will be chosen according to student interests, with an eye toward introducing students to the breadth of available western scholarship on Tibet, from classics in the field to the latest publications.
Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2009, Fall 2008, Fall 2007
This graduate seminar focuses on reading a wide spectrum of Indian Buddhist texts in the Sanskrit (or Pali) original introducing the students to different genres, and different aspects of Indian Buddhism. The students taking the course for 2 units (rather than 4) will be expected to prepare thoroughly every week for the reading of Buddhist texts in the original. They will also be expected to read all related secondary literature that is assigned to supplement the study of the primary source material. In contrast to the students taking the course for 4 units, they will not be expected to write a term paper or to prepare special presentations for class.
Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017
This graduate seminar focuses on reading a wide spectrum of Indian Buddhist texts in the Sanskrit (or Pali) original introducing the students to different genres, and different aspects of Indian Buddhism. The students taking the course for two units (rather than four) will be expected to prepare thoroughly every week for the reading of Buddhist texts in the original. They will also be expected to read all related secondary literature that is assigned to supplement the study of the primary source material. In contrast to the students taking the course for four units, they will not be expected to write a term paper or to prepare special presentations for class.
Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts: Read More [+]

Offered through: South and Southeast Asian Studies
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
This seminar provides an introduction to a broad range of Tibetan Buddhist texts, including chronicles and histories, biographical literature, doctrinal treatises, canonical texts, ritual manuals, pilgrimage guides, and liturgical texts. It is intended for graduate students interested in premodern Tibet from any perspective. Students are required to do all of the readings in the original classical Tibetan. It will also serve as a tools and methods for the study of Tibetan Buddhist literature, including standard lexical and bibliographic references, digital resources, and secondary literature in modern languages. The content of the course will vary from semester to semester to account for the needs and interests of particular students.
Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts: Read More [+]