HIS 295

History of Buddhism in East Asia

HIS 295

Dates and times TBD
Location TBD

An introduction to the rich history of Buddhism in East Asia by examining both the changes that Buddhism had undergone in being adapted to new cultural, intellectual, social, and political environments and its impact on those environments. The goal is to provide students with a number of key issues or frames at the outset and to encourage them to think critically about the material being presented in light of these issues. Students will be asked to consider some complex questions and to sift through the material they encounter in the readings and class lectures with these questions--and others that come up in the course of discussions--in mind.

Themes that will be covered in this course include:
-religious and cultural diffusion and borrowing
-the formation of distinctive "schools" of East Asian Buddhism and how these may have differed from one another, diverged from Indian precedents, and transcended contemporary national boundaries
-textual and scriptural transmission, translation, authority, and authenticity, as well as their role in both the spread of Buddhism and the formation of schools
-monastic vs. lay Buddhist practice
-the role of Buddhism in early state formation and the relationship between Buddhist monastic institutions and the state over time
-the relationship between Buddhism and other religious systems in East Asia, including Buddhism's well-known propensity to accommodate and appropriate local folk traditions

Students will be required to buy two books, The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to its History and Teachings (2001), by Donald Lopez, Jr., and Buddhist Sutras: Origin, Development, Transmission (1982), by Kōgen Mizuno. Articles that address some of the key themes and issues of the course will also be assigned, and students will be furnished with glossaries and other study aids to help them manage and navigate the material.