Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0232 - Buddist Wisdom Literature

This course is a contextualized study of the key ideas of Buddhism that describe the human condition and the Buddhist approach to personal cultivation. It explores the distinctive elements of Buddhist practice through the works of some of the major Buddhist figures of India and Tibet. The course moves thematically and chronologically, beginning with the time and place of the historical Buddha, following the development of Buddhism in India, and culminating with Tibetan accounts of central Buddhist ideas, representing a tradition still practiced today. During the course we will look briefly at the hermeneutical issues related to translation, examining in particular how different translators have chosen to translate key terms and what this might tell us about the different ways others have related to these concepts.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research In this course, students are expected to spend 8 hours weekly on preparation and work outside of class time.