History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Rutgers University History 21: 510: 226: 01 Topics in Religion: History of the Early Buddhist Tradition Spring 2012 Instructor: Amita Satyal Office: 317 Conklin Hall Office Hours: M, 08:30-09:30 am; W, 11:30 am-12:30 pm Email: amsatyal@andromeda.rutgers.edu Class times: M, 2:30-3:50 pm W, 1:00-2:20 pm Class room: 352 Conklin Hall

Dharmachakra Mudra The Buddhas Dharmachakra Mudra (or gesture of the hand) is the principal teaching mudra of the Buddha, symbolizing the turning of the wheel of Dhamma, i.e., teachings (of Dhamma) from the heart. This mudra derives from the enlightened Buddhas first discourse -the Dhammachakkapavattana Sutta to expound the Middle Way comprising the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths -- delivered to the Group of Five at Sarnaths Isipatana or Deer Park (near Varanasi, northern India), on a July full-moon day, two months after his enlightenment. Symbolism: The thumb and the index finger touch at their tips to form a circle, representing the wheel formed from the union of wisdom and skillful method: the hands are held in front of the heart with the right palm facing outwards, representing the skillful method aspect of the transmission of the teachings to others, and the left palm facing inwards indicating the wisdom aspect gained through realization of the teachings within oneself. On early Buddha images, the left hand often holds a corner of the Buddhas monastic robe, symbolizing the inner teaching of renunciation.

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

A WARM WELCOME TO ALL!

Course Description This course examines the Early Buddhist tradition (or, Theravada; lit., school of elders) that originated in the Indian sub-continent with Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha (lit. The Enlightened One) about the 6th century BCE. Gautama, a prominent samana (Sanskrit, Pali: wandering teacher-monk) and an erstwhile royal, is one of the worlds most influential ethicoreligious thinkers, who lived and preached in the northern Indian Ganga plains between 563-483 BCE. The Buddha is notable for directly addressing the issue of suffering and liberation through elaborating the contexts of the emergence of suffering, and stressing the significance of Dhamma (Sanskrit: Dharma; lit. Truth, universal laws) as the way out of it. Central to the Buddhas understanding is an highly original understanding of the self and mind, making mental culture -i.e., training the mind to systematically contemplate the inner condition through a combination of ethical discipline, concentration, and wisdom -- indispensable to the attainment of nibbana (Pali: lit. Enlightenment; Sanskrit: nirvana). As we chart the historical Buddhas ideas through the Pali Canon, we examine their place within the overall Theravadan framework as well as the Buddhas socio-cultural milieu. The course ends with a look at the Theravadan Traditions new social face adapted to challenging contemporary settings. The course will address several questions: What questions did the Early Buddhist tradition raise and why? How did the Buddha explain the world around him? How did this world connect with the world beyond? What about the traditions engagement with everyday situations? Finally, how does this help us understand the meaning of religion in the South Asian historical-cultural context? The course format will be a combination of lecture and discussion. Lectures will complement readings, using both written materials and visual aids, and bringing additional inputs. Any previous acquaintance with South Asian/ Buddhisms history would be an asset, but is neither required nor assumed for this course.

Course Readings All the course readings are available on blackboard http://blackboard.rutgers.edu and can be accessed by students registered for the course. Class lectures and presentations will not be uploaded to blackboard. All course materials are proprietary, and should be accessed/used by students registered for the course for course purposes only. Violations will invite appropriate action. Course Policies Academic Integrity & Conduct All students who register for this course and wish to remain registered MUST electronically sign an Agreement Concerning Cheating and Plagiarism available on http://blackboard.rutgers.edu.

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Further, Students must acquaint themselves with university policies on student conduct, academic integrity and ethics at the outset. Also read interim university policies on student conduct and academic integrity on http://policies.rutgers.edu As per the university policy on academic integrity, students are responsible for understanding the principles of academic integrity fully and abiding by them in all their work at the University. Registration for this course assumes the students agreement to sign the above mentioned agreement and to abide by the said university policies. The various ways in which academic integrity can be violated, but not limited to, are: cheating, fabrication and plagiarism in academic work; copying on quizzes and exams; denying others access to information or material that also includes giving other students false or misleading information and altering someone elses computer files; and, knowingly or negligently facilitating violations of academic integrity even if the facilitating student does not benefit from the violation. Any violation of academic integrity is an offense and subject to appropriate penalty and/ or sanction. All violations in this category will be reported to the university office overseeing the academic integrity policy.

Attendance An attendance sheet will be kept near the entrance door for the FIRST 5 MINUTES of each class after which it will be collected by the Instructor. It is the students responsibility to ensure that she/he has signed the sheet in each class attended prior to its removal. A student is required to be present for every class session unless excused by the instructor for a valid reason. The final decision on determining a valid reason will rest with the instructor. Keep all the relevant medical documentation ready. Unexcused absence for more than 2 classes will lower the grade by one half (e.g., from B plus to B); Unexcused absence for more than 3 classes will lower the grade by one and a half grades (e.g., B plus to C plus); Unexcused absence for more than 4 classes will lower the grade by 2 (e.g., B plus to C); Unexcused absence for more than 5 classes will lower the grade by 3 (e.g., B plus to D). A student who misses seven or more sessions -- through any combination of excused and unexcused absences -- will not earn credit in this class. Such a student should withdraw from the class.

Late Arrivals/Early Departures A late arrival (i.e., after the 5-minutes attendance slot is over) will be counted as an absent unless a valid reason has been provided beforehand to the Instructor. Note that leaving class early without the instructors prior permission will also fetch an absent for that particular class. The only exemption will be a medical emergency causing a late arrival, or an early departure, in which case, it must be brought to the Instructors attention on email as soon as possible. Keep all the relevant medical documentation ready.

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Reading Assignments Students must finish all assigned readings before each class and must come prepared to class with their observations, suggestions and questions. Reading assignments will vary each week. Refer to the syllabus for more information.

Class Discussion & Preparation Under this category, you will be graded for the following: (a) overall conduct and behavior over the semester; (b) questions and observations brought to class/office hours; (c) level of preparedness for the class on the basis of assigned readings; (d) sincere attempts to answer questions that will be asked in class. Class discussion/preparation is not optional. Note that our classroom will provide a safe environment with zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any sort, which includes but is not limited to discrimination on grounds of color, race, religion, gender, ethnicity and nationality. Violations will invite appropriate action and also be reported to the university.

Papers Plagiarism Blackboard will automatically scan all papers for plagiarism. Thus, the student will make sure that all course assignments are strictly in accordance with the university policy on academic integrity. Plagiarized papers will fetch a straight F on the paper and course. Refer back to Academic Integrity and Conduct (p. 3) for more details. Submission Papers must be submitted via Assignments on Blackboard by the due date and time (See Paper Schedule given below). NO PAPERS ON EMAIL. Blackboard can verify student submissions; it is the students responsibility to ensure that the paper has been successfully submitted. Format Up to 4 pages each (anything beyond 4 pages will not be read); MS Word document; US letter size; Double-space typed; Times New Roman 12 point font; All-sided one-inch margins; Page numbers & student name in the header; Paper title = students Last name, First name: Buddhism Paper #. No non-course readings permitted. Papers outside the format specified here will invite grade cuts. Topics Paper topics will be posted to blackboard well in advance. Writing See Tips on Writing an History Essay on blackboard.. Late Papers Papers submitted after the deadline will be considered late. All late papers will invite a straight deduction of 4 points. Papers more than 24 hours late will not be accepted unless a valid reason

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

is provided to the Instructor prior to the deadline. Keep relevant documentation, if applicable, ready.

Quizzes Closed book quizzes of exactly 10-minutes each will be given at the end of the class. All quizzes are scheduled for Wednesdays. Exception: Quiz 1, Monday, Jan 30, 10 minutes at the beginning of the class. The syllabus covered on each quiz will be the CURRENT WEEKS READING. The lowest three quiz scores will be counted out of the final quiz grade. Make-ups are not permitted; medical emergencies are exempt (upon documentation). The first quiz is exclusively a map quiz.

Recording Lectures & Capturing Slide Images For students with special needs, challenges, and disability, recording lectures or capturing slide images of lecture presentations will be allowed with the Instructors prior permission.

Classroom Etiquette Students will switch off all cell phones, messaging equipment, recording devices, and pagers in class. All such behavior will be considered inappropriate and disruptive. Violators will be asked to leave immediately and marked absent for that class. Violations in this category will also impact your Class Participation grade. No resting your feet on seats. No sleeping, eating, or drinking in class. Students with medical conditions and special needs requiring exemption must see the Instructor at the outset. Students with prior permission to arrive late, or leave early must occupy seats nearest to the entrance door so as to cause minimal disturbance to the rest of the class.

Students With Disability Students with disability will contact the Paul Robeson Campus Center Office of Student Life and Leadership, Services for Students with Disabilities for requesting academic accommodations, approvals, and related documentation. For further information see http://robeson.rutgers.edu/ studentlife/disability.html. If a Letter of Accommodation is granted, the student must provide the Instructor with a copy of this letter and discuss how the listed accommodations would be implemented. The Instructor will make every effort to implement such accommodations to the extent permitted by the university.

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Course Requirements Class Attendance Class Participation: Students will be graded for the following: (a) overall conduct and behavior; (b) level of preparedness for the class; (c) participation, including sincere attempts to answer questions asked of the class; (d) questions and observations brought to class/office hours. In-class Quizzes: In-class, closed book; 10 minutes each. Lowest three quiz scores counted out of total quiz grade. Quizzes will have a varying combination of short note, objective type questions, filling the blanks, one-line answers, and/or matching entries (Quiz 1 is a map quiz); Papers: Up to 4 pages each (anything beyond 4 pages will NOT be read); MS Word document; US letter size; Double-space typed; Times New Roman 12 point font; All-sided oneinch margins; Page numbers & Student name in the header; Paper title = students Last name, First name: Buddhism Paper # . Submissions only via Assignments on Blackboard. No noncourse readings permitted. Papers outside the format specified here will invite grade cuts.

Course Grading (see also Grading Policies) Class Attendance Class Participation Quizzes Papers

10% 20% 35% 35%

Schedules and Deadlines Papers (Up to 4 pages each, submission via Assignments on Blackboard) Paper 1: Fri, Mar 9, 3:00 PM Paper 2: Mon, May 7, 6:00 PM Quizzes Quiz 1: Mon, Jan 30 (Map quiz; at the beginning of the class) Quiz 2: Wed, Feb 1 Quiz 3: Wed, Feb 8 Quiz 4: Wed, Feb 15 Quiz 5: Wed, Feb 22 Quiz 6: Wed, Feb 29 Quiz 7: Wed, Mar 7 Quiz 8: Wed, Mar 21 Quiz 9: Wed, Mar 28 Quiz 10: Wed, Apr 4 Quiz 11: Wed, Apr 11 Quiz 12: Wed, Apr 18 Quiz 13: Wed, Apr 25

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Weekly Readings & Topic Schedule --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(1) All of the course readings are downloadable and printable from blackboard. Each weeks assigned readings appear together for quick, easy reference on blackboard. Look under Course Documents; (2) Readings marked Reference (in blue) are useful for the entire course throughout the semester -- reference readings are, however, particularly helpful for understanding the weeks theme when listed against the assigned readings for any week; (3) This syllabus is subject to unscheduled changes. The class will be immediately notified via Announcements on blackboard in that event; (4) All quizzes are scheduled for Wednesdays at the end of the class (except Quiz 1); (5) Both the papers are due via Assignments (blackboard) by due date/time. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jan 18 Jan 23, 25 Introduction Geography of Early Buddhism Bhikku Nanamoli, The Life of the Buddha, Maps, xvi-xvii. Maps: (a) Chief Buddhist Sites, Buddhisms Spread in India (b) Spread of Buddhism (c) Trade_Buddhism. In-class Documentary Film (Jan 25). Reference: Buddha/ Buddhism Timeline 563 BCE-2011 CE. Who is the Historical Buddha? The Life of the Buddha, xi-xv; 182-204; (Notes: 354-355). Buddha(s), Encyclopedia of Buddhism (hereafter EB), 71-74. Life of the Buddha, EB, 82-88. The Social Milieu of Early Buddhism, EB, 352-359. Reference: Buddhist Literature in Pali, EB, 625-629. Reference: Buddha/ Buddhism Timeline 563 BCE-2011 CE. Early Buddhism: Interpreting the Buddhas Discourses I The Life of the Buddha, 206-224; (Notes: 355-357). Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 1-11. Richard Gombrich, Obsession with Origins: Attitudes to Buddhist Studies, x-xii; 3-15. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Ed. John T. Bullitt. Early Buddhism: Interpreting the Buddhas Discourses II The Life of the Buddha, 224-237; (Notes: 355-357). Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 12-39. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.

Jan 30, Feb 1

Feb 6, 8

Feb 13, 15

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Feb 20, 22

Early Buddhism: Interpreting the Buddhas Discourses III The Life of the Buddha, 238-256; (Notes: 355-357). Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 40-69. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Mental Culture in Early Buddhism, the Vital Link Nyanasatta Thera Tr., The Great Sutta on the Foundations of Mindfulness, or the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, 2-18. Bhikku Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, 70-110. Suvimalee Karunaratna, Prisoners of Karma A Story, 3-10. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Kamma and Rebirth Nanamoli Thera, Tr., The Great Exposition of Kamma Sutta, 2-14. Maurice OConnell Walshe Tr., Kamma Sutta Small, 2-4. Paul R. Fleischman, Karma and Chaos Revisited, VRI, 75-101. Bhikku Bodhi, Does Rebirth Make Sense?, 2-7. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.

Feb 27, 29

Mar 5, 7

Wed, Mar 9

First Paper Due via Assignments, 3:00 PM

MAR 10-18

***SPRING RECESS - NO CLASSES***

Mar 19, 21

Selections from Pali Literature Stories of Old Gathered From the Pali Commentaries, Tr. Nyanaponika Thera et al., 1-20. Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, The Living Message of the Dhammapada, 2-14. Kalama Sutta, The Buddhas Discourse on Free Inquiry. Tr., Soma Thera, 2-7. Commentary: Bhikku Bodhi, A Look at the Kalama Sutta, 2-6. Reference: Buddhist Literature in Pali, EB, 625-629. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. The Buddhas Last Year: The Lions Roar Bhikku Nanamoli, The Lions Roar Two Discourses of the Buddha. Ed., Bhikku Bodhi, 2-38. Reference: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms.

Mar 26, 28

History of the Early Buddhist Tradition: Spring 2012

Apr 2, 4

Women and Representation in Early Buddhist Tradition Bhikku Bodhi, Discourses of the Ancient Nuns Bhikkuni Samyutta, 2-20. Hellmuth Hecker, Buddhist Women at the Time of the Buddha. Tr. Sister Khema, 1-39. Early Buddhist Art and Imagery John Huntington and Jaya Chandrashekhar, Monasteries in Southern Asia, 55-66. Buddhist Art in India, EB, 360-366. Theravada Art and Architecture, EB, 841-844. Stupa, EB, 803-807. Buddha Images, EB, 79-82. Mudra, EB, 569-572. Life of the Buddha in Art, EB, 88-92. Social Relevance of Early Buddhism Bhikku Bodhi, Facing the Future Four Essays on the Social Relevance of Buddhism, 3-29. ---. Navigating the New Millennium, 1-5. Engaged Buddhism, EB, 248-249. Engaged Buddhism: Prison Projects I-II Vipassana, EB, 889-890. Bhikku Bodhi, Two Styles of Insight Meditation, 1-4. In-class Documentaries. Wrap-up Discussion

Apr 9, 11

Apr 16, 18

Apr 23, 25

Apr 30

Mon, May 7

Second and Final Paper Due via Assignments, 6:00 PM

The course ends!!

****************************************************************************** P.S.: SYLLABUS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGES. THE CLASS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE CHANGE(S), IF ANY, IMMEDIATELY! ******************************************************************************