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Religious Studies 255
The Religious Traditions of Asia
Fall 2006 Professor Mark W. Muesse
Religion is a vital dimension of human culture and consciousness. Some have even argued that religion is what most profoundly shapes a society’s values, ethos, art, literature, economics, and politics. Since religion is so important in human life, and because we increasingly encounter persons and cultures with religious views not our own, it is crucial to understand the many varieties of religions in the world. This course is a beginning on that journey to deeper understanding.
And it is only a beginning. What is meant by the word "religion" is too varied and too complex for this short course to be anything but a start to an odyssey that can take a lifetime. We will not attempt to assimilate the full range of religious phenomena during this semester; rather, we will sample only a few aspects of a limited number of religious traditions, focusing our attention on the religions of Asia.
The goals of this course are far more than simply learning facts and data about Asian religions, although learning the important details is fundamental. Beyond the mere acquisition of data, the study of religion promises to sharpen our skills in the empathetic understanding of difference. And perhaps by learning more about other cultures and traditions we may learn more about ourselves. Says the poet Rudyard Kipling, "What should they of England know who only England know?"
Texts and Films
Primary Text: John Y. Fenton, et al., Religions of Asia , third edition. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993.
Supplementary Texts: The Upanishads. Trans., Juan Mascaró. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1965.
Stephen P. Huyler, Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion. Yale University Press, 1999.
Bhagavad Gita: Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War. Trans., Barbara Stoler Miller. New York: Bantam Books, 1986.
Michael Carrithers, Buddha: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983, 1996.
Hermann Hesse. Siddhartha. Trans., Hilda Rosner. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1951.
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajñaparamita Heart Sutra. Ed., Peter Levitt. Berkeley, Calif.: Parallax Press, 1988.
Confucius, The Analects. Trans., Raymond Dawson. Oxford University Press, 2000.
The Daodejing of Laozi. Trans., Philip J. Ivanhoe. New York: Hackett Publication Co Inc., Reprint edition, 2002, 2003.
In addition, a collection of required readings is available for purchase in the College Bookstore.
Films:
Required The following films are also required for the course and are on reserve in DVD at the Barret Library Media Center.
“The Altar of Fire” “330 Million Gods” “In the Footprints of the Buddha” “Requiem for a Faith” “A Question of Balance” “Land of the Disappearing Buddha”
Recommended These videotaped series can provide excellent supplements to our study of these two religions. They are also available in the Media Center in VHS or for purchase as books, DVD, audio cassette, or CD from http://www.teach12.com.
Mark W. Muesse, Great World Religions: Hinduism. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company,
Malcolm David Eckel, Great World Religions: Buddhism. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company, 2003.
Course Requirements Final course grades will be based on these components:
- Participation and preparation. It is important that each person come to class adequately prepared, having read the assignments and thoughtfully considered them. The Course Outline details the readings that should be completed prior to class.
- 10% Film synopses. You are required to view six films outside of class and write a one page, typed double-space synopsis of each. The synopsis should include a brief summary of the film and a statement indicating what for you was the most interesting, most informative, or most puzzling feature of the film. The synopses will be graded as √+, √, √-, or 0.
- 40% Essays. There will be five brief writing assignments on various topics. The assignments follow the Course Outline on this syllabus. Each paper counts 8% of the final grade.
- 30% Tests. Two tests covering the lectures, readings, and films for the first and second thirds of the course. The tests comprise objective identification and essay questions. Each
Course Outline
I NTRODUCTION
23 August (^) Introduction to the course
25 August India and the World’s Religions Fenton, Religions of Asia , 1-24b (“a” and “b” indicate the left and right columns respectively). [Muesse, TTC Lecture 1]
THE EARLY CULTURES OF S OUTH ASIA
28 August Indus Valley civilization Fenton, Religions of Asia , 24b-27a; http://www.harappa.com/har/indus-saraswati.html; http://www.harappa.com/har/indus-saraswati-geography.html; http://www.harappa.com/har/ancient-indus-sites.html; http://www.mohenjodaro.net/. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 2]
30 August Aryan migrations and the world of the Vedas Fenton, Religions of Asia , 27b-35a. [Muesse, TTC Lectures 2 and 3]
1 September The world of the Vedas “The Vedas,” 3-20 (Readings). [Muesse, TTC Lecture 3]
4 September Labor Day
6 September The world of the Vedas “The Vedas,” 20-36 (Readings). [Muesse, TTC Lecture 3] ESSAY 1 DUE
8 September Vedic ritual and sacrifice Fenton, Religions of Asia , 35a-39. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 4]
11 September Vedic ritual and sacrifice Fenton, Religions of Asia , 32-33 (review). [Muesse, TTC Lecture 4]
F ILM SYNOPSIS ON “THE ALTAR OF F IRE ” DUE.
CLASSICAL HINDUISM
13 September The development of caste and dharma Fenton, Religions of Asia , 40-45a; Selections from “Laws of Manu” (Readings). [Muesse, TTC Lecture 5 and 6]
15 September Samsara and karma Fenton, Religions of Asia , 45b-52. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 4]
18 September Sexuality and gender in the Hindu world Kama Sutra , Parts I, III, IV (Chapter 1), V (Chapter 1) at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/kama/index.htm [Muesse, TTC Lecture 6]
20 September Jñana-yoga Fenton, Religions of Asia , 53-65; Huyler, Meeting God , 232-250. In class film: “Hindu Asceticism” [Muesse, TTC Lecture 8]
22 September The Upanishads and Vedanta Mascaró, The Upanishads , 49-84. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 8]
25 September The Upanishads and Vedanta Mascaró, The Upanishads , 85-143. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 8]
27 September First Test
29 September Bhakti-yoga Fenton, Religions of Asia , 66-68b; Huyler, Meeting God , 10-63. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 9]
2 October Hindu theology Fenton, Religions of Asia , 69a-80; Huyler, Meeting God , 64-155. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 9 and 11]
4 October Hindu theology Huyler, Meeting God , 156-231. F ILM SYNOPSIS ON “330 M ILLION GODS ” DUE.
30 October The development of the Mahayana Hanh, The Heart of Understanding. [Eckel, TTC Lecture 6, 7, and 8]
1 November Tantra and Vajrayana Fenton, Religions of Asia , 132-148a; “Introduction to Tantra,” 1-27 (Readings) [Muesse, TTC Lecture 11; Eckel, TTC Lecture 10]
3 November Tantra and Vajrayana Fenton, Religions of Asia , 148a-157; F ILM SYNOPSIS ON “REQUIEM FOR A F AITH” DUE
S MALLER TRADITIONS OF S OUTH ASIA
6 November The Jains Fenton, Religions of Asia , 89-94a; “The Basic Doctrines of Jainism” (Readings).
8 November The Sikhs Fenton, Religions of Asia , 94a-99; Readings TBA. [Muesse, TTC Lecture 12]
RELIGIONS OF EAST ASIA
10 November Early Chinese culture Fenton, Religions of Asia , 160-167b; Other readings TBA.
13 November Early Chinese culture Readings TBA.
15 November Kong-zi and Confucianism Fenton, Religions of Asia , 167b-172a; Confucius, The Analects , 3-38.
17 November Religion in China Confucius, The Analects , 39-82.
20 November No class ESSAY 4 DUE
22 November Thanksgiving Break
24 November Thanksgiving Break
27 November Laozi and Daoism Fenton, Religions of Asia , 172b-175; Ivanhoe, The Daodejing of Laozi. F ILM SYNOPSIS ON “A QUESTION OF BALANCE ” DUE
29 November Daoism Readings TBA ESSAY 5 DUE
1 December Japanese religions Fenton, Religions of Asia , 197-98; Other readings TBA. F ILM SYNOPSIS ON “L AND OF THE DISAPPEARING BUDDHA ” DUE.
4 December Chan (Zen) Buddhism “Zen Stories” (Readings). [Eckel, TTC Lecture 12]
6 December Shinto and Japanese religion Fenton, Religions of Asia , 198b-203b; “Japanese Cosmogony”; Other readings TBA.
13 December 5:30 PM
Final examination
Essay Assignments
Each essay should be 2-3 pages in length, typed double-space.
Essay 1 Reading the Rig Veda
The following assignment is an exercise in interpreting difficult texts. This passage, taken from the Rig Veda , offers a slightly different translation from the same hymn that appears in your collection of readings for this course. In a brief essay, write an interpretation of this passage. Consider such questions as these: What is this point of the text? What sense do you make of its obscure imagery (e.g., “darkness was hidden by darkness”; “neither death nor immortality”)? What significance might this hymn have had for those who wrote it and those who first heard it? What significance might it have now?
Think about this question as it pertains to this text and other difficult texts generally: How does one know when one’s interpretation is correct, accurate, or appropriate?
There was neither non-existence nor existence then; there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep?
This list is meant to be suggestive, not definitive or exhaustive. Try not to impose an alien framework on the novel such as the Four Noble Truth or the Noble Eightfold Path.
(2) Discuss the symbolic role of water in Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha. Consider, for example, the ways in which water serves as a metaphor for death and rebirth, the self, time, and nirvana.
Essay 4 The Analects of Confucius
Based on your reading of the Analects , write a character sketch of Confucius. What kind of person was he? What qualities best describe him? How was he regarded by others? How did he regard himself?
Essay 5 Chapter 82 of the Daodejing
For this assignment, I’d like you to try your hand at a little poetry. Write an additional chapter to the Daodejing , trying to replicate its style and philosophy. Then write a prose explication of your chapter, describing what makes it an appropriate addition to the book.
How I Grade Essays
Writing and critical thinking are, I believe, the most important parts of a liberal arts education. I therefore take essay writing very seriously and make it a significant part of your final grade. In grading students’ essays, I take care to mark them as accurately and as painstakingly as possible. My own experience tells me that one’s writing cannot improve unless mistakes are clearly pointed out. Learning to write well is hard work and takes much practice. In this sense, we are all beginners. To help you in your writing practice for this course, I have outlined below the general principles I use in assessing grades for essays. I readily admit that grading essays--especially papers in the humanities--involves subjective judgments, particularly in the area of content. Ultimately, the grade you receive is the consequence of a judgment part objective and reasonable, part intuitive and aesthetic. In general, I try not to evaluate the particular position or point of view you express; rather, I look at how well you have argued that position, how fully and sympathetically you have considered alternative views, how logical and coherent your point of view is. In the final analysis, I am not really interested in whether or not you believe in God, for example, but I am very interested in why you believe or do not believe.
A --The A paper is, above all, interesting and effectively written. It demonstrates knowledge of the subject and evidences much thought about it. It is clearly structured and has a carefully argued thesis. The A paper is outstanding in all respects: it is devoid of any mechanical, grammatical, or typographical mistakes. Formal errors will reduce a paper’s grade, regardless of content.
B --The B paper is missing some element that distinguishes the A essay. Perhaps the paper demonstrates sufficient knowledge and thought, but the presentation is pedestrian. Perhaps the content is thoughtful and interesting, but the essay suffers from mechanical or typographical mistakes.
C --The C paper fulfills the terms of the assignment without distinction.
D --The D paper is uninteresting, lacking in comprehension, and flawed by mechanical errors.
F --The F paper is without merit. It is flagrantly lacking in insight and comprehension, and appears insufficiently acquainted with academic standards for written work.
Some Hints for Better Writing
I expect proper form for papers in the humanities ( MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , fourth edition). I prefer footnotes, but endnotes or parenthetical notes are acceptable. Parenthetical notes should be included within the sentence (the period follows the closed bracket, like this).
Feel free to use the first person.
Do not use the passive voice unless it is absolutely necessary.
Use inclusive language: that is, do not use “man” or “mankind” as the generic term for all of humanity (humankind, humans).
Create an interesting title.
Use “that” and “which” appropriately. (“Which” generally follows a comma.) Use “who” when you are talking about a human being.
If a quotation is more than three lines long, it should be indented and single-spaced, omitting the quotation marks.
Use two spaces between sentences.
Avoid vague abstractions like “the Church.” Specify exactly what you mean.
Paginate (Number the pages!).
Do not use the word “feel” as a substitute for “think.”
Try to avoid inappropriate use of slang (e.g., “It really sucked to be a slave in Egypt.”)
Quote the dictionary only if absolutely demanded by the context. Ordinarily, Webster is not an authority in this course. Never begin an essay with “According to Webster’s Dictionary….”
Always edit. I rarely receive a paper that cannot be improved by eliminating verbiage. Get a pencil (or edit online) and see how many words you can cross out. At the same time, watch for typos, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes. Remember, a computer spell-checker will help with many words, but does not help with the specialized vocabulary that is part of this course.
