Buddhism Across Asian Civilisations｜Kyoto University OpenCourseWare

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Buddhism Across Asian Civilisations
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Numbering Code	G-GAIS00 52017 LE38 G-GAIS00 52017 LE40 G-GAIS00 52017 LE34	Year/Term	2022 ・ Second semester
Number of Credits	2	Course Type	Lecture
Target Year	From 1st to 3rd year students	Target Student
Language	English	Day/Period	Mon.5
Instructor name	DEROCHE，Marc-Henri Jean (Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability Associate Professor)
Outline and Purpose of the Course	This class intends to offer solid foundations in the history of Buddhism, by studying its sources and doctrines in India, and its transcultural diffusion across Asian civilizations. We will especially consider how the peoples of Asia have relied upon the teachings of the Buddha about the human condition as ways to organize and express life, death, happiness and suffering in meaningful patterns. We will examine how Buddhist doctrines and practices have been constantly adapting to various historical and cultural contexts in order to serve as symbolic resources for resilience. In a first part, we will consider the historical origins and doctrinal foundations of Buddhism in India. We will thus discuss the common elements and major differences between the various schools. In a second part, we will consider the expansion of Buddhism and its evolution in different lineages across Asia. For each civilization, we will consider the cultural exchanges and tensions with local traditions (Brahmanism/Hinduism in India and South Asia; Confucianism and Daoism in China, Shinto in Japan, Bon in Tibet, etc.), as well as the emergence of creative cultural syntheses. In this way, this class intends to offer also clear references in Asian philosophies and religions.
Course Goals	The objective of this class is to offer solid foundations in Buddhist studies, and clear references in Asian philosophies and religions. The class will be conducted as a course of “directed studies” in Buddhism according to a specific reading program (core or extensive; in English, Japanese, or other languages, depending on individual preferences).
Schedule and Contents	1. Introduction: is Buddhism a philosophy or a religion? PART I. ORIGINS AND FOUNDATIONS IN INDIA 2. The Indian context and the historical Buddha 3. The teachings of the Buddha: languages, texts and traditions 4. The four noble truths: suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path to happiness 5. The Buddhist community: monastic and lay ethics 6. Buddhist cosmology: various worlds, karman, and rebirths 7. Selfless wisdom: the Buddhist critique of an independent self 8. Buddhist theories of meditation: calm abiding and insight 9. Buddhist psychology in the Abhidharma 10. The Great Vehicle (MahAyAna) and the compassionate ideal of the bodhisattva PART II. DIFFUSION AND ADAPTATION ACROSS ASIA 11. Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia 12. Buddhism along the Silk Road and in China 13. Buddhism in East Asia and its transmission to Japan 14. Buddhism in Tibet, the Himalayas and Mongolia 15. Conclusion and feedback session
Evaluation Methods and Policy	Evaluation is made according to: (1) active participation, (2) a reading report on the textbook Foundations of Buddhism (partial or total), and (3) an essay.
Course Requirements	None
Study outside of Class (preparation and review)	- Students who do not specialize in Buddhist studies will be directed in core readings: the main parts (pp. 1-111) of the textbook by R. Gethin, Foundations of Buddhism. - Students who wish to specialize in Buddhist studies will be directed in extensive readings: the entire textbook Foundations of Buddhism, as well as other works indicated in the references.
Textbooks	Textbooks/References	Foundations of Buddhism, Gethin, Ruppert, (Oxford University Press, 1998)
References, etc.	MahAyAna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations, Williams, Paul, (Routledge, 2009) The Buddhist conquest of China. The spread and adaptation of Buddhism in early medieval China, Zurcher, Erik, (Brill, 1972) A Cultural History of Japanese Buddhism, Deal, William E. & Ruppert, Brian, (Wiley Blackwell, 2015) The Tibetans, Kapstein, Matthew T., (Blackwell, 2006)