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BUDDHIST STUDIES

School

Boston College Theology Department

THEO5007

Mahayana Buddhism: Thought and Practice

BTI Category

Semester

Buddhist Studies

FA26

This course explores Mahayana Buddhist thought, meditation practice, narrative, and ritual practice across Asia. We consider texts ancient and modern. After a basic introduction to Buddhism, we take up topics ranging from meditation, to compassion, nirvana, emptiness, Buddha nature, Zen, and Mahayana Buddhist ethics. Our focus is on fundamental theological questions: What are the causes of suffering? How can meditation and ethical practices illuminate sufferings causes, and put an end to them? What is the state of unconditioned awareness, freedom, and joy that lies beyond suffering? Most importantly, what does this all have to do with me? No background in Buddhism is required.

Professor

Class Day & Time

Vale, Matthew

TR

12:00-1:15PM

Grading Option

Letter, P/F, Audit

Credits

3

Online?

N

Professor Approval Req'd?

N

Prerequisites?

N

Notes

UGRAD/GRAD SPLIT

School

Harvard Divinity School

HDS 3216

Reading Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Today, Here

BTI Category

Semester

Buddhist Studies

FA26

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a key political leader and thinker as well as a religious leader and thinker in twentieth century India. Dr. Ambedkar is remembered as a political thinker for his central role in crafting the Constitution of the Republic of India while he is remembered as a religious leader for his conversion to Buddhism in 1956 together with more than 350,000 followers, marking a public rejection by Dalits of continuing caste discrimination in independent India. Dr. Ambedkar�s political and religious thought is subtle and manifold and, centrally concerned with rethinking the place of religion in multireligious societies, it goes far beyond what these two memories, on their own, might suggest. Rejecting any reduction of religion to identity, Dr. Ambedkar combined criticism of religion with a deep sympathy and appreciation of it. He especially helps us to develop critiques and understandings of religion as a political phenomenon in multireligious societies. This colloquium will explore Dr. Ambedkar as a political and religious thinker who can be a teacher to us today, here.Enrollment for this course is limited. Students who want to take the course should send an email to the instructors saying why they want to take the course. Students will be notified of permission to take the course before the Crimson Cart deadline.

Professor

Class Day & Time

Hallisey

T

09:00am-10:59am

Grading Option

Letter, P/F

Credits

4

Online?

N

Professor Approval Req'd?

Y

Prerequisites?

N

Notes

Enrollment for this course is limited. Students who want to take the course should send an email to the instructors saying why they want to take the course. Students will be notified of permission to take the course before the Crimson Cart deadline. BTI students should contact HDS Xreg

School

Harvard Divinity School

HDS 3956

Buddhist Stories: Narrative, Narrative Ethics, and Moral Anthropology

BTI Category

Semester

Buddhist Studies

FA26

This course is a practicum on reading Buddhist stories, learning from them, and living with them. We will engage some exemplary Buddhist stories from three orientations: how to read them well using resources of Narratology; how to use them in moral reflection and ethical understanding; and how they can illuminate who we are as moral beings and help us develop richer lives. We will also explore the connection between narrative ethics and other forms of ethical reflection as well as the relevance of recent cognitive studies about "the moral brain."The Buddhist stories will be selected from across the Buddhist world and from different time periods.No previous study of Buddhism is expected.

Professor

Class Day & Time

Hallisey

R

09:00am-10:59am

Grading Option

HDS Student Option (LG/SUS/AUD)

Credits

4

Online?

N

Professor Approval Req'd?

N

Prerequisites?

N

Notes

N

School

Boston University Graduate Program in Religion

CASRN 612/CASRN 312

Buddhism in America

BTI Category

Semester

Buddhist Studies

FA26

The transplantation and transformation of Buddhism in the United States. Time period ranges from the eighteenth century to the present, but the emphasis is on contemporary developments, including the new Asian immigration, Jewish Buddhism, feminization, and engaged Buddhism.

Professor

Class Day & Time

Harrington, Laura

TR

2:00-3:15pm

Grading Option

Letter, P/F, Audit

Credits

4

Online?

N

Professor Approval Req'd?

N

Prerequisites?

N

Notes

N

School

Harvard Divinity School

HDS 3247

Animals in a Posthuman World: A New Buddhist Ethics

BTI Category

Semester

Buddhist Studies

FA26

This course will explore the grounds for compassion, ethical commitment, and kinds of human self-restraint in light of an increasing appreciation for the value of animal life. The course will work through new adaptations of Buddhist attention and meditation techniques to elevate our affective connection with � and moral obligation to � our animal kin on planet Earth. This will entail close scrutiny of some amazing animal videos in class, as well as outdoor attention assignments. Also contributing to our deliberations will be robust discussion of human-animal living conditions and human exploitation of animal resources.   All along the way, we will reflect on readings in Western philosophical ethics, critical theory, and anthropology as they intersect, or not, with the Buddhist metaphysics of interdependence and the phenomenology of compassion.

Professor

Class Day & Time

Gyatso

TR

01:30pm-02:45pm

Grading Option

Letter, P/F

Credits

4

Online?

N

Professor Approval Req'd?

N

Prerequisites?

N

Notes

N

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