Courses and Schedules for First Semester, 2008 Academic Year
The academic session of the first semester of 2008 academic year begins on 14 July, 2008 and ends on 15 November, 2008.
Courses offered for M.A. program and B.A. program and their schedules:
M.A. Program: Courses and Schedules
BT6101/ME6101 Theravāda Buddhism
Prof Kapila A
Mondays: 26 July – 15 August; 25 August - 7 November
8.20am-11.20am
BT6102/ME6102 Mahāyāna Buddhism
Dr Fa Qing
Tuesdays: 26 July – 15 August; 25 August - 7 November
8.20am-11.20am
BC6208/ME6208 Buddhism and Society
Ven Assist Prof Dr Guang Xing (36 hours) of lectures;
Monday to Saturday: 18-23 August inclusive
8.20am-11.20am; 3.00pm-6.00pm
Dr Fa Qing: (9 hours)
Monday to Wednesday: 25-27 August inclusive
3.00pm-6.00pm
BT6212/ME6212. Ālāya-vijñāna: The Yogācāra dOctoberrine of the ‘Store-consciousness’
Ven Prof Dr K L Dhammajoti
Mondays to Fridays: 14-26 July inclusive
9.00am-11.00am; 7.00pm-9.00pm
Saturday, 19 July,: 9am-11am;
Saturday, 26 July: 8.20am-11.20am
B.A. Program: Courses and Schedules
BC101 Pre-Buddhist Indian Culture
Dr Krishna G Santina
08 Sep to 30 October
EN 101 English Structure
Dr Bong C L
26 July – 7 November
CB301c Buddhism in China I (Chinese medium)
Dr Chu S F
14 July – 16 August
HU 106 Thai Language and Culture
Mr Supak Inthongkang
14 July – 24 October
BH201 Early Buddhism: Historical Background
Prof Kapila A
14 July – 24 October
SK301 Sanskrit Grammar & Syntax I
Ven Dr Dhammanandi Lee S K
14 July – 24 October
PL201 Pāli Grammar II
Ven Dr Dhammanandi Lee S K
14 July – 24 October
EN 103 English Composition
Dr Bong C L
26 July – 7 November
BP205 Mahāyāna Buddhism: Basic DOctoberrines
Dr Fa Qing
14 July – 24 October
PL301 Pali : Prescribed Readings I
Ven Dr Dhammanandi Lee S K
14 July – 24 October
CB301 Buddhism in China I (English medium)
Dr Fa Qing
14 July – 24 October
BP301 Early Buddhism: Problems of Interpretation
Prof Kapila A
14 July – 24 October
BP307 Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma
Prof C Willemen
14 July to 01 August
BP303 Early Buddhist Psychology
Ven W Piyaratana
18th August to 10th October
BP313 Madhyamaka; The Buddhist Doctrine of Emptiness
Prof Kapila A
14 July – 24 October
RB301 Buddhism in Modern Asia
Ven W Piyaratana
18th August to 10th October
Download timetable for B.A. courses attached below.
Course Descriptions
M.A. Program
BT6101/ME6101. THERAVĀDA BUDDHISM (3 credits) (3-0-6)
The Buddha’s teachings recorded in the Pāli literature will be the main focus on this study. Attention is drawn to the definition of Theravāda Buddhism and the differences existing between Theravāda Buddhism and Early Buddhism, Early Buddhism and Pāli Buddhism. Candidates are expected to study the basic concepts of Theravāda Buddhism in comparison with the concepts of early Indian culture. The following concepts should be studied in detail: Buddha, Bodhisatta, Arahanta, Gods, Four Noble Truths, Dependent origination, Kamma and rebirth, Five Aggregates and twelve bases, cosmology, cultivation (bhāvanā) of mind and spiritual faculties.
BT6102/ME6102. MAHĀYĀNA BUDDHISM (3 credits) (3-0-6)
This course aims at students without previous knowledge of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It provides an introduction to Mahāyāna Buddhism in the widest sense. After a brief look at the development of Buddhism in India after the death of the Buddha, this course concentrates on the historical, philosophical and religious origins of Mahāyāna Buddhism in India. These include the Bodhisattva ideal; Buddhological developments; the philosophical systematizations of the Mādhyamaka and Yogācāra schools; the reasons for the dominant position of Mahāyāna Buddhism in China and an investigation on the features of the newly emerged Mahāyāna modernism (i.e., Japanese Buddhism).
BC6208/ME6208. BUDDHISM AND SOCIETY (3 credits) (3-0-6)
This course concentrates on the various aspects of Buddhist social philosophy and its historical development. It consists of various topics, such as the twofold process of society (origin and dissolution), the Buddha and society, the Buddhist stratification of society, social implication of the five precepts, Buddhist perspectives on morality, ethics and economics, Buddhism and peace, the environment, and human rights.
BT6212/ME6212. ĀLĀYA-VIJÑĀNA: THE YOGĀCĀRA DOCTRINE OF THE ‘STORE-CONSCIOUSNESS’
(3 credits) (3-0-6)
The doctrine of the ālaya-vijñāna is one of the most important and distinguishing doctrines of the Yogācāra. This course focuses on the early Indian development of the doctrine. Its main content includes:
• The historical evolution of the doctrine from Abhidharma Buddhism, particularly the contribution from the Sautrāntika.
• The nature and functions of the ālaya-vijñāna as expounded in the fundamental texts of the school, and the importance of the doctrine for the school’s central thesis of vijñapti-mātratā.
• The doctrine of the transformation of the ālaya-vijñāna and its active cognitive evolutes (the paravrtti-vijñāna) expounded as āśraya-parāvrtti.
BT6321/ME6321 INDEPENDENT STUDY REPORT (3 credits) (3-0-6)
The report on the independent study on selected and approved topic should be about 5000 words.
BT6322C/ME6322 THESIS (12 credits)
Thesis of about 25,000 words approved and supervised.
B.A. Program
BC101- PRE-BUDDHIST INDIAN CULTURE 3(3-0-6)
The course examines the social and religious culture in India before the Buddha focusing its especial attention on the following aspects: the Indus civilization and Aryans; Vedic culture; Brahmana and Śramaṇa movements; social and religious institutions, practices and beliefs; the birth of Buddhist civilization as a response to its religious and social background.
BH201 - EARLY BUDDHISM: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 3(3-0-6)
The course is designed as a critical study of the religious and intellectual background against which Buddhism emerged in the 6th century B.C. in India. Attention will be focused on the evolution of Vedic thought, the philosophy of the Upanișads, and the religio-philosophical systems that arose within the Samaṇa movement. The purpose of the course is to understand doctrines of Early Buddhism from a broad historical perspective.
BP205 - Mahāyāna Buddhism: Basic Doctrines 3(3-0-6)
The study will be mainly based on Mahāyāna literature (Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan) and is designed to provide an insight into the basic doctrines of main Mahāyāna schools. Attention will be focused on the following topics: Prajñā, prajñāpāramitā and dharmatā in the Prajñāpāramitā literature; the notion of Śūnyatā, tetra-lemma and the theory of two truths (saṃvṛti and paramārtha) in Madhyamaka school; the Three Aspects (trisvabhāva), the theory of Representation Only (vijñapti-mātra), the notion of ālayavijñāna and the Path theory in the Yogācāra school; The tathāgatagarbha (the Buddha nature) theory; The critical Classification of Buddhism in T’ien-t’ai School and Hua-yen School (Avataṃsaka); Ch’an Buddhism from Buddhadharma to Hui-neng, and the Kung-an (Koan) in Ch’an practice; the theory and practice of Pure Land Buddhism.
BP301 - EARLY BUDDHISM: PROBLEMS OF INTERPRETATION 3(3-0-6)
A re-examination of the fundamental doctrines of Early Buddhism in the light of the problems posed by subsequent doctrinal interpretations particularly of the Abhidhamma tradition and of the Madhyamaka and Yogācāra schools of Buddhist thought. The course will also take into consideration the problems of interpretation highlighted in modern academic studies on Buddhism.
BP303 - EARLY BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY 3(3-0-6)
The course will focus on the importance of the psychological content of the Early Buddhist teachings and on the distinctive contribution made by Buddhism to Indian psychology. Buddhist teachings that have a psychological significance will be examined in terms of the concepts and categories known to modern psychology.
BP307 - SARVĀSTIVĀDA ABHIDHARMA 3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITES BT201&BH201
The course will begin with a clarification of sarvastitva, the theory of tritemporal existence and its centrality to the sarvāstivāda version of the dharma-theory. The main themes of discussion will include the category of atta-viprayukta-saṃskāra, theory of causes and conditions, momentariness and the causality of cognition, karma theory of avijñapti, and the unconditioned dharmas.
BP313 - MADHYAMAKA: THE BUDDHIST DOCTRINE of EMPTINESS 3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITE BT201 &BH201
The course will commence with a review, in historical perpective, of the antecedent doctrines which led to the emergence of the Madhyamaka. It will be followed up with an in-depth study of the philosophical position of the Madhyamaka. The study will be based on the subject-matter of the Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā, which is authored by Nāgārjuna, the founder of the Madhyamaka school.
CB301 - BUDDHISM IN CHINA I 3(3-0-6)
The course focuses on the Buddhist controversy on the sudden versus gradual approaches to Enlightenment: Can Enlightenment be approached through a series of successive approximations or can it only be realized all at once in its entirety? Although the sudden-gradual polarity was not without antecedent history in other Buddhist tradition, it will be discussed here with particular reference to the history of Buddhism in China.
CB301c –中国佛教1 3(3-0-6)
全面历史地学习佛教传入中国之前的宗教文化背景、佛教与儒、道两家的比较研究——社会观点与之相应的哲学思想。早期佛教宗派传入中国的特征及其思想；极乐净土思想的流行、佛教丛林的发展、建筑和雕塑等方面的多种艺术表现形式。
EN101 - ENGLISH STRUCTURE 3(2-2-2)
A study of basic structure of the English language, which includes sentence structure, punctuation, spelling rules, word formation and paragraph writing. The class will be in the mode of a writing lab.
EN103- ENGLISH COMPOSITION 3(3-2-2)
PREREQUISITE EN103
Study and practice in the forms of writing necessary for all college writing. Students will also be introduced to library skills.
HU106 - THAI LANGUAGE AND CULTURE 3(3-0-3)
A study of essential Thai Language as well as the origins and traditions of Thai culture and the values which undergird Thai cultural, socio-economic, political and religious structure. Consideration is also given to the impact of foreign cultures on Thailand in the past and the present.
PL201 - PĀLI GRAMMAR II
PREREQUISITE PL101 3(3-0-6)
A continuous survey of Pāli Grammar covering all forms of declension, conjugation, sandhi, samāsa (nominal compounds) and taddhita (secondary derivation). The extension of sentences with adjectives, adverbs and indeclinables with the correct observance of syntax. Simple extracts, both prose and verse, from Pali texts will be used for further clarification of syntax and for comprehension.
PL301 - PĀLI PRESCRIBED READINGS
PREREQUISITE PL202 3(3-0-6)
The course will focus on enabling the student to understand simple Pāli passages and verses selected from the Dhammapada, the Udānapāli and the Jātaka. Extracts from these texts will be set as exercises in comprehension and for translation into English.
RB301 - BUDDHISM IN MODERN ASIA 3(3-0-6)
The study is designed as a wide-ranging survey of the state of Buddhism in the countries of Asia today. It will begin with a historical overview of the spread of Buddhism in: a) South and South East Asia (Sub-continent of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), b) the Himalayan Region (Tibet, Bhutan, Sikim), c) Central Asia (Afghanistan, Soviet Central Asia, Chinese Turkestan, Sinkiang, Mongolia), d) East Asia (China, Korea, Japan). The distinguishing characteristics of the Northern and Southern Buddhist traditions and the regional variations in Buddhist culture will form an integral part of this study. Among Asia's contemporary schools for Buddhist thought, an introduction will be made to the following: Theravāda, Vajrayāna (Esoteric Buddhism of Tibet) and the Ching-T'u (Pure Land) and Ch'an (Zen) schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism in East Asia. The course will be concluded with a historical introduction to the Pāli, Tibetan and Chinese versions of the Tripiṭaka.
SK301 - SANSKRIT: GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX I 3(3-0-6)
The Devanāgarī alphabets and script; sandhi (internal and external); numerals (cardinals and ordinals); the conjugational classes I, IV, VI and X of thematic verbs in the present indicative; vowel gradation; prefixes and suffixes; declensional cases of nouns and pronouns of the three genders with vowel and consonant endings; introduction to Sanskrit samāsa (compounds) - dvanda, tadpurușa, karmadhāraya, bahuvrīhi; substantives and adjectives; adverbs; relative pronouns and indeclinablāes; the past passive participles; ātmanepada verb forms; passive construction; the future tense; the infinitive; the imperative and optative modes.