Courses Offered in the First semester, 2009/2010
M.A. Courses offered in the First Semester, 2009/2010 Academic Year (July 06 – November 07, 2009)
M.A. (English) Program:
Prof Kapila Abhyawansa BT6101/ME6101 Theravada Buddhism
Prof Tilak Kariyawasam BT6220/ME6220 Mahayana Buddhology
Professor Y Karunadasa ST6206/ME6206 Theravada Abhidhamma
Prof Endo Toshiichi BL6204/ME6204 Pali Literature
M.A. (Chinese) Program:
真觉法师 南传上座部佛教
魏查理教授 阿毗达磨宗派理论概观
姚治华教授 佛学研究的特别论题(1)：佛教知识论
朱雪芳博士 佛学研究的特别论题(2)：佛教与中国文化(先秦至魏晋时期)
B.A. Courses for the 1st Semester of Academic Year 2009/2010
BC101 Pre-Buddhist Indian Culture (BA1) 3(3-0-6)
PL101 Pāli Grammar I (BA1,2) 3(3-0-6)
The course will introduce the student to the elementary rules of descriptive grammar: declension, conjugation, sandhi, samāsa (nominal compounds) and rules relating to the basic grammatical structure of a sentence.
BP309 Theravāda Exegetical Tradition (BA3,4) 3(3-0-6)
A historical survey and a critical evaluation of the Buddhist exegetical traditions developed within the Theravāda tradition. Attention will be focused on the canonical antecedents of Buddhist exegesis, Buddhist hermeneutics of the Netti and Peṭakopadesa, methods of doctrinal exposition in the Pāli Aṭṭhakathās and Ṭīkās, and doctrinal developments through commentarial interpretations.
BP301 Early Buddhism: Problems of Interpretation (BA2,3,4) 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.
RB301(201) Buddhism in Modern Asia (BA1,2,3,4) 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: Therevāda, 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.
PL304 Pāli Prescribed Readings I (BA4) 3(3-0-6)
Prerequisite PL202
The aim of this course is to introduce the student to the syntax and language style of the Pāli discourses and verses. Extracts from the prescribed texts will be set as exercises in comprehension and for translation into English.
Selections: Majjhima Nikāya I, Sutta numbers: 2, 3, 4, 9 and 12.
Sayutta Nikāya I, Devatā Sayutta.
HU103 Literature and Civilization (BA1,2,3,4) 3(3-0-3)
A study of selected literary masterpieces from the classical times to the present, with the main focus on Eastern, Western and sacred literature. Themes considered will relate to the development of the human family and the meaning of being human.
SM101 Introduction to Statistics (BA1,2,3) 3(3-0-3)
A study of statistical methodology, tabulation, frequency distribution, probability theory, sampling, parametric, testing of hypothesis, linear regression and correlation.
SK301 Sanskrit: Grammar and Syntax I (BA3) 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.