Second Semester Courses, 2008 Academic Year

The second semester of the 2008 Academic Year will begin on December 01, 2008. The courses offered are listed below.

Registration and enrollment in person: November 29 - December 02, 2008.
See the secretary, Ms Supannee Iadplab for registration and enrollment forms.

M.A. Courses

BH6103/ME6103. History of Indian Buddhism (3 credits) (3-0-6)
The course gives a comprehensive coverage of Indian Buddhism from its origin to the decline and disappearance of Buddhism in India, with focus on the Nikâya Buddhism, the rising of Mahâyâna and its significance in the development of Chinese Buddhism.

CB6219/ME6219 The Ch’an (Dhyâna) School, a Historical Survey (3 credits) (3-0-6)
This course is a historical survey of the Ch’an (Dhyâna) school of Chinese Buddhism, one of the most influential Buddhist schools in China. The survey includes the most important periods in the development of this school, such as the introduction of Patriarch Ch’an into China for the first time, the establishment of Patriarch Ch’an as a separate School, and the divisions of Patriarch Ch’an over time. It will also outline the special features of the Patriarch Ch’an of each different major sub-school or lineage. Representative Ch’an masters or Patriarchs (including their biography, doctrines, method of teaching, influences etc.) of each important period will be discussed with reference to the historical background.

ST6206/ME6206. Special Topic I - Introductory Readings in Buddhist Sanskrit Texts (3 credits) (3-0-6)
This course is designed for beginners to learn to learn Sanskrit through reading some Sanskrit texts under the guidance of a teacher. Students will be familiarized with the styles, idiomatic expressions and technical terminologies of selected Buddhist Sanskrit texts. In this course, passages from the Vajracchedikâ-prajñâpâramitâ-sûtra deemed appropriate for the students’ level will be selected for readings, analyses of their grammars and explanation of the doctrines. Neither familiarity with Buddhist scriptures nor prior knowledge of Sanskrit is an absolute prerequisite for this course.

ST6210/ME6210. Special topics in Buddhist studies (2) (3 credits) Buddhism in Lanna Kingdom (3-0-6)

B.A. Courses

1. BH203 - HISTORY OF BUDDHISM IN INDIA: PRE-ASOKAN PERIOD 3(3-0-6)
The course focuses on the following aspects: the extent of the spread of Buddhism during the time of the Buddha and its impact on the contemporary society, Buddhist Councils and their importance in the history of Buddhism, formation of the Buddhist canonical literatures and its oral transmission by the bhānakas, development in Buddhist monasticism, emergence of Buddhist sects, growth of Buddhist rituals and concessions to popular religious needs, Asoka and his contribution to the propagation of Buddhism in India and beyond.

2. BH401- History of Buddhist Thought in India 3(3-0-6)
A continuous historical survey of Buddhist thought in India, focusing on the factors that led to the emergence of a wide variety of schools and interpretative traditions within the fold of Buddhism. The course will concentrate on the schools of Abhidharma, the rise of the Sautrāntika as a critical response to the Abhidharma, the Mahāyāna sūtra literature, Madhyamaka, Yogācāra, and Tantrayāna.

3. BP305 - Theravāda Abhidhamma 3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITES BT201&BH201
The prime focus of the course will be on the dhamma-theory, the cornerstone of the Abhidhamma philosophy. The course will introduce students to the teachings of the Abhidhamma on levels of reality and degrees of truth, analysis of mind and matter, theory of cognition, instantaneous being, and conditional relations. The course will be concluded with an introduction to the expository methodology of the Abhidhamma.

4. BP311 - The Psychology of the Abhidharma 3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITE BT305 OR BT307
The purpose of this study is to examine how the psychological concepts and categories of Early Buddhism came to be interpreted in the schools of Abhidharma. The main topics will include definition and classification of consciousness, mind-matter relationship, theories of cognition and subliminal consciousness, jhanic experience and higher reaches of mind. The course will conclude with the Sautrāntikas' critique of Abhidharma categories and their contribution to Buddhist psychological analysis.

5. BP401 - CONTROVERSIAL DOCTRINES OF THE ABHIDHARMA TRADITION
3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITES BT311&BT305 OR BT307
An inquiry into the specific Mahāyāna doctrines which were developed within the Abhidharma tradition but remained controversial among early schools of Buddhism. The course will focus on the karma-theories of avijñapti, avipranāśa and bīja, prajñapti-paramātha dichotomy, theories of antarābhava, spiritual status of the Arahant, the lokottaravāda tradition of Buddhology, and the Sautrāntika critique of the Abhidharma categories.

6. BP403 - Buddhist Logic and Epistemology 3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITE BT201
The course is designed as a systematic study of the system of epistemological logic developed by Dignāga and Dharmakirti during the 6-7th century A.D. Topics of discussion will include: forms of syllogism, essence of judgment, impact of names and inference, theory of sense-perception, validity of knowledge, and the reality of the external world.

7. BP405 - Buddhism, Upaniṣads and Advaita Vedānta 3(3-0-6)
PREREQUISITE BP313, BP315
The course will review the historical relation between Early Buddhism and the pre-Buddhist Upanișads and examine the philosophical positions of the Madhyamaka and Yogācāra schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism in relation to śaṇkara's interpretation of the Upaniùads as a non-dualist metaphysic. The course is specially meant to review the views expressed by modern scholars on this subject.

8. CB401 - School of Chinese Buddhism I 3(3-0-6)
The course will examine the socio-cultural circumstances that led to the rise and popularity of the Pure Land School, both in China and Japan and its basic teachings. The course will focus specially on the religious and philosophical significance of the prayer to the Amida Buddha so essential in Pure Land pietism. The division of the school into Jodo and Jodoshin after its introduction to Japan will also be considered.

9. EN106 - FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH AND COMMUNICATION 3(3-2-2)
PREREQUISITE EN103
A practical course designed to acquaint students with the process of public speaking and the basic principles involved in speech preparation and presentation.

10. SK401 - Sanskrit: Grammar and Syntax II
PREREQUISITE SK301 3(3-0-6)
Conjugation of the athematic verb classes II, V and VIII; more declensional cases of nouns and pronouns of the three genders with vowel and consonant endings; the denominative; the imperfect tense; the conditional tense; the periphrastic future; the locative and genitive absolutes; the future passive participles (gerundive); the present participles; further forms of bahuvrīhi samāsa; the avyayībhāva samāsa; possessive and adjective suffixes; past active participles.

11. SM103 - Life, Health and Nutrition 3(3-0-3)
A survey course on current health issues. The relationship between health and illness is explored, social and cultural issues as they impact on health practices are investigated. A study is made of the principles of human nutrition and the diet essential for optimum health. And strategies for maintaining personal and family health are discussed along with simple remedies for day-to-day health problems.

12. SS106 - Home and Life Values 3(3-0-3)
A study of the dynamics of home and human relations. The course deals with the influence and role of family, its values as they relate to society, and factors that relate to its success

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