Course Policies & Schedule

IMPORTANT: the schedule has now been updated to reflect approved furlough days for this course on 10/20, 11/24 & 12/1.

DESCRIPTION: Examines in cultural and historical perspective the key practices and ideas of Buddhist traditions in India, China, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Japan, & other surrounding regions [view map of Asia]; as well as the more recent spread of these practices and ideas to Europe, North America, & Australia. Draws on both ancient and contemporary sources which reflect the influence of not only settled monks and wandering ascetics, but also lay persons. We will consider in particular three aspects of the way Buddhists have both transmitted & modified their traditions: (1) reflection regarding supernatural realities (i.e., spirits, gods, & spiritual forces); (2) the specific rituals & customs that have inspired and supported such reflection; and (3) the diverse communities, from particular families to broader institutions, in which such reflection and practices have taken place. [Read more about this focus.] Team-based learning will be the primary mode of engaging with art, literature, and ritual created by Buddhists themselves; these are the primary sources for the course. (see www.teambasedlearning.org). (GE Area: C1)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After taking this course you should be able to:

1. (a) effectively answer basic questions, posed by a peer unfamiliar with Buddhist traditions, regarding key terms, images, and primary sources related to Buddhist religious life throughout Asia; and
   (b) locate reliable scholarly sources that address aspects of Buddhist religious life you don't understand fully, and formulate questions to guide your reading of those sources.
2. (a) precisely and accurately describe, again for a peer unfamiliar with Buddhist traditions, the way that sources created by Buddhists themselves feature the the key terms and images referred to in #1(a); and
   (b) present a balanced selection of excerpts from those sources that supports your statements about them.
3. (a) compare and contrast, for class members as well as peers outside the classroom, the different viewpoints and rituals of the Buddhist traditions mentioned above; and
   (b) compare and contrast the Buddhist traditions you study in class with those you observe directly at local worship sites.
4. effectively communicate with peers while refining the skills listed in #1-3.
5. appreciate both the emotional impact and intellectual fascination of Buddhist culture.
6. continue asking questions and gathering insights about your own and other people's religion and culture throughout your life.
   

SOURCES: You are responsible for obtaining the sources listed below, and for bringing assigned readings to each class meeting; the first is an on-line resource available for free through the university, and the other two are printed by & available from www.universityreaders.com (click the "STUDENTS BUY HERE " button on the upper right, or call 1-800-200-3908). The schedule provided below refers to these sources using the BOLD CAPITAL abbreviations next to each title.

Encyclopedia Britannica (on-line entries re: Buddhism)
Joël Dubois, Exploring Buddhist Traditions (EBT)
"HRS 179: History of Buddhism" Course Pack (CP)

Sources to be used for the required reading summaries at the end of each unit will be drawn from the following texts, also referred to in the schedule by BOLD CAPITAL abbreviations next to each. These have been placed at the reserve book room, and a limited number of copies are also available for purchase at the Hornet Bookstore.

John Strong, The Experience of Buddhism (EOB) [Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2007: ISBN #9780495094869]
John Strong, The Legend and Cult of Upagupta (LCU) [Princeton University Press, 1992: ISBN #8120811542]
Donald Lopez, ed., Buddhism in Practice (BIP) [Princeton University Press, 1995: ISBN # 0-691-04441-1]
Reginald Ray, Buddhist Saints in India (BSI) [Oxford University Press, 1994: ISBN #0-19-513483-4]

ATTENDANCE: Evaluation of your attendance in this course is built into other parts of the grade. Nearly half of the class sessions involve the completion of a graded activity for which you cannot receive credit if you are absent; this includes team assignments for which attendance will be taken within each team. The remainder of class periods are lectures aimed at preparing you for the assesments and assignments that immediately follow them; missing these will make successful completion of assessments and assignments very difficult.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: I ask students who arrive late to wait outside the door for a pause in the class presentation (usually 10-15 minutes). If I am talking when you enter, take a seat near the door rather than crossing everyone's field of vision. Once in the classroom:

• please handle cell phones as you would on an airplane: keep them turned off and stowed away for the entire duration of the class.
• due to frequent misuse, I also do not allow laptops, except for students with documented dissabilities requiring their use; if you have such a disability, please discuss it with me within the first week of class. (See also below under "Grading Policies.")
• avoid sights, sounds, and smells that are distracting to the instructor and other students, especially bringing food into the classroom, moving across the front of the room while the instructor is talking, and side conversation with a neighbor while anyone is speaking to the class as a whole.

STAYING INFORMED: if you miss a class or portion thereof, for whatever reason, you are responsible for

• consulting the syllabus to determine what activities you missed.
• finding out about any announcements that were made (usually during the first 10-15 minutes of a given class session) by contacting other members of your team ASAP, using the "browse" function to select student names in SacCT mail (see below), or by gathering direct email addresses from team members you know best during the first weeks of the term.
• approaching me to retrieve any graded assignments that may have been returned during your absence. You alone are responsible for low scores on assignments resulting from failure to collect or read comments on earlier, similar assignments.

IMPORTANT: please do not contact me simply to announce an absence, either by phone or email. Also, due to the volume of emails and calls that I must process, I am not available to provide information about every missed class to every absent student. If you still have questions after consulting the syllabus and checking with team members, please approach me face to face at the next class meeting.

EMAIL: in order to receive updates regarding class sessions throughout the term, I require that you maintain an active email address for the duration of the course, as confirmed by an email sent to me within the first ten days of the term. In order to facilitate my response to your emails, please include the abbreviation "[HOB]" in the subject heading of all emails. I typically respond to student emails on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and usually sometime end of week or weekend, as time allows. For queries that require immediate attention, please call or leave a voice mail at 278-5332.

IMPORTANT: please do not contact me simply to announce an absence, whether by phone or email. See above under "Staying Informed."

EXCEPTIONS to some of the above-stated policies may be granted in rare instances for compelling reasons, which generally must be verified in writing by a medical practitioner or some other professional.

ASSIGNMENTS: In order to successfully finish this course you must complete:

1. four (4) RATs ("readiness assessment tests") (3 x 100 points, 300 points total)
   [composite of individual and team scores, with lowest score dropped]
2. thirteen (13) in-class team assignments (200 points total)
   [participation requires bringing notes to no fewer than 9 team
       assignments & attendance on no fewer than 11 assigment days]
   
3. an end-of-term peer evaluation for all other team members (50 points)
   [view diagram of sequencing for these assignments]
4. four (4) reading summaries drawing on optional sources listed for each unit
   (3 x 50 points, 150 points total with lowest score dropped)
5. two (2) observation reports (or substitute an interview for second report)
   (2-3 pages each, 2 x 100 points, 200 points total)
6. one (1) observation analysis or alternative paper (4-6 pages, 100 points)
   [OVERALL SCALE: 940-1000 points=A, 900-939=A-, 870-899=B+, 840--879=B, 800-839=B-, etc.]

IMPORTANT: students needing to skip assignments due to time constraints are advised to choose from #4-6. Skipping RATs and team assignments (#1-3) makes completing higher level assignments very difficult.

GRADING POLICIES: Barring genuine emergencies, no make-ups are available for RATs; but note that the lowest score is dropped, so missing one RAT will not in itself lower your grade. I generally do not accept rewrites of guided reflections; however you may wish to show me prelimary drafts, submitted for review at least three days prior to the deadline. I DO accept late assignments, but subtract 5% from your overall score for each class day late; I will however not accept late submissions for the final assignment.

If you have a disability that requires some accommodation, please contact me to discuss such accommodation within the first two weeks of the term. I consider extreme difficulty with social interaction and interpersonal communication a legitimate disability, which should be brought to my attention as soon as possible, since team work is such an integral part of the course. If you are unsure about whether you have a disability, I encourage you to speak with me and/or also to contact the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities (Lassen Hall 1008, 278-6955).

I will generally elect severe penalties for academic dishonesty on tests and assignments: a zero score for the assignment, and failing the course for a second offense. You are responsible for reading my comments regarding the importance of academic honesty in FAQ, #10-13, and for requesting clarification if there is anything you do not understand. You may also want to check out the library's tutorial on plagiarism.

Finally, students needing extra time to complete their work for the course must submit to me an application for an incomplete, available in MND 2011. I will not accept a late final assignment or give an incomplete grade without this form in hand.

SCHEDULE: All readings listed should be completed by the day under which they are listed; note that many readings are listed twice. All numbers in the schedule are page numbers unless otherwise noted.

IMPORTANT: please wait until information linked to the schedule below (e.g., re: terms, excerpts and assignments) has been discussed in class before printing copies. I will likely be making revisions until the relevant point in the semester, and printed copies of some of this info will be provided to you.

Introduction: South Asia, Contemporary Sacramento, & Team-Based Learning

Unit 1: Solitary Bhikshus & Early Buddhist India (5th BCE - 1th CE)

Unit 2: Indian Buddhist Expansion & Monastic Bhikshus (2nd BCE - 10th CE)

Unit 3: Lay Buddhists & Bhikshus in East Asia (5th - 21st century CE)

Unit 4: Lay Buddhists & Bhikshus in Northeast India & Mainland Southeast Asia (7th - 21st century CE)

Tuesday, December 15: observation analysis DUE (download PDF/ MS Word) in MND 2016 (my office) by 4 pm

WARNING: Barring submission of a petition for an incomplete and in contrast to my late policy during the semester, no assignments will be accepted after Tuesday, December 15.

Also, if you wish to retrieve your final observation analysis, please attach to your paper a self-addressed stamped envelope (4" x 9" is usually OK if unless your paper is unusally thick) with sufficient postage for 3 ounces (currently $0.76 or two first-class stamps). Papers submitted without an envelope will receive only minimal comments and eventually be recycled without shredding.

DISCLAIMER: As you will learn from this term’s study of Buddhist traditions, all things are impermanent. In creating this syllabus I have tried to be as careful as possible to get all the details right. However in certain situations, whenever I notice that an error has been made--or that a change would significantly further the objectives of the course--I reserve the right to make alterations in the syllabus. I will always give you at least three day’s notice, both in class and by sending out an email about the change.

OTHER COURSES OF INTEREST: • Asian Civilization" (HIS 006) • "Art of India, Southeast Asia, China & Japan" (ART 117A & B) • "The Asian-American Experience" (ETHN 110)

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