Instructors: Professors Parviz Dehghani (Sec. 1),Chia -ju Chang (Sec. 2) and

Edwin Bryant (Sec. 3).

Course Description

This course introduces students to the major living religious traditions of Asia, originating in India, China, Korea and Japan. We will study the beliefs and practices of Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, Taoists, as well as the followers of Shinto and other folk religions. We are interested in discovering how the sacred is depicted in their scriptures, and in comparing the diverse ways and methods through which humankind can achieve self-transformation.  Our discussion of these religious traditions proceed chronologically, for it is only through a historical analysis of these religions can we realize how and why they evolved over time. No religion ever exists in a vacuum or stays the same. Different historical, social, and cultural forces played a role in the rise and development of different religions, which then influenced these forces in return. In tracing this dialectical relationship, we want to pay equal attention to the philosophical foundations of the religious traditions as well as their social functions and manifestations.

Required Texts

World Religions: Eastern Traditions. Edited by Willard G. Oxtoby (Oxford, 1996), abbreviated as WR, available at both Douglass Student Co-op and Rutgers University Bookstores.

Eastern Ways of Being Religious. Kessler, Gary (Mayfield, 1992), abbreviated as EWBR, available at both Douglass Student Co-op and Rutgers University Bookstores.

The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna's Counsel in Time of War abbreviated as BG available at both Douglass Student Co-op and Rutgers University Bookstores.

Recommended Texts On Reserve at Alexander Library

AuthorTitle

1.  Lau, D.C.The Analects

2.  Fuller, C. J.                         The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India

3.  Sax, W.S.,edThe Gods at Play, Lila in Southeast Asia

4.  Yao, X.                               An Introduction to Confucianism

5.  Lopez, D.                            Asian Religions in Practice

6.  Ramanujan, A. K.               Speaking of Siva

7.  Miller, B. S.             Yoga: Discipline of Freedom

8.  Miller, B. S.             The Bhagavad-Gita

9.  Mair, V.                              Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu

10. Mair, V.                             The Tao Te Ching

11. Rahula, W.             What the Buddha Taught

12. Blacker, C.             The Catalpa Bow

13. Fingarette, H.                    Confucius: The Secular as Sacred

14. Eck, D.                              Darsan

15. Waley, A.                           Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China

16. Suzuki, S.                           Zen Mind, Beginners Mind

17. Welch, H.                           The Parting of the Way

18. Hanh, T. N.                    The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching

19. Sekida, K.                          Two Zen Classics Mumonkan and Hekigamroku

20. Kitagawa, J.                      Religious Traditions of Asia

Course Requirements

1. Three In-class Quizzes (30% of the final grade): a 20-25 minutes quiz consisting of short-answer definitions of key terms and figures will be given during individual section meetings. They test your mastery of basic knowledge from the readings and lectures.

2. Three Short Papers (30% of the final grade): You are expected to write two short papers (about 3-4 pages) comparing either beliefs and practices within the same religious tradition (for instance, between Vedic religion and devotional Hinduism, or between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism), or between two different religious traditions (for instance, between Confucianism and Taoism, or between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism).  For the other short paper, you are expected to select a topic of your choosing connected with an Eastern tradition, but one not derived directly from the material covered in the course.  For example, you may write a descriptive paper about a visit to a temple or ashram (a visit will be conducted at some point in the semester in conjunction with another course); a reaction to the on-campus meditation sessions conducted weekly by Kurt Spellmeyer (see week 12); a response to a film about India or Tibet (some videos and viewing equipment are available in the Religion dept.), or to a book about Eastern thought that you have read that is not covered in the syllabus. There may be scholars from other universities visiting Rutgers throughout the semester (or faculty members from other departments in Rutgers) delivering lectures on related topics, which we will announce in class, and these may provide suitable subject matter for your third paper.  You should consult with your section leader about this third paper, since other creative ideas will be entertained. 

3. Final Exam (30% of the final grade): It is cumulative and consists of a combination of short-answer questions (like the quizzes) but also essay questions which require you to compare and contrast different traditions within the same religion or different religions (like the short papers).

4. Class Attendance and Participation (10% of the final grade). You are expected to attend every class meeting. You will be held responsible for material covered in lectures, much of which go beyond required readings. The lectures and discussions will also provide the necessary background and transitions between the various religious traditions. Your participation in class discussion will show how well you have understood the readings and where clarification is necessary. It is therefore essential to keep up with the reading assignments.

Policies

Unless you have valid proof, in case of illness, provided by a physician or a letter from your dean in case of family or other emergencies, NO make-up for missed quizzes or final exam will be given. The same goes for the short term papers and response papers: Late papers will be penalized half a grade per week and no paper will be accepted after ten days of their due date unless this lateness is caused by documented medical crisis or other emergencies. Any permissible make-up must be arranged with the individual instructor of your section.

Grading  System: A=100-90, B+=89-87, B=86-80,C+=79-77, C=76-70, D=69-65, F=64 and below. Incompletes, i.e. “T” grades, ordinarily will not be given.

Topics of the Weekly Lectures and Reading Assignments from "Required Reading"

(Additional assignments may be given during lectures).

1.         1/24             Origins of the Hindu Tradition

                        WR 13-29; EWBR 39-54.

2.         1/31             Upanishad and the Way of Knowledge

                        WR 29-34; EWBR 1-36; 55-58.

3.         2/7             The Gita and Classical Hinduism

                        WR 35-63; EWBR 58-62, 67-72.

4.         2/14             Devotional Hinduism: Vishnu and Krishna

                        WR 63-80; EWBR 72-77, 79-82.

5.         2/21            Devotional Hinduism: Siva and Devi, the Goddess.

                        WR 80 –128; EWBR 77-79, 82-98.                      

6.         2/28             Jainism and Early Buddhism

                        WR 135-172, 215-266; EWBR 99-122

                        Quiz 1 given in section meetings.

7.         3/7             Mahayana Buddhism

                        WR 266-276; EWBR 123-136.

                        First term paper due.

8.         3/14             Tibetan Buddhism and the 14^th Dalai Lama

                        WR 276-283; EWBR 144-154.

9.         3/28             Ancient Chinese Religion and Classical Confucianism

                        WR 347-375, 387-407; EWBR 163-200,                       

10.       4/4             Taoism

                        WR 418-446; EWBR 227-275

                        Quiz 2 given in sectional meetings.

11.       4/11             Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism in East Asia

                        WR 284-294, 305-320, 407-418; EWBR 200-212                                              

12.       4/18             Zen Buddhism by guest lecturer Professor

                        Kurt Spellmeyer

                        WR 294-299; EWBR 154-161

                        2^nd Term Paper due.

13.       4/25             Pure Land Buddhism

                        WR 299-305; EWBR 136-144.                       

14.       5/2             Shinto and Japanese Religions

                        WR 375-387, 450-461.

                        Quiz 3 given in sectional meetings.

15.       5/15            Final Exam 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Scott Room 135