TIBETAN BUDDHISM Philosophy/Religion PR326 Dr. Joel R. Smith Spring, 2016 Skidmore College A study of classical and contemporary Tibetan thinkers who see philosophy as intertwined with religious practice. The course focuses on the Vajrayana form of Mahayana Buddhism that is the central element in the culture of Tibet, as well as its Mahayana Buddhist background in India. Emphasis is on the central ideas of wisdom, compassion, emptiness, and dependent arising. Texts: 1. Keown, Damien, Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013). ISBN 978-0-19- 966383-5 2. Kapstein, Matthew T., Tibetan Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013). ISBN 978-0-19-973512-9 **3. Lopez, Donald S., Jr., ed., Religions of Tibet in Practice: Abridged Edition (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2007). ISBN 978-0-691-12972-378 4. Powers, John, A Concise Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 2008). ISBN 978-1-55939-296-9 5. Santideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life (Bodhicaryavatara), tr. Vesna A. Wallace & B. Alan Wallace (Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1997). ISBN 978-1-55939-061-1 6. Tsering, Geshe Tashi, Emptiness (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2009). ISBN 978-086171-511-3 7. Yeshe, Lama Thubten, Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001). ISBN 978-161-4291558 I will be delighted to talk with you outside of class. Make an appointment to see me or come by during my office hours. Office: Ladd 217. Email: jsmith@skidmore.edu Office phone: 580-5407 (Please do not call me at home.) Office hours: Monday and Wednesday: 4:30-5:30 Tuesday and Thursday: 3:30-4:30 (other times Friday: 1:00-2:00 by appointment)

THE BUDDHIST BACKGROUND IN INDIA: THERAVADA AND MAHAYANA Jan 25: Introduction to the course; Powers, Introduction & The Indian Background (Ch. 1); Keown, Buddhism & Elephants (Ch. 1); Keown, The Buddha (Ch. 2); Keown, The Four Noble Truths (Ch. 4);

Film: "Buddhism: Footprint of the Buddha." 27: Powers, Some Important Buddhist Doctrines (Ch. 3); Keown, Karma & Rebirth (Ch. 3); Batchelor/Thurman, ‘‘Reincarnation: A Debate’’ (handout); Keown, Ethics (Ch. 8). DF1.1 Feb 1: -----, There is no Ego or Person; Rebirth is Not Transmigration (handout); Powers, Mahayana (Ch. 2); Keown, The Mahayana (Ch. 5); DF1.2 Garfield, What is ‘‘Buddhist Philosophy’’?(handout).DF1.3 3: Keown, Meditation (Ch. 7); Powers, Meditation (Ch. 4); Dreyfus, Meditation as Ethical Activity (handout). DF1.4 8: -----, The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Tsering, Appendix, 131-133); Rabten, The Heart of Wisdom (handout); DF1.5 Santideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life DF1.6 (Preface & Introduction & Ch. I, II, III, IV, V). 10: Santideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life (Ch. VI, VII, VIII, X; browse in Ch. IX); DF2.1 DF2.2 MADHYAMIKA BUDDHISM IN TIBET 15: Tsering, The Revolution of Selflessness (Ch. 1); DF2.3 Tsering, Prerequisites for Understanding Selflessness(Ch2) 17: Tsering, Concepts of Selfhood (Ch. 3 but not 55-59);DF2.4 Kapstein, Philosophical developments & disputes (Ch. 5). 22: Tsering, Selflessness in Svatantrika Madyamkika (55-59); Tsering, Differences between Svantanrika & Prasangika (Ch. 4). DF2.5 24: Tsering, Prasangika’s Unique Presentation of Emptiness(Ch5 Tsering, Establishing Emptiness (Ch. 6). DF2.6 27: Optional day trip to at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra. 29: Tsering, Emptiness & Dependent Arising (Ch. 7). DF3.1 Mar 2: Powers, Other-Emptiness (108-110); Tulstrim Gyamtso, The Shentong Approach (handout); DF3.2 Williams, The Tathagatagarbha (handout). DF3.3 4 (Friday): Outline due on Svatantrika vs. Prasangika. 7: Outline due on Rangtong vs. Shentong; Debate essay topic in class. 9: Essay due on Madhyamika. 14 Spring 16 break

TANTRIC BUDDHISM IN TIBET 21: Yeshe, Introduction to Tantra (Preface & Ch. 1-8). DF3.4 23: Yeshe, Introduction to Tantra (Ch. 9-12 & Afterword)DF3.5 Research consultation in library. 28: Powers, Tantra (Ch. 5, 63-94 only); Kapstein, Enlightenment in this very body (Ch. 6); DF3.6 Lopez, Introduction (RTP). DF4.1 30: Kapstein, The world of gods, demons, and men (Ch. 1); Kapstein, Sources of Tibetan religious traditions (Ch. 2). Apr 1 (Friday): Research paper topic due. DF4.2 DF4.3 4: Kapstein, The growth of the orders and schools (Ch. 3); Powers, The Four Orders (Ch. 6). DF4.4 TIBETAN BUDDHIST RITUALS & PRACTICES 6: Powers, Death & Dying in Tibetan Buddhism (94-102);DF4.5 Kapstein, When this life ends (Ch. 7); DF4.6 Lopez, Mindfulness of Death (RTP Ch. 22)); Germano, Dying, Death, and Other Opportunities (RPT Ch. 23). DF5.1 11: Germano, Food, Clothes, Dreams, & Karmic Propensities (RTP, Ch.14). DF5.2 13: a. Kohn, A Rite of Empowerment (RTP Ch. 9); DF5.3 b. Bentor, Horseback Consecration Ritual (RTP Ch. 10); c. Kohn, An Offering of Torma (RTP Ch. 11); DF5.4 DF5.5 d. Gyatso, An Avalokiteshvara Sadhana (RTP Ch. 12);DF5.6 e. Jackson, A Fasting Ritual (RTP Ch. 13). DF6.1 18: Prof. Benjamin Bogin, class visit. DF6.2 20: a. Lopez, Exorcising Demons with Buddhist Sutra(handout); b. Kapstein, Turning Back Gossip (RTP Ch. 26); DF6.3 c. Klein & Sangpo, Hail Protection (RTP Ch. 27); DF6.4 d. Lopez, A Prayer Flag for Tara (RTP Ch. 28); DF6.5 e. Kapstein, Tibetan Buddhism Today (Ch. 8). DF6.6 25: Presentation 1: Presentation 2: Presentation 3: Presentation 4: 27: Presentation 5: Presentation 6: Presentation 7: Presentation 8:

May 2: Presentation 9: Presentation 10: Presentation 11: Presentation 12: 9: (Monday): Research paper due, 3:00 p.m. sharp in Ladd 217. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: (1) Participation (25%): The combination of (a) your attendance and the quantity and quality of your class discussion, (b) the discussion foci, and (c) the study guides will count 25% of your final course grade. Class participation is essential to your learning in this course, so I urge you to participate fully and actively in our class discussions. (a) ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED AT ALL CLASSES (unless you have a certified medical excuse). I will grade your attendance and contribution to discussion as follows: A or A- = attend all classes and make useful contributions to discussion in nearly every class. B+ or B = attend all classes and make regular contributions. B- = attend all classes but seldom speak. C, D, F = one or more absences no matter how much you talk. Please do not arrive in class late. Please do not leave the room during class unless it is absolutely necessary. (Leaving class unnecessarily is rude and distracts me and other students. It also suggests a lack of concentration or lack of interest on your part.) Please turn off all electronic devices! Since learning during class depends directly on the reading and writing assignments, all assignments must be completed on time. Your understanding of class discussions, and the quality of class discussion itself, depend on how well you have prepared the reading assignments, so read the assignments carefully and critically. Take notes or outline the reading so you are well prepared for class discussion. The Skidmore College guideline is that students should study two hours outside of class for every hour of class time. Note that this course earns four, not three, credits, so this course involves considerable more work than a three credit course. Compared to a three credit course, this course has an additional 30 minutes of class time each Monday and Wednesday, and also an additional hour of work outside of class for each Monday and Wednesday class. Since each class is 1 hour and 50 minutes long, I expect you to spend about 3 1/2 hours preparing for each of our classes, and I have assigned work based on that expectation. I suggest that you

work out a study schedule that sets aside a regular study period to prepare for each class. Use the full study time--if you finish the reading quickly, go back to reflect on the reading more deeply by re-reading, by underlining, by taking notes, etc. (b) Discussion focus: Six times during the semester you and a partner will meet together outside of class to discuss what to focus on. Choose one passage in the reading and focus our class discussion on it by raising questions or criticisms, by connecting it to other things in the course, by developing it further, etc. The task is not to summarize the reading, but to focus our discussion on a specific issue that you find important. These are marked DF on the schedule of assignments above. (c) Study guides: Written study guide assignments on the reading will be assigned for almost every class. These will be graded pass/fail. They will be due at the beginning of class, and normally late study guides will not be accepted for credit. (2) Essay (25%): An essay of about 10 typed (double-spaced) pages is due in class on March 9 (just before spring break). I will provide detailed instructions well in advance. (3) Research paper (50%): On Friday, April 1st, a written statement of a topic for your research paper is due. Before April 1st, a librarian will discuss research methods with the class, and I will meet with you to help you focus a topic. I will provide more detailed instructions later. The research project will culminate in two events: (b) Class presentation: During one of our final classes, you will have 25 minutes to discuss your research project. I will provide more detailed instructions later. (c) Paper: A paper of about 15 typed (double-spaced) pages will be due at 3:00 p.m. sharp on Monday, May 9 (the first day of exam week). The grade on the paper (including the class presentation) will count 50% of your final course grade. LEARNING DISABILITY: Please let me know right away if you have a learning disability (whether it’s officially certified or not} so we can discuss how to work with it. HONOR CODE: Skidmore has an inspiring Honor Code that I strongly support and will strictly enforce. I will discuss issues about documentation and plagiarism when I give you the essay topics. Before then, please read The Academic Integrity Handbook available on-line through the Office of Academic Advising, especially the excerpts there on ‘‘Documentation and Plagiarism’’ from The Skidmore Guide to Writing. Skidmore considers unintentional plagiarism still to be plagiarism that earns sanctions, so read carefully

these sections in The Academic Integrity Handbook and The Skidmore Guide to Writing. LEARNING GOALS:

1. Study Tibetan Buddhism in its philosophical and religious dimensions, including its history and diversity.

2. Occasionally compare Tibetan Buddhism with Western and Indian philosophies and religions.

3. Learn about the cultures of Tibet and India through the study of Buddhism in those cultures.

4. Consider the relationship between philosophy and religion. 5. Develop subtle reading, writing and analytical skills,

including critical evaluation, by discussing readings and writing about them.

6. Hone your research skills by writing a research paper. 7. Visit a nearby Tibetan Buddhist monastery to observe

contemporary Buddhism in the U.S. (This day-trip is optional.) 8. Expand your oral skills in public discussion through class

presentations. 9. Cultivate productive and enjoyable working relationships in

and outside of class with others in the course (including me!).

10.Explore your own views about Buddhism to develop your personal philosophical and religious views, especially about the role of wisdom, compassion, and awakening in life.

Buddhism is a fascinating philosophy and religion with a rich and diverse history of over 2000 years. Tibetan Buddhism developed late enough in the history of Buddhism to include many different Buddhist views, so our study will be complex and challenging. I invite you to commit fully to our study so we can enjoy seeing what Tibetan Buddhism has to offer. Welcome aboard!