Admission requirements
This course may serve as an introduction to Buddhism in Chinese history. Students do not need any prior academic background in the topic. Genuine interest in Chinese Buddhism and Chinese thought as well as alternate modes of thinking would make the learning experience most fruitful.
BA Chinastudies students can only follow this course if they don't go on exchange in block 4.
Description
Chan/Zen Buddhism: History, Myth, Theory, and Practice
Zen has become a household term, but the reality behind this term is not well known. Originating in China around the 6th century C.E., the Chan/Zen tradition became one of the major Buddhist schools and rapidly spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam (and, to a certain extent, Tibet). This course examines some aspects of this tradition, emphasizing its historical development, its mythological elements, and its multifaceted practice, which has for too long been reduced in the Western mind to meditation.
Course objectives
Students will develop abilities in close reading of Buddhist primary sources in translation. They will acquire a critical mind regarding religious and philosophical issues, and a better understanding of non-Western cultures.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Attendance is compulsory for all sessions. Students must prepare well and contribute to in-class discussion.
Assessment method
Assessment
The course will be evaluated on a combination of a final paper and engaged, informed and regular class participation, including short assignments.
Weighing
Active participation in class discussion and weekly postings (50%)
Final paper, 12-15 pages (50%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
Weekly short assignments will be accepted on a pass/no credit basis and have no resit. A re-sit for the participation component is not possible.
There is a two-deadline policy for the final paper; for those who miss this first deadline, this means they have failed on the first attempt. Those who fail on the first attempt—whether by not submitting a paper by the first deadline, or by submitting an inadequate paper—will have one more (second and last) chance to submit their paper by the second deadline.
It is recommended that students use the first deadline as a draft deadline to receive feedback and implement it for the second deadline.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
A wide variety of readings are assigned, most of them available online. The following books are required, however:
Jeffrey Broughton, The Bodhidharma Anthology
Burton Watson, Record of Lin-chi
John McRae, Seeing Through Zen
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Herta Mohr
Remarks
None.