Undergraduate Course: Theravada Buddhism (REST10048)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores a major branch of Buddhism from its origins in 5th century BCE North India to its present-day manifestations in South and South-east Asia. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
This course explores the branch of Buddhism known as Therav¿da, which is prevalent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, aiming to give students a thorough understanding of the major beliefs, practices and historical developments as well as allow more in-depth study of selected themes. The course covers the origins of Buddhism, the development of Therav¿da as a distinct branch, the history of Therav¿da, and key aspects of Therav¿da Buddhist thought and practice. Students are expected to engage directly with primary sources, both textual and ethnographic, and to reflect upon the nature of these types of sources within the academic study of Buddhism.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
This course begins with the beginnings of Therav¿da Buddhism, by exploring Therav¿da representations of the life of the Buddha and traditional understandings of Therav¿da history and identity. It then discusses key Buddhist ideas in their Therav¿da formulations, the notion of scripture and the compilation of the 'P'li canon¿, monasticism as the basic Therav¿da institution, meditation, ethics, ritual and devotional practices, and the role of Therav¿da Buddhism in national identity and political debate. Throughout the course students are encouraged to explore variations in Therav¿da perspectives, as well as to question both traditional and academic representations of Therav¿da Buddhism.
Student Learning Experience Information:
The course has a two-hour class per week. The first hour is usually a traditional lecture format, albeit with interactive elements and an emphasis on student engagement with primary sources, whether in the form of text, film, image or sound. The second hour is a seminar discussion of the set reading for the week, which is provided in a course reader and consists of a mixture of scriptural extracts and ethnographic accounts. Students are expected to read the set seminar readings and produce a weekly short written response that gives a brief summary of the source, picks out one or two points of interest and raises a question for discussion. Students are also expected to follow up recommended readings relating to lecture themes. For essay 1 students must choose a primary text extract to research and write about, while essay 2 allows the students to study a key theme or question relating to Therav¿da belief or practice in depth. Through all these activities students demonstrate their completion of the intended learning outcomes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the main Theravada beliefs, practices, and historical developments
- Interpret textual and ethnographic sources in the context of wider knowledge of Theravada Buddhism
- Assess the role of both textual and ethnographic sources in our understanding of the reception and practice of Theravada Buddhism
- Evaluate several key issues in Theravada literature, history, doctrine and practice using both primary and secondary sources
- Demonstrate an ability to identify key terms and their meanings, and to judge the relative importance of items on course bibliographies
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Religion,Buddhism,Theravada,South Asia,Southeast Asia. |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Naomi Appleton
Tel: (0131 6)50 8976
Email: Naomi.Appleton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: Kate.Munro@ed.ac.uk |
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