Buddhism--revised syllabus

(Above: The wheel of Dharma)

Instructor: Michael E. Zimmerman, 303-492-1931, michaelz@colorado.edu
Office: Macky 201
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1-2:30 or by appointment
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/ArtsSciences/CHA/profiles/zimmerman.html
Course Objectives: In this course, students will acquire an understanding of major conceptual features of two major
phases of Buddhism: early Buddhism (sometimes called Hinayana) and Mahayana.
Course Requirements: Students are required to attend all and to be on time for all class sessions, including meditation
sessions. More than three unexcused absences will lead to a lower grade and possibly to removal from the course with a
failing grade. Regular attendance is part of the practice involved in studying the topic of the class. Students are also
required to read assignments prior to the class meeting during which they are to be discussed, to take part in class
discussion, to take a mid-term and a final exam, and to write a 3000-word, experience based term paper. Perimeters of
the term paper are described at the end of this syllabus. Other written assignments are possible.
University Policies:
1) If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely
manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.
Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
2) Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all
students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class,
students will meet with the instructor to determine when any missed work is to be made up. See full details at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
3) Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to
such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to
individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and
nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you
by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate
changes to my records. See polices at: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
4) The University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to
all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or
harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the
Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127, or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information
about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or
harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh

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(5) All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of
this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and
threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from
the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other
information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html, and at
http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/

Texts:
Paul Williams, Buddhist Thought (Abbreviation = BT)
Peter Della Santini, The Tree of Enlightenment (TE)
Web: http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~dsantina/tree/
PDF: http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/tree-enlightenment.pdf
Mark Epstein, Thoughts Without a Thinker (TWT)
Jay Garfield, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (FWMW_
Dhammapada (DP)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.than.html
Various files in PDF format, available through Norlin Library at:
http://libraries.colorado.edu/search/p?SEARCH=ZIMMERMAN&ReserveType=http%3A
On-line resources for Buddhism:
BuddhaNet, the most comprehensive website on Buddhism. Includes extensive eBook collection.
http://www.buddhanet.net/
Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library Another remarkable source for texts, articles, discussions, links.
http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Buddhism.html
BuddhaSasana, by Binh Anson, http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebidx.htm
An incredible treasure trove of texts on Buddhism
Religious Studies Web Guides, by Saundra Lipton, http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~lipton/texts.html
Includes references to major on-line collections of Buddhist texts
Resources for the Study of Buddhism, by Ron Epstein
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/Buddhism.htm
The Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Major Mahayana Sutras
with commentaries, http://cttbusa.org/sutraswithcommentaries.asp
Buddha Dhamma--The Philosophy of Buddhism
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhist_philosophy.asp
Buddhism, Philosophy and Ideas
http://www.geocities.com/lesliebarclay/philbuddha.html
The Dhamma Encyclopedia, outstanding resource
http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
Syllabus:
Introduction
August 25: Discussion of objectives, ground rules, awareness/focusing practice.
Approaching Buddhism
August 27:

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Is [Buddhism] a Religion? From Buddhism in a Nutshell, by Narada Thera
http://www.buddhanet.net/nutshell03.htm
BT, 1-21
TL, chapters one and two
Buddhist Philosophy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_philosophy
Links to sites on mindfulness/insight meditation:
Center for Contemplative Mind in Society
http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/subnav/meditation.htm
Insight Meditation On Line
http://www.buddhanet.net/insight.htm
U Pandita mindfulness instructions:
http://www.lotusinthedesert.org/meditation_instructions.html
September 1: Life of Buddha
BT, 21-40
TE, chapter three
Guatama Buddha, Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
A sketch of the Buddhas Life, Texts from the Pali Canon, first six entries
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/buddha.html
Basic Doctrines of Buddhism
September 3: Four Noble Truths
BT, 41-95
TE, chapter four
September 8: Morality, Mental Development, Wisdom, and Karma
BT, 41-95
TE, chapters five, six, seven, eight
Edward Conze, The Cultivation of the Social Emotions (pdf)
September 10: No-Self, Five Aggregates, Three Universal Marks
BT, 41-95
TE, chapters eleven and twelve
Annata (anatman, no-self) down to Anatta in the Tathagatagarbha Sutras
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta
September 15: Dependent Origination, Rebirth, Nirvana
BT, 41-95
TE, chapters nine and ten
pratityasamutpada (dependent origination): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prattyasamutpda
Nirvana, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana
Check out this vast set of lists of conceptual and practical Buddhist categories:
http://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Category:Buddha%27s_Lists
Buddhism and Psychotherapy
September 17: Wheel of Life, First Noble Truth
TWT, 1-56
For images of the Wheel of Life, type in Buddhist wheel of life at Google
Background reading on Freuds psychoanalysis and metapsychology:
Definition of Freuds idea of Metapsychology

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http://www.answers.com/topic/metapsychology
Sigmund Freud
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud
Timothy R. Quigleys brief overview of psychoanalytic theory
http://homepage.newschool.edu/~quigleyt/vcs/psychoanalysis-intro.pdf
September 22: Second, Third, and Fourth Noble Truth
TWT, 59-102
September 24: Meditation
TWT, 105-161
September 29: Therapy
TWT, 163-222
October 1: Therapy
Buddhism and Contemporary Philosophy of Mind
October 6:
Marcia Barinaga, Studying the Well-Trained Mind
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/44
Brendan D. Kelly, Buddhist Psychology, Psychotherapy, and the Brain: A Critical Introduction
http://tps.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/45/1/5
Recommended (not required) reading: Christine A. Skarda, The Perceptual Form of Life
http://www.heumanwrites.com/christineskarda/pdf/The_Perceptual_Form_of_Life%20JCS.pdf
October 8:
Owen Flanagan, The Bodhisattvas Brain (PDF available through library link)
Daniel J. Goleman, Destructive Emotions (PDF available through library link)
October 13: EXAM
Mahayana Buddhism
October 15: Origins and Character of Mahayana Buddhism; How it Differs from Earlier Buddhism
BT, 96-130
TE, chapter fourteen
I. Madhyamaka (Middle Way School of Buddhism)
October 20: Issues in Madhyamaka
BT, 131-152
TE, chapters fifteen, sixteen, and eighteen
October 22:
FWMW, 87-102
FWMW, 103-123, Examination of Conditions
Garfield, Dependent Arising and the Emptiness of Emptiness (PDF file)
October 27:
FWMW, 124-158, Examination of Motion, the Senses, the Aggregates, the Elements, Desire and the Desirous

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October 29:
No class. Instructor attending professional meeting.
November 3:
FWMW, 159-182, Examination of the Conditioned, the Agent and Action
FWMW, 293-334, Examination of the Four Noble Truths, Nirvanan
November 5:
Philosophical reflections on no-self doctrine
Perrett, Personal Identity, Minimalism, and Madhyamaka (pdf)
David Loy, Trying to Become Real
http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/loy9.htm
II. Yogacara School of Mahayana Buddhism
November 10: Basic Issues in Yogacara
BT, 152-166
Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma
TE, chapter nineteen
November 12:
Yogacara, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogacara
Lankavatara Sutra, 1-23
TE, chapter seventeen
Garfield, Vasubandhus Treatise on the Three Natures (pdf)
November 17:
Store consciousness (alaya-vijnana), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Store_consciousness
Walpola Rahula on alaya-vijnana, http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha195.htm
Richard King, Early Yogacara and its Relationship with the Madhyamaka
School, Philosophy East and West, October 1994, Vol. 44, Issue 4.
FullText version: http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-PHIL/king.htm
Philosophy East and West version:
Go to http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/research/ejournalfinder.htm
Type in Philosophy East and West in search box. This will take you to a list of possible sources for the
journal. Choose MasterFILE Elite, and look up the article by volume and number.
November 19:
Tathatagatagarba and alaya-vijnana
Buddha-nature, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha-nature
Tathagartagarbha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tathagatagarbha_doctrine
Selections from Lankavatara sutra (Word file at my website)
Fall/Thanksgiving Vacation
November 24 and 26
December 1:
Tathatagatagarba and alaya-vijnana in comparison with Hegels thought
Concluding chapter of Brown, The Buddha Nagture: A Study of the Tathagatagarbha and Alayavijnana (pdf)
December 3:

Buddha, Bodies of the Buddha, and Bodhisattvas

BT, 167-191
Three Bodies (trikaya)
Dharmakaya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmakaya
Trikaya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trikaya
TERM PAPERS DUE, DECEMBER 8

December 8:
December 10:

Summary and review

Summary and review

FINAL EXAM
December 16

1:30-4:00 pm
Experiential Term Paper

Base your essays on your own experience, as informed by our readings and class discussions. Essays due on
Thursday, December 8, by 4 pm.
Choose one of the following two topics. Paper should be about 3000 words long.
I.

On Suffering and Its Alleviation

a. For one week (seven days), meditate every day for 20 minutes. Each day, make a journal entry with your
reflections about each session. The journal entries are to be a separate document, although you may wish to introduce
topics from it into your essay.
b. Identify two different types of dukkha (suffering) that you experience in your own life. One type should be a
major form of suffering, the other a relatively minor source of suffering.
c. In your essay, explain how you explained the source of these instances of suffering, and how you dealt with
them, before encountering Buddhism. How does Buddhism explain the source of these instances of suffering, and how
does Buddhism recommend that you deal with them? Apply these recommendations as well as you can during the week.
Did following these recommendations help to alleviate your suffering? Why? Or why not? Did your meditation practice
have any effect on either kind of suffering?
II.

On Morality
a. For one week (seven days), meditate every day for 20 minutes. Each day, make a journal entry noting your
reflections about each session. The journal entries are to be a separate document, although you may wish to introduce
topics from it into your essay.
b. For one week, make a vow to stick to the five Buddhist precepts:
i) no lying
ii) no stealing
iii) no violence
iv) no use of intoxicants or mind-altering substances
v) no sexual activity that hurts or exploits yourself or others
c. In your essay, explain your understanding of what Buddhism means by these precepts. Include, but go beyond
the obvious meanings. Then describe what you experienced during your efforts to adhere to the precepts for one week.
What did you learn in the process, e.g., about the relation between following the precepts and reducing suffering, or about
how craving, aversion, and delusion lead to suffering? Finally, draw your own conclusions about the value of following
these or similar precepts.