Postgraduate Course: Mahayana and Vajrayana in India (ASST11078)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Asian Studies |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course is intended to deal thematically with some of the main factors (historical, literary, philosophical and ritual) involved in the creation and maintenance of Mah¿y¿na and Vajray¿na Buddhism in South Asia from the beginning of the first millennium CE until
around the thirteenth century. To this end the class will endeavour to consult primary sources as much as possible, reading and analysing central texts of the Mahåyåna and Vajrayåna traditions, while paying due attention to significant secondary literature. In accord with the nature of the departmental section in which the course is taught, the
perspectives adopted will, broadly speaking, be those of the academic disciplines of classical Indology and history of religions. However, students are encouraged to bring their own varying perspectives to bear on the subject. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
The purposes of the course are
(1) to enable students to form a mature understanding of Mah¿yana and Vajray¿na throughout their history as distictive idioms of Buddhism;
(2) to foster an appreciation of these styles of Buddhism as a uniquely interesting religiosities which at the same time overlap with other cultures;
(3) to strengthen skills in analysing and assessing primary and secondary sources
(4) to develop articulacy and coherence in class discussion and writing.
(5) to develop the ability to apply and test theories in specific case studies. |
Assessment Information
| One 4000 word essay (100%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
The course will be taught by reference to Buddhist texts (supported by critical assessment of relevant secondary literature. BS (= D. Lopez, Buddhist Scriptures) and EB (= J. Strong, The Experience of Buddhism: Sources and Interpretations, third edition) both contain a great deal of relevant source materials and will be drawn up regularly to provide set readings.
1. A introductory critical analysis of some approaches to the emergence of Mah¿y¿na Buddhism.
2. An introduction to Mah¿y¿na textual tradition, incluing its self-declared status as scripture.
3. An introduction to the philosophical dimension of Mah¿y¿na as embodied in Madhyamaka and Yog¿c¿ra.
4. An introduction to the social, historical and religious background as embodied in the tantric texts of the Vajray¿na and the siddha tradition. |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | MaVBI |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Paul Dundas
Tel: (0131 6)50 4175
Email: P.Dundas@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Olivia Little
Tel:
Email: olivia.little@ed.ac.uk |
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