RELST 3309

Temple in the World: Buddhism in Contemporary South and Southeast Asia

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2016-2017.

Buddhism is often thought of as a meditative and philosophical tradition, remote from the concerns and pleasures of everyday life, practical ethics, and politics. This course explores the unfolding of Buddhist life in contemporary South and Southeast Asia, in locations such as Burma, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Cambodia. We will see how the practices of meditation and philosophical reflection enter the lives of Buddhists, along with other expressions of devotion, aesthetic fascination, political action, and sociability. Our goal will be to recognize the sensual, emotional, and social qualities of Buddhist practice, and the ways in which life unfolds in a Buddhist idiom.

When Offered Spring.

Breadth Requirement (GB)
Distribution Category (CA-AS)

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