Courses

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Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

Buddhism (BUDDHSM)

This category is no longer used. These courses are now listed under Buddhist Studies and crosslisted with Chinese, EA Lang, Japanese, and Tibetan.

Buddhist Studies (BUDDSTD)

Buddstd 24
24. Freshman Seminar. The Freshman Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman seminars are offered in all campus departments and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.

Buddstd 39
39. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar. Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester.

Buddstd C50
C50. Introduction to the Study of Buddhism. A historical survey of the Buddhist tradition that focuses on the development of Buddhist doctrines, practices, and communities in South Asia, with its three main paths of Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana or Tantrism. Included will be selective outlooks on Buddhism in other regions (Tibet, Southeast Asia, East Asia) and on Buddhism in the modern world, both in its traditional environments in Asia and in the West.

The course follows Buddhist communities from their origin as a group of world-renouncing ascetics through the development of large state- supported monastic communities. It traces Buddhist thought from its early expression as a set of practical teachings focusing on the attainment of liberation, to its systematic elaboration into comprehensive religio-philosophical theories. In discussing Buddhist practice, the course will highlight its broad variety, including the study and exegesis of scriptures, various forms of ritual and meditation, worship and prayer, as well as the rational justification of Buddhist teachings through argument and critical analysis. Prerequisites: None.

Buddstd 84
84. Sophomore Seminar. Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.

Buddstd 98
98. Directed Group Study for Lower Division Students. Small group instruction in topics not covered by regularly scheduled courses.

Buddstd 99
99. Independent Study for Lower Division Students. Independent study in topics not covered by regularly scheduled courses.

Buddstd C114
C114. Tibetan Buddhism. A survey of Tibetan Buddhism. The first part of the course focuses on popular religious practices and beliefs at the intersection of Buddhism and “folk religion”, taking as its starting point a viewing of Ulrike Koch's film “The Saltmen of Tibet,” a 1997 documentary that accompanies a group of nomads in eastern Tibet on their arduous annual trip for salt to a distant lake. The second part is designed as a historical survey of Buddhism in Tibet from its introduction around the 7th century to the end of the 19th century, dealing with the history of religious institutions, the close relation of religion and politics in Tibet, and the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and their doctrines. The third and final part of the course deals with Tibetan Buddhism in the 20th century, centering around Luc Schaedler’s film “Angry Monk” (2005), a cinematic journey to present-day Tibet on the footsteps of the controversial figure Gendün Chöphel (1901-1951). Prerequisites: None.

Buddstd C115
C115. Japanese Buddhism. A critical survey of major themes in the history of Japanese Buddhism. The course covers: the transmission of Buddhism from China and Korea to Japan; the subsequent evolution in Japan of the Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen schools of Buddhism during the medieval period; the interaction between Buddhism, "Shinto," and "folk religion"; the relationship between Buddhism and the state, especially during the Edo period; Buddhist perspectives on nature, healing, and pilgrimage; and Buddhist modernism of the Meiji period. Prerequisites: None.

Buddstd C120
C120. Buddhism on the Silk Road. This course is both an historical introduction to the Silk Road, understood as an ever-changing series of peoples, places, and traditions, as well as an introduction to the study of those same peoples, places, and traditions in the modern period. In this way, the class is intended both as a guide to the extant textual, archaeological, and art historical evidence from the Silk Road, but also as a framework for thinking about what it means to study Asia and Asian religions in the context of a contemporary American classroom. All readings will be in English.

Fall2007 and Fall2008: This course will discuss the social, economic, and cultural aspects of Buddhism as it moved along the ancient Eurasian trading network referred to as the “Silk Road”. Instead of relying solely on textual sources, the course will focus on material culture as it offers evidence concerning the spread of Buddhism. Through an examination of the Buddhist archaeological remains of the Silk Road, the course will address specific topics, such as the symbiotic relationship between Buddhism and commerce; doctrinal divergence; ideological shifts in the iconography of the Buddha; patronage (royal, religious and lay); Buddhism and political power; and art and conversion.

Buddstd C122
C122. Buddhist Meditation: Historical, Doctrinal, and Ethnographic Perspectives. This course will explore the nature and function of Buddhist meditation as it developed within various Buddhist traditions of South, Southeast, and East Asia. Emphasis will be on the historical evolution, doctrinal foundations, and the monastic and extra-monastic regimens associated with Buddhist meditation practices. We will make use of a wide variety of primary and secondary readings as well as visual materials (including films) to attempt to place the historical and doctrinal accounts within their cultural and institutional contexts.

Buddstd C124
C124. Buddhism in Film. This course will examine contemporary Buddhism, its history, and basic concepts through a critical analysis of a series of films. Students will be asked to explore the tension between East and West, tradition and progress, fantasy and reality as it unfolds in different representations of Buddhism.

Buddstd C126
C126. Buddhism and the Environment. A thematic course on Buddhist perspectives on nature and Buddhist responses to environmental issues. The first half of the course focuses on East Asian Buddhist cosmological and doctrinal perspectives on the place of the human in nature and the relationship between the salvific goals of Buddhism and nature. The second half of the course examines Buddhist ethics, economics, and activism in relation to environmental issues in contemporary Southeast Asia, East Asia, and America.

Buddstd C128
C128. Buddhism and Contemporary Society. A study of the Buddhist tradition as it is found today in Asia. The course will focus on specific living traditions of East, South, and/or Southeast Asia. Themes to be addressed may include: contemporary Buddhist ritual practices; funerary and mortuary customs; the relationship between Buddhism and other local religious traditions; the relationship between Buddhist institutions and the state; Buddhist monasticism and its relationship to the laity; Buddhist ethics; Buddhist "modernism"; and so on.

Fall2008: "Buddhism in Contemporary Japan." A critical survey of key issues in the contemporary forms of Buddhism in Japan. The course covers: Buddhist emergence into modernity, the rise of new lay-oriented Buddhist movements, the breakdown of traditional parishioner-temple relations, the role of pilgrimage sites and routes, and the internationalization of Buddhism. We will read primary texts of contemporary Japanese Buddhist leaders, secondary literature on the history and sociology of contemporary Japanese Buddhism, and watch films about or on the role of Buddhism among individuals and organizations. Prerequisites: None.

Fall2006: This semester the class will focus on the contemporary practice of Indic Buddhism in Nepal and Sri Lanka, the two areas in South Asia where Buddhism has survived uninterruptedly to the present. We will approach these two traditions by examining particular themes such as Buddhist monasticism and its interaction with the laity, Buddhist "modernism," the practice of meditation, the cult of stupas and images, festivals of Buddhists deities, life-cycle rituals, and the relationship to the respective local Hindu traditions. As far as possible we will do so in a comparative vein, in order to explore differences and commonalities between the Theravada tradition preserved in Sri Lanka and the Mahayana tradition preserved in the Kathmandu Valley.

Buddstd C130
C130. Zen Buddhism. This course will introduce students to the Zen Buddhist traditions of China and Japan, drawing on a variety of disciplinary perspectives (history, anthropology, philosophy, and so on). The course will also explore a range of hermeneutic problems (problems involved in interpretation) entailed in understanding a sophisticated religious tradition that emerged in a time and culture very different from our own.

Buddstd C140
C140. Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts. This course is an introduction to the study of medieval Buddhist literature written in Classical Chinese. We will read samples from a variety of genres, including early Chinese translations of Sanskrit and Central Asian Buddhist scriptures, indigenous Chinese commentaries, philosophical treatises, and sectarian works, including Chan gongan (Zen koans). The course will also serve as an introduction to resource materials used in the study of Chinese Buddhist texts, and students will be expected to make use of a variety of reference tools in preparation for class. Readings in Chinese will be supplemented by a range of secondary readings in English on Mahayana doctrine and Chinese Buddhist history. Prerequisites: This course is intended for students who already have some facility in literary Chinese, and at least one semester of Classical Chinese is prerequisite for enrollment. Prior background in Buddhist history and thought is helpful but not required.

Buddstd C174
C174. Japanese Buddhism in Diaspora. This course focuses on Japanese Buddhism during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in its encounter with modernity, colonialism, and immigration history. Looking at the Japanese diaspora around the Pacific Rim, we will begin with Japanese Buddhism's relationship with the Meiji state, State Shinto, Christianity, and the West. Regions covered include Manchuria, Korea, Hawaii, the U.S., Canada, and Brazil.

Buddstd 198
198. Directed Group Study. Small group instruction in topics not covered by regularly scheduled courses.

Buddstd 199
199. Independent Study. Independent study in topics not covered by regularly scheduled courses.

Buddstd 200
200. Proseminar in Buddhist Studies. This seminar provides an opportunity for all students and faculty in the Group in Buddhist Studies to gather together on a regular basis to discuss recent theoretically significant works in the field of Buddhist Studies, as well as pertinent and important works in related disciplines (anthropology, art history, literature, history, philosophy, and religious studies). The content of the course will be adjusted from semester to semester so as to best accommodate the needs and interest of the students, but the focus will be on recent works representing the "state of the field."

Buddstd 220
220. Seminar in Buddhism and Buddhist Texts. Content varies with student interest and needs. The course will normally focus on classical Buddhist texts that exist in multiple recensions and languages, including Chinese, Sanskrit, and Tibetan.

Spring2007: This course will be a survey of Buddhist poetry and poetics written in Pali, Sanskrit (“Classical” and “Buddhist Hybrid”), Prakrit, and Apabhramsha. The main question investigated will be in what sense such lyrical works can be legitimately labelled as “Buddhist” beyond any doctrinal content. To do this we will attempt a comparison with contemporaneous works written by non-Buddhist poets.

There are no formal language requirements, translations for all of the poems and rhetorical discussions will be provided. The main emphasis will be on understanding Buddhist authors’ ideas concerning the nature and purpose of poetry.

Buddstd C220
C220. Seminar in Buddhism and Buddhist Texts. Content varies with student interests.

Fall2008: "Chinese Buddhist Texts in the Context of Chinese Religion." This seminar will focus on the close reading of a range of Chinese religious texts drawn primarily from the Buddhist tradition. We will read examples from different genres of Buddhist materials, including biographical, doctrinal, ritual, and historical—geographical sources. In order to effectively study Chinese Buddhism it is also necessary to utilize non-canonical sources along with texts not exclusively categorized as “Buddhist.” Therefore, this seminar will also involve the introduction to and reading of epigraphical materials, Daoist texts, and relevant sections from gazetteers. One of the goals of this seminar will also be to introduce students to the wide range of research tools for studying Chinese religious texts (dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, electronic databases, etc.) now available in Chinese, Japanese, and European languages. All of the primary readings will be in classical Chinese. Prerequisites: Graduate student standing; or consent of instructor.

Fall2006: This seminar is an intensive introduction to various genres of Buddhist literature in Classical Chinese, including translations of Sanskrit and Central Asian scriptures, Chinese commentaries, philosophical treatises, hagiographies, and sectarian works. It is intended for graduate students who already have some facility in Classical Chinese. It will also serve as a tools and methods course, covering basic reference works and secondary scholarship in the field of East Asian Buddhism. The content of the course will be adjusted to accommodate the needs and interests of students. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor required.

Fall2005: This semester the seminar will focus on Tibetan primary sources for the study of Tibetan religion and cultural history. We will supplement our readings of the Tibetan texts with a variety of secondary works on Buddhism in Tibet and the Himalayas. Students must have reading knowledge of Tibetan. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor required.

Spring2005: This semester the seminar will focus on the Vimalakirti Sutra, using the new edition of the Potala Palace Sanskrit manuscript as well as the various extant editions in Tibetan and Chinese. We will supplement our readings of the Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese texts with a variety of secondary works on early Mahayana Buddhism. Students must have reading knowledge of Sanskrit or Tibetan or Classical Chinese. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor required.

Buddstd C223
C223. Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts. This seminar is an intensive introduction to various genres of Buddhist literature in Classical Chinese, including translations of Sanskrit and Central Asian scriptures. Chinese commentaries, philosophical treatises, hagiographies, and sectarian works. It is intended for graduate students who already have some facility in Classical Chinese. It will also serve as a tools and methods course, covering the basic reference works and secondary scholarship in the field of East Asian Buddhism. The content of the course will be adjusted from semester to semester to best accommodate the needs and interests of students.

Fall2008: "Early Chan Buddhism." This course will look at the early development of the Chinese Chan tradition through a variety of documents, with a focus on Dunhuang manuscripts and the writings of medieval Tang exegetes. In addition to the usual philological and historical issues, we will focus on a hermeneutic question: what epistemological "frame" is best suited for understanding these early materials? Should we approach them phenomenologically, as attempts to denote and delimit a particular experience or understanding of the world that is immediately available to us as human beings? Are they exegetical works: attempts by the Chinese to grapple with various doctrinal formulations and puzzles found in Buddhist scriptures? Are they performative: prescriptive models of "enlightened" speech and activity used to legitimize Chinese ecclesiastical authority? What other options might there be? The seminar will begin with materials not typically associated with early Chan, including Tantric scriptures and ritual manuals associated with the Tattvasamgraha tradition. The Chinese readings will be accompanied with a variety of recent secondary studies on early Chan, with a particular focus on the so-called Hongzhou school. This course is intended for graduate students with advanced facility in literary Chinese. Permission of the instructor required for all students, with the exception of graduate students in EALC or GBS.

Buddstd C224
C224. Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts. This graduate seminar provides an introduction to a broad range of Tibetan Buddhist texts as well as to the methods and resources for their study. Readings for the course will be drawn from a variety of genres and historical periods, including: (1) chronicles and histories, (2) biographical literature, (3) doctrinal treatises, (4) canonical texts, (5) ritual manuals, (6) pilgrimage guides, and (7) liturgical texts. The seminar is designed to be of interest to graduate students interested in premodern Tibet from any perspective (literature, religion, art, history, philosophy, law, etc.).Students are required to do all of the readings in the original classical Tibetan. The course will also introduce students to “tools and methods” for the study of Tibetan Buddhist literature, including standard lexical and bibliographic references, digital resources, and secondary literature in modern languages. The content of the course will vary from semester to semester to account for the needs and interests of particular students.

Buddstd C225
C225. Readings in Japanese Buddhist Texts. This graduate seminar serves as an introduction to a broad range of Japanese Buddhist literature belonging to different historical periods and genres, including (1) liturgical texts; (2) monastic records, rules, and ritual manuals; (3) doctrinal treatises; (4) biographies of monks; and (5) histories of Buddhism in Japan. The seminar is designed to be of interest to a range of graduate students working on premodern Japanese culture (literature, philosophy, intellectual history, religion, art, etc.). Students are required to do all the readings in the original languages, which are classical Chinese (kanbun) and classical Japanese. The seminar will also serve as a "tools and methods" course, covering basic reference works for the study of Japanese Buddhism as well as secondary scholarship in Japanese. The content of the course will be adjusted from semester to semester to accommodate the needs and interests of the students. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Buddstd C240
C240. Readings in Chan and Zen Buddhist Literature. This graduate seminar is an intensive introduction to primary sources used in the study of Chan and Zen Buddhism. It is designed to be of interest to a range of graduate students working on premodern Chinese and Japanese culture (literature, philosophy, intellectual history, religion, art, etc.). The seminar will also introduce students to Asian and Western language reference tools for the study of East Asian Buddhist texts, including web resources. The content of the course will vary from semester to semester to best accommodate the needs and interests of students.

Buddstd 298
298. Directed Study for Graduate Students. Special tutorial or seminar on selected topics not covered by available courses or seminars.

Buddstd 299
299. Thesis Preparation and Related Research.

Buddstd 601
601. Individual Study for Master's Students. Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Units may not used to meet either unit or residence requirements for a master's degree.

Buddstd 602
602. Individual Study for Doctoral Students. Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare for various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D.

Chinese (CHINESE)

Chinese C140
C140. Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts. This course is an introduction to the study of medieval Buddhist literature written in Classical Chinese. We will read samples from a variety of genres, including early Chinese translations of Sanskrit and Central Asian Buddhist scriptures, indigenous Chinese commentaries, philosophical treatises, and sectarian works, including Chan gongan (Zen koans). The course will also serve as an introduction to resource materials used in the study of Chinese Buddhist texts, and students will be expected to make use of a variety of reference tools in preparation for class. Readings in Chinese will be supplemented by a range of secondary readings in English on Mahayana doctrine and Chinese Buddhist history. Prerequisites: This course is intended for students who already have some facility in literary Chinese, and at least one semester of Classical Chinese is prerequisite for enrollment. Prior background in Buddhist history and thought is helpful but not required.

Chinese 182
182. Death and Funerary Practice in China. This course examines funerary practices in Chinese history, as a means to explore views of the body, the function of ritual, and conceptions of the afterlife. We will consider the history of burial practice and tomb ornamentation, and the role of imperial tombs in the construction of authority. We will devote particular attention to the way in which the disposition of the corpse functioned as a liminal space onto which debates about cultural values could be projected. Such debates include discussions about the appropriate degree of mourning rites in Warring States thought, filiality and cremation in Confucian discourse, mummification and auto-cremation in Buddhism, and issues surrounding burial in contemporary China.

Chinese C185
C185. Introduction to Chinese Philosophy. A survey of the history of Chinese philosophy from late Chou times through the Ch'ing dynasty. Treated in some depth are a number of major Chinese thinkers including Confucius, Mencius, Hsun Tzu, Mo Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Tung Chung-shu, Chu Hsi, Wang Yang-ming, and Tai Chen. One of the major themes presented in the course is the development of Chinese ethical theory and the role of language in moral education. Also listed as Philosophy C167.

Fall2006: This course will acquaint students with key thinkers from the Zhou dynasty through the end of the Qing dynasty. While the course is arranged chronologically, we will also take up more thematic considerations, such as the development of statecraft, the idea of the self, and the discourse on kinship. Much of class time will be devoted to careful readings of primary sources in translation, with attention to major themes and modes of argument.

Chinese C223
C223. Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts. This seminar is an intensive introduction to various genres of Buddhist literature in Classical Chinese, including translations of Sanskrit and Central Asian scriptures. Chinese commentaries, philosophical treatises, hagiographies, and sectarian works. It is intended for graduate students who already have some facility in Classical Chinese. It will also serve as a tools and methods course, covering the basic reference works and secondary scholarship in the field of East Asian Buddhism. The content of the course will be adjusted from semester to semester to best accommodate the needs and interests of students.

East Asian Languages and Cultures (EA LANG)

EA Lang C50
C50. Introduction to the Study of Buddhism. A historical survey of the Buddhist tradition that focuses on the development of Buddhist doctrines, practices, and communities in South Asia, with its three main paths of Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana or Tantrism. Included will be selective outlooks on Buddhism in other regions (Tibet, Southeast Asia, East Asia) and on Buddhism in the modern world, both in its traditional environments in Asia and in the West.

EA Lang C120
C120. Buddhism on the Silk Road. This course is both an historical introduction to the Silk Road, understood as an ever-changing series of peoples, places, and traditions, as well as an introduction to the study of those same peoples, places, and traditions in the modern period. In this way, the class is intended both as a guide to the extant textual, archaeological, and art historical evidence from the Silk Road, but also as a framework for thinking about what it means to study Asia and Asian religions in the context of a contemporary American classroom. All readings will be in English.

EA Lang C122
C122. Buddhist Meditation: Historical, Doctrinal, and Ethnographic Perspectives. This course will explore the nature and function of Buddhist meditation as it developed within various Buddhist traditions of South, Southeast, and East Asia. Emphasis will be on the historical evolution, doctrinal foundations, and the monastic and extra-monastic regimens associated with Buddhist meditation practices. We will make use of a wide variety of primary and secondary readings as well as visual materials (including films) to attempt to place the historical and doctrinal accounts within their cultural and institutional contexts.

EA Lang C124
C124. Buddhism in Film. This course will examine contemporary Buddhism, its history, and basic concepts through a critical analysis of a series of films. Students will be asked to explore the tension between East and West, tradition and progress, fantasy and reality as it unfolds in different representations of Buddhism.

EA Lang C126
C126. Buddhism and the Environment. A thematic course on Buddhist perspectives on nature and Buddhist responses to environmental issues. The first half of the course focuses on East Asian Buddhist cosmological and doctrinal perspectives on the place of the human in nature and the relationship between the salvific goals of Buddhism and nature. The second half of the course examines Buddhist ethics, economics, and activism in relation to environmental issues in contemporary Southeast Asia, East Asia, and America.

EA Lang C128
C128. Buddhism and Contemporary Society. A study of the Buddhist tradition as it is found today in Asia. The course will focus on specific living traditions of East, South, and/or Southeast Asia. Themes to be addressed may include: contemporary Buddhist ritual practices; funerary and mortuary customs; the relationship between Buddhism and other local religious traditions; the relationship between Buddhist institutions and the state; Buddhist monasticism and its relationship to the laity; Buddhist ethics; Buddhist "modernism"; and so on.

EA Lang C130
C130. Zen Buddhism. This course will introduce students to the Zen Buddhist traditions of China and Japan, drawing on a variety of disciplinary perspectives (history, anthropology, philosophy, and so on). The course will also explore a range of hermeneutic problems (problems involved in interpretation) entailed in understanding a sophisticated religious tradition that emerged in a time and culture very different from our own.

EA Lang C220
C220. Seminar in Buddhism and Buddhist Texts. Content varies with student interests.

Spring2008: Description not available.

EA Lang C240
C240. Readings in Chan and Zen Buddhist Literature. This graduate seminar is an intensive introduction to primary sources used in the study of Chan and Zen Buddhism. It is designed to be of interest to a range of graduate students working on premodern Chinese and Japanese culture (literature, philosophy, intellectual history, religion, art, etc.). The seminar will also introduce students to Asian and Western language reference tools for the study of East Asian Buddhist texts, including web resources. The content of the course will vary from semester to semester to best accommodate the needs and interests of students.

History of Art (HISTART)

Histart 30
30. Art of India and Southeast Asia. This course surveys the arts of South and Southeast Asia from 2000 BC to the present, including painting, sculpture and architecture. It treats prehistoric material (Indus Valley, Don Song), Buddhist sculpture, Hindu temples and their images, and miniature painting. Art will be considered in relation to its religious, political, and social contexts. The course will normally focus on major monuments, seen from multiple viewpoints, or upon problems and issues that relate the art of this area to traditions of other parts of the world (or differentiate it from them). No previous background is presumed, and students will be introduced to basic art-historical methods of viewing and analysis. Prerequisites: None.

Fall2006: We will survey the art of the Indian subcontinent, from 1700 BCE to the present, beginning with the modern works on display in the Berkeley Art Museum (closing Sept. 17) and then proceeding chronologically from the most ancient. This course attempts to present the diverse history of Indian visual culture, including the skills of slow looking and of understanding a complex history in which the present continues to interact with the past. (NB This year the course will NOT include Southeast Asia as indicated in the General Catalogue.)

Histart 131A
131A. Early Chinese Painting. The history of Chinese pictorial art and painting from the beginnings in the late Chou dynasty through the Sung dynasty (4th century B.C. to ca. A.D. 1270), with concentration on the later periods (10th-13th centuries).

Fall2006: A survey of Chinese painting and theories of visual representation from the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E. - 220 C.E.) to the end of the Sung (960-1279), tracing the transformation of pictorial art in sacred (mainly Buddhist) and secular traditions. Lectures, readings and discussions will treat figural and landscape styles, the descriptive and expressive use of the brush in both painting and calligraphy, the character of Chinese pictorial space and the relationship between word and image, in the context of contemporaneous theories of art and religious, intellectual, and material culture. Emphasis will also be placed on understanding the implications of applying Western-derived modes of analysis to Chinese art, as well as on direct experience with works of art at the Berkeley Art Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Histart 134
134. The Arts of the Japanese Temple. This course introduces the art and architecture of Buddhist temples in Japan. Whether as a monastic center, private devotional chapel, or popular urban nexus, the temple has comprised one of the key religious environments of Japan and has had an enduring impact upon the development of architecture and the visual arts. We will examine selected temple sites and assess their individual histories and art histories keeping an eye on broader themes: what were the architectural and artistic requirements of temples; how did precinct siting and architectural form reflect and condition religious activity; how did iconography help practitioners to visualize the divine; what functions did specific icons, relics, and other numinous objects play in the ritual and visual life of the temple; and how were programs and ensembles of art and architecture developed to meet the needs of particular communities? The course will also consider elite patronage and popular pilgrimage, the dispersal of religious icons into museum and private collections during the 19th and 20th centuries, and the preservation and conservation of temple buildings and objects. Emphasis will also be placed on direct study of works of Buddhist art exhibited at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Histart 136A
136A. The Art of India: Indus Valley Through 550 A.D. A survey of Indian art from the Indus civilization through 550 A.D. This class will focus on Buddhist architecture and sculpture with emphasis on the development of (pictorial) narrative, the evolution of style and iconography and some problems of dating.

Histart 136C
136C. The Art of India: 1350 A.D. to the Present. This course will consider the diverse forms of painting between 1200 and 1900 in South Asia. Many were part of illustrated books made for Hindu Rajas and Mughal Emperors. The challenge of the course is to understand these seemingly incompatible traditions and the ways in which they have interacted, not only in major courts but also in urban and village settings, concluding with the hybrid visual cultures of British India. Indigenous aesthetic systems and the role of individual painters will be considered.

Histart 137
137. The Art of Southeast Asia. A survey of the arts of Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Laos, and Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar). We will look first at indigenous traditions of the distant past and their modern survivals. Then we will consider the spectacular Buddhist and Hindu monuments (e.g. Borobudur, Angkor, Pagan) loosely in chronological order by sub-region, from the 5th through the 18th centuries. A sense of the interaction between the local tradition and imported ideas and techniques is a goal of the course.

Histart 190A, Section 1
190A.1. Special Topics in Asian Art: "Buddhist Icons and Art in Japan." This course introduces topics in the study of Buddhist art in Japan from the sixth century to the present within broader Buddhist religious traditions and visual cultures. We will look at and discuss exemplary and unusual images of the Buddha and other deities, consider diverse narrative accounts of images, attempt to unpack their multivalent meanings and ritual functions, and explore art historical praxis. What are we to make, for instance, of legends that tell us that the first image of the Buddha Sakyamuni, supposedly carved during his lifetime in ancient India, now resides in Japan? How and why have Japanese painters and sculptors represented the Buddha and other deities in particular ways? What benefits accrued to viewers through the act of looking at such images? What are the ritual functions of mandara, and why do many sculptures have texts and things placed inside them? How are Buddhist concepts such as rebirth and salvation represented? What roles do relics and portraits have in Buddhist visual culture? Why is Japan filled with images, illustrated scriptures, and temples if Buddhist teachings implore us to grasp the fundamental emptiness of all visual and material things? Prerequisites: None.

Histart 190A, Section 2 (Spring 2005)
190A.2. Special Topics in Asian Art: "Himalayan Art." The art produced in the different regions of the Himalayas is almost exclusively religious and to a large extend an expression of Tibetan Buddhism. The course introduces the sources and main periods of Himalayan art from the earliest examples (7th century) to the present according a western as well as an indigenous perspective. It also focuses on the relationship of the art to the religious practice prevalent at the time of its production. Analyzing exemplary art works of different periods in greater detail, the course also introduces to art historical methodology (e.g. the discussion of style, composition, iconography, ornament, or technique). Prerequisites: None.

Histart N190A (Summer 2006)
190A.1. Special Topics in Asian Art: "Icons, Art Masterpieces, and Bikini's: Buddhist art and imagery in the Temple, Museum, and Pop Culture." This Upper Division lecture course will explore the visual forms, places, and powers of Buddhist images in diverse situations and communities of the Modern and Postmodern world (in Asia, the West, and trans-national contexts). Premodern Buddhist images are a mainstay of art histories of Asia and museum collections, and representations of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and meditating monks abound in popular culture (from advertisements of commercial products to Rave flyers and beyond). Although they are all around us today, such images seem to resist easy categorization (are they living images of the divine, museum treasures, metaphors for meditation and Asian culture, marketing devices, or all of the above?) And they provoke numerous questions: How have traditional understandings of Buddhist icons and iconographies adjusted to or resisted new contexts and communities of reception in the modern world; how have ancient icons consecrated in sacred sites in Asia come to be re-situated into museums (and what happens when museum visitors view them?); what does seeing an image of the Buddha mean today in our increasingly virtual culture; and how have Buddhist images fared under colonialism and amid global capitalism and international geopolitical conflict?

Histart 192A, Section 1 (Fall 2006)
192A.1. Undergraduate Seminar in Asian Art History: "Encircling Emptiness: 'Zen Art' in Question and in Context." This undergraduate seminar will interrogate commonly held concepts of "Zen art" and consider what happens when we look through popular conceptions to historically and culturally specific objects and Zen monastic communities in medieval and early modern Japan and East Asia. We will ask questions such as: What sorts of paintings, sculptures, and calligraphies have been part of Zen communities and monastery/temple sites; how have inter-regionalism and the established corpus of Mahayana Buddhist pictorial themes contributed to the visual arts of Zen; how has the profusion of such objects operated in relationship to the doctrinal ideal of Emptiness and non-reliance upon mediating words and images; how do poetry and inter-textual cultures operate in "Zen art;" and where and when do we locate possible discourses on Zen and the visual arts? Along the way, we will investigate representations of classic Zen personae, such as Bodhidharma; consider portraiture and landscape painting as a potent visual settings for the expression of awakening and community; explore monastic environments and the ornamentation of ritual space; consider the role of monks as art connoisseurs; and tempt discussion of painting and calligraphy as spaces of "performance" as much as categories of visual art.

Histart 192A, Section 1 (Fall 2004)
192A.1. Undergraduate Seminar in Japanese Art History: "Seeing Buddhist Icons in Modern/Postmodern Worlds." This seminar will explore the visual imagery, places, and powers of Buddhist icons in diverse situations and communities of the Modern and Late Modern world (in Asia, the West, and trans-national contexts). Premodern Buddhist images are a mainstay of art histories of Asia and museum collections, and representations of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and meditating monks abound in popular culture (from advertisements of commercial products to Rave flyers and beyond). Although they are all around us today, it seems, Buddhist icons seem to resist easy categorization (are they living images of the divine, museum treasures, metaphors for meditation and Asian culture, marketing devices, all of the above, etcetera?) And they provoke numerous questions. How have traditional understandings of icons adjusted to or resisted new contexts and communities of reception in the modern world; how have ancient icons consecrated in sacred sites in Asia come to be re-situated into museums (and what happens when this has transpired); and what does seeing an icon mean today in our increasingly virtual culture? How have Buddhist images fared under colonialism and during periods of internal revolution and international geopolitical conflict? How has art history (mis)understood Buddhist icons? Does the modern conservation of sacred sites and images constitute a solution or problem? When should icons be removed from their original sites or, alternatively, be repatriated to them? Prerequisites: Students from diverse majors and programs are welcome but attendance is mandatory and the work load and participation requirements significant.

Histart 192A, Section 2 (Fall 2008)
192A.2. Undergraduate Seminar in Asian Art History: "Art of Afghanistan under the Kushans: Global and Local Forms." We will make use of the exhibition Treasures of Afghanistan (scheduled to open at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, in October 2008). The over-arching topic of the seminar will be globalization from the 3rd c. BCE till the 3rd c. CE. How did the Greek diaspora in Bactria, Central Asian overlords in northern South Asia, and Mediterranean trade interact with Indic and Buddhist traditions? Students unfamiliar with Indian art in this period are encouraged to audit HA 136a for 4 weeks.

Histart 192A, Section 2 (Fall 2004)
192A.2. Undergraduate Seminar in Tibetan Art History: "Himalayan Art." Of the once enormous corpus of art produced in the Himalayas, the art of the western Himalayas forms a clearly distinctive body with a history of more than 700 years. The seminar aims at introducing western Himalayan art and its topics from its very beginnings in the late 10th century to its gradual disappearance beginning in the late 16th century and considers major monuments in the region as well as portable art such as scroll paintings (thangkas) and bronzes.

The seminar will be organized in a highly interactive fashion. On the basis of introductory summaries and reading assignments the participants are expected to critically review and discuss the considered topics. The goal of the seminar is to produce a handbook of western Himalayan art containing at least two short contributions by each participant that summarize a topic and collect bibliographic references for it.

Histart 290
290. Special Topics in Fields of Art History: "Tibetan Buddhist Art." The art produced in the different regions of the Himalayas is almost exclusively religious and to a large extend an expression of Tibetan Buddhism. The course introduces the sources and main periods of Himalayan art from the earliest examples (7th century) to the present according a western as well as an indigenous perspective. It also focuses on the relationship of the art to the religious practice prevalent at the time of its production. Analyzing exemplary art works of different periods in greater detail, the course also introduces to art historical methodology (e.g. the discussion of style, composition, iconography, ornament, or technique).

Japanese (JAPAN)

Japan C115
C115. Japanese Buddhism. A critical survey of major themes in the history of Japanese Buddhism. The course covers: the transmission of Buddhism from China and Korea to Japan; the subsequent evolution in Japan of the Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen schools of Buddhism during the medieval period; the interaction between Buddhism, "Shinto," and "folk religion"; the relationship between Buddhism and the state, especially during the Edo period; Buddhist perspectives on nature, healing, and pilgrimage; and Buddhist modernism of the Meiji period. Prerequisites: None.

Japan C174
C174. Japanese Buddhism in Diaspora. This course focuses on Japanese Buddhism during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in its encounter with modernity, colonialism, and immigration history. Looking at the Japanese diaspora around the Pacific Rim, we will begin with Japanese Buddhism's relationship with the Meiji state, State Shinto, Christianity, and the West. Regions covered include Manchuria, Korea, Hawaii, the U.S., Canada, and Brazil.

Japan C225
C225. Readings in Japanese Buddhist Texts. This graduate seminar serves as an introduction to a broad range of Japanese Buddhist literature belonging to different historical periods and genres, including (1) liturgical texts; (2) monastic records, rules, and ritual manuals; (3) doctrinal treatises; (4) biographies of monks; and (5) histories of Buddhism in Japan. The seminar is designed to be of interest to a range of graduate students working on premodern Japanese culture (literature, philosophy, intellectual history, religion, art, etc.). Students are required to do all the readings in the original languages, which are classical Chinese (kanbun) and classical Japanese. The seminar will also serve as a "tools and methods" course, covering basic reference works for the study of Japanese Buddhism as well as secondary scholarship in Japanese. The content of the course will be adjusted from semester to semester to accommodate the needs and interests of the students. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Letters and Science (L & S)

L & S 160D
160D. Philosophy and Values: “Thinking about Not Thinking: Approaches to Buddhist Meditation.” This course will introduce students to the vast body of literature bearing on the subject of meditation, from both within and without the Buddhist tradition. It is not a course on how to meditate, but rather a multi-disciplinary introduction to the subject that will juxtapose historical, ethnographic, doctrinal, psychological, and philosophical perspectives.

We will begin with an introduction to the study of Buddhism, focusing on cosmology, doctrine, and institutional history. In the process, we will historicize and critique popular new-age depictions of Buddhism that situate meditation in the context of psychotherapy, self-help, mysticism, and so on. The course will include excursions into the disciplines of anthropology, ritual theory, philosophy of mind, developmental psychology, cognitive science, and religious studies. The objective is for students to gain a sophisticated understanding not only of Buddhism and meditation, but also of the theoretical tools that scholars use to make sense of religion and “religious experience” writ large.

Philosophy (PHILOS)

Philos C167
C185. Introduction to Chinese Philosophy. A survey of the history of Chinese philosophy from late Chou times through the Ch'ing dynasty. Treated in some depth are a number of major Chinese thinkers including Confucius, Mencius, Hsun Tzu, Mo Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Tung Chung-shu, Chu Hsi, Wang Yang-ming, and Tai Chen. One of the major themes presented in the course is the development of Chinese ethical theory and the role of language in moral education. Also listed as Chinese C185.

Psychology (PSYCH)

Psych 106
106. Psychology of Dreams. Dreaming is a necessary, universal nightly activity of the human mind and brain. It provides a special opportunity for study of the workings of the mind since dreams occur in the absence of both sensory input and the ordinary logic of waking consciousness. It also provides an opportunity for hands on study of the subject matter since we all dream This class will cover some of the major psychological theories, interpretations, and uses that have been made of dreams. These include: overview of the biology of dreaming, Freud, Jung, Existentialism, Gestalt, cognitive approaches to dreaming, artistry dream work, group/cultural dream work, practical dream work, lucid dreaming, dream incubation, dreaming while awake, techniques such as active imagination, and some introduction to Eastern approaches to dreaming and dream yoga. Students will be encouraged to keep dream diaries to provide an experiential component to the class and so that they may apply the class topics and do research using the material they generate themselves.

Psych 107
107. Buddhist Psychology. Buddhist psychology examines and describes minds based on ordinary life situations as those experienced by people. It provides a contrast to present western psychologies, which treat mind as an external object to be studied by the methods of the natural sciences, and a contrast to philosophical approaches which derive theories of mind from intellectual inference. The basic laboratory technique is mindfulness meditation. Lectures and readings will present basic aspects of the three main historical interpretations of Buddhist psychology, drawing primarily on sources within Buddhist and other meditation traditions but also on some material from the social sciences.

Psych 290P (Spring 2007)
290P. Psychology of Dreams.

Psych 290P (Fall 2006)
290P. Clinical and Other Applications of Eastern Thought and Meditation. Eastern systems of understanding present portraits of the human that are very different from traditional western folk and scientific views. This seminar will explore some Buddhist, Taoist, and, to some extent, Hindu systems, and we will sample a few of the meditation practices that underlie them. We will look at possible implications for a wide range of issues, beginning with the relatively concrete on which work in the west has already been done (stress, health, mindfulness), proceeding to formulations which suggest different views of the body, emotions, cognition, personality, "value" or other topics students wish to examine, and hopefully expanding to include a taste of how all these issues fit within the original systems.

Religious Studies (RELIGST)

Religst C161
C161. Religion in Early India. Designed as a two-semester sequence, these courses are an introduction to the religions that have their origin on the Indian subcontinent--Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and tribal religions--as well as those that originated in other regions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Organizing this material chronologically rather than teaching it by separate religious traditions facilitates comparisons and promotes an understanding not only of the differences among these religions but also some of their commonalities in philosophy, theology, and praxis. Also listed as South Asian C127.

Religst 190
190. Topics in Religion. Selected topics or problems in the study of religion.

Fall2005: "Heaven, Pure Land, and Paradise in Asian Religions." This course will explore a variety of Asian religious through a focus on the conceptions of heaven, pure land, and paradise found in their cosmological, literary, artistic, and ritual traditions. The course is designed to both introduce students to the religious traditions of Asia and to offer a thorough grounding in methodological issues central to the study of Asian religions. Specific topics to be addressed include the place of heaven in ancient Indian and Chinese cosmologies, Daoist legends of immortality and earthly paradise, the Buddhist Pure Land scriptures, deathbed rituals for rebirth in a pure land, Pure Land Buddhism in Japanese history, and perfect worlds in Tibet's tantric Buddhism. All of these specific topics will be addressed in relation to broader questions regarding the relationship of doctrine to practice, the concepts of "faith" and "belief" in cross-cultural contexts, approaches to ritual and myth in religious studies, and the historical and political dimensions of religious life. Readings will include Asian religious texts in translation and relevant secondary literature.

Sanskrit (SANSKR)

Sanskr 206
206. Middle Indic.Introduction to Middle Indic. An intensive study of texts in one or more of the Prakrit dialects, Pali, or Apabhramsa.

Spring2008:description not available.

South Asian (S ASIAN)

S Asian 108
108. Psychology and Traditional India. Lectures and discussion of psychological and psychoanalytic approaches to some of the characteristic cultural and social aspects of ancient and traditional India. Readings in translation and important secondary works on the psychology of Indian culture, and selected works from the psychoanalytic literature.

S Asian C114
C114. Tibetan Buddhism. A survey of Tibetan Buddhism. The first part of the course focuses on popular religious practices and beliefs at the intersection of Buddhism and “folk religion”, taking as its starting point a viewing of Ulrike Koch's film “The Saltmen of Tibet,” a 1997 documentary that accompanies a group of nomads in eastern Tibet on their arduous annual trip for salt to a distant lake. The second part is designed as a historical survey of Buddhism in Tibet from its introduction around the 7th century to the end of the 19th century, dealing with the history of religious institutions, the close relation of religion and politics in Tibet, and the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and their doctrines. The third and final part of the course deals with Tibetan Buddhism in the 20th century, centering around Luc Schaedler’s film “Angry Monk” (2005), a cinematic journey to present-day Tibet on the footsteps of the controversial figure Gendün Chöphel (1901-1951). Prerequisites: None.

S Asian C127
C127. Religion in Early India. Designed as a two-semester sequence, these courses are an introduction to the religions that have their origin on the Indian subcontinent--Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and tribal religions--as well as those that originated in other regions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Organizing this material chronologically rather than teaching it by separate religious traditions facilitates comparisons and promotes an understanding not only of the differences among these religions but also some of their commonalities in philosophy, theology, and praxis. Also listed as Religious Studies C161.

S Asian 215A/B
215A/B. Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts. A survey of the origins and development of the Abhidharma texts and commentaries in Pali and Sanskrit. Prerequisites: One year of Sanskrit; and consent of instructor.

Fall 2007: This fall the graduate seminar “Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts” will be dedicated to the canonical Vinaya Literature of both the Malasarvastivadins and the Theravadins. We will read representative extracts from the canons of both schools in Sanskrit and in Pali. In addition, we will engage with some of the most important academic publications on the Vinaya. The course is also to serve as an introduction to Pali for those who only know Sanskrit (a sound knowledge of which is, as always, a perquisite for taking this course). This will enable students to seize upon the opportunity and take the graduate seminar on Pali Literature that will be taught in spring 08 by Dr. Rupert Gethin, one of the foremost authorities in this field, when he will be visiting as Numata Professor for Buddhist Studies.

Spring2006: “The Svayambhu Purana.” The Svayambhupurana is not only a seminal text for the Newar Buddhist tradition, but it is also an important example of how narrative Buddhist literature was produced as a means to localize the Indic Buddhist tradition in a particular place (in the given case, the Kathmandu Valley). Despite its importance, the Svayambhupurana has not been properly edited, let alone translated into a western language. Without ignoring the large spectrum of versions and recensions in which this work has been transmitted, we fill focus on the two shortest and oldest versions, which are composed in good Sanskrit prose and verse respectively. In the process we will also make use of Situ Panchen Chos-kyi 'byung gnas' Tibetan translation of the prose version. The reading seminar will serve more generally as an introduction to both narrative Buddhist literature in the tradition of the avadanas, and to particular aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism in the Newar tradition.

Spring2005: The lecture part of the seminar will give a very brief overview over the extant Buddhist narrative literature of India composed between the 1st and 11th centuries AD. It will then focus on four outstanding writers in this field whose works are currently been edited or re-edited at Marburg: Aryasura (before 400 AD), Haribhatta (not later than 400 AD), Gopadatta (before 800 AD), and Ksemendra (11th century AD). We will analyze both form and content of the works, with a special emphasis on their sources and the development of the prosimetric or "mixed" form, the so-called campu genre. The reading part of the seminar will consist of selected specimens from the works of the aforementioned authors. The Sanskrit texts will be accompanied by their Tibetan translations.

South and Southeast Asian Studies (S,SEASN)

S,Seasn C52
C52. Introduction to the Study of Buddhism. A historical survey of the Buddhist tradition that focuses on the development of Buddhist doctrines, practices, and communities in South Asia, with its three main paths of Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana or Tantrism. Included will be selective outlooks on Buddhism in other regions (Tibet, Southeast Asia, East Asia) and on Buddhism in the modern world, both in its traditional environments in Asia and in the West.

S,Seasn 120
120. Topics in South and Southeast Asian Studies.

Spring2008: "Buddhism in Modern Southeast Asia." Description not available.

S,Seasn C145
C145. Buddhism and Contemporary Society. A study of the Buddhist tradition as it is found today in Asia. The course will focus on specific living traditions of East, South, and/or Southeast Asia. Themes to be addressed may include: contemporary Buddhist ritual practices; funerary and mortuary customs; the relationship between Buddhism and other local religious traditions; the relationship between Buddhist institutions and the state; Buddhist monasticism and its relationship to the laity; Buddhist ethics; Buddhist "modernism"; and so on.

S,Seasn 190
190. Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Studies: "The Practice of Buddhism in Nepal." This seminar will deal with various aspects of contemporary Buddhism among the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley. This is the sole Mahayana tradition that has survived in its original South-Asian setting with Sanskrit as sacred language. It is closely related to the form of Buddhism that was prevalent in Northern India until its demise in the 13th century. Particularly salient features are the pronounced tantric ritualism and the close interaction with Hindu traditions.

This is not a survey course that covers Newar Buddhism in its entirety. Rather, we will approach this tradition mainly through the lens of rituals, by focussing on specific themes such the cult of stupas and images, festivals of Buddhists deities and, in particular, life-cycle rituals. The use of Video footage from Nepal will be an essential element in this. Students will choose individual projects that may also focus on related topics such as Hindu rites of passage or relevant aspects of Singhalese Buddhism. In this way the seminar will introduce students not only to Newar Buddhism, but also more generally to particular aspects of Indic religious practice.

Prerequisites: Students are expected to have basic knowledge of Buddhism and/or Hinduism. If this knowledge has not been acquired by way of previous coursework, they are to consult with the instructor prior to enrolling for the course.

S,Seasn 250
250. Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Studies: "Ideologies and Artefacts: Perspectives on the Buddhism of Greater Jambudvipas l." The course will study the Buddhism of Greater Jambudvipa -- here India and Southeast Asia -- through epigraphy, artefacts, and texts. It will scrutinize prevailing conventions and categories and question current historical and social models. Themes to be explored include the quest for blessings, benefits, and protection -- and the media of rituals, images, relics, and the built environment. The primary focus will be the pre-modern Buddhism of Siam, presented in the context of ideologies and concerns that are shared by other Buddhisms. The texts to be read will be in Pali.

Tibetan (TIBETAN)

Tibetan 1A
1A. Elementary Tibetan. This course is an intensive introduction to both standard spoken Tibetan (Lhasa dialect) and written literary Tibetan. As such, it will serve the needs of students who intend to continue the study of modern Tibetan so as to function in a Tibetan-speaking environment, as well as the needs of students who will concentrate on classical Tibetan and it's rich literature.

Tibetan 1B
1B. Elementary Tibetan. This course is an intensive introduction to both standard spoken Tibetan (Lhasa dialect) and written literary Tibetan. As such, it will serve the needs of students who intend to continue the study of modern Tibetan so as to function in a Tibetan-speaking environment, as well as the needs of students who will concentrate on classical Tibetan and it's rich literature.

Tibetan 10A
10A. Intermediate Tibetan. This course, a continuation of 1A-1B, is designed to develop the student's reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities in standard Tibetan (Lhasa dialect). The course focuses on both modern vernacular Tibetan as well as literary Tibetan, with a particular emphasis on reading classical Buddhist materials.

Tibetan 10B
10B. Intermediate Tibetan. This course, a continuation of 1A-1B, is designed to develop the student's reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities in standard Tibetan (Lhasa dialect). The course focuses on both modern vernacular Tibetan as well as literary Tibetan, with a particular emphasis on reading classical Buddhist materials.

Tibetan 110A
110A. Intensive Readings in Tibetan. This course is an intensive course in reading modern and classical Tibetan literature, with an emphasis on classical Buddhist texts. It builds on basic reading skills acquired in 1A-1B (elementary Tibetan), and is designed to be taken either concurrently with 10A-10B (intermediate Tibetan) or independently.

Tibetan 110B
110B. Intensive Readings in Tibetan. This course is an intensive course in reading modern and classical Tibetan literature, with an emphasis on classical Buddhist texts. It builds on basic reading skills acquired in 1A-1B (elementary Tibetan), and is designed to be taken either concurrently with 10A-10B (intermediate Tibetan) or independently.

Tibetan C114
C114. Tibetan Buddhism. A survey of Tibetan Buddhism. The first part of the course focuses on popular religious practices and beliefs at the intersection of Buddhism and “folk religion”, taking as its starting point a viewing of Ulrike Koch's film “The Saltmen of Tibet,” a 1997 documentary that accompanies a group of nomads in eastern Tibet on their arduous annual trip for salt to a distant lake. The second part is designed as a historical survey of Buddhism in Tibet from its introduction around the 7th century to the end of the 19th century, dealing with the history of religious institutions, the close relation of religion and politics in Tibet, and the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and their doctrines. The third and final part of the course deals with Tibetan Buddhism in the 20th century, centering around Luc Schaedler’s film “Angry Monk” (2005), a cinematic journey to present-day Tibet on the footsteps of the controversial figure Gendün Chöphel (1901-1951). Prerequisites: None.

Tibetan C224
C224. Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts. This graduate seminar provides an introduction to a broad range of Tibetan Buddhist texts as well as to the methods and resources for their study. Readings for the course will be drawn from a variety of genres and historical periods, including: (1) chronicles and histories, (2) biographical literature, (3) doctrinal treatises, (4) canonical texts, (5) ritual manuals, (6) pilgrimage guides, and (7) liturgical texts. The seminar is designed to be of interest to graduate students interested in premodern Tibet from any perspective (literature, religion, art, history, philosophy, law, etc.).Students are required to do all of the readings in the original classical Tibetan. The course will also introduce students to "tools and methods" for the study of Tibetan Buddhist literature, including standard lexical and bibliographic references, digital resources, and secondary literature in modern languages. The content of the course will vary from semester to semester to account for the needs and interests of particular students.

Tibetan 298
298. Directed Study for Graduate Students. Special tutorial or seminar on selected topics not covered by available courses or seminars.

Tibetan 299
299. Thesis Preparation and Related Research.

Tibetan 601
601. Individual Study for Master's Students. Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Units may not be used to meet either unit or residence requirements for a master's degree.

Tibetan 602
602. Individual Study for Doctoral Students. Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare for various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D.