Text Book: Reading: Williams, Paul. Mahāyāna Buddhism:
The Doctrinal Foundations. (Second edition.) xi, 438 pp. London: Routledge, 2009.
Time: 8 to 9:30am EST , Asian time 900 to 10:30pm Sunday
First Class: One Sunday a month.1st Sunday, 6th of Feb.2011. ( first meeting on 9th Jan,2011. for 45 minutes for class briefing)
Software requirement: Internet access and skype ( please send us your skype account name)
Classnotes and class requirement click here
Brief Introduction:
This class aims at introducing preeminent Mahāyāna Buddhist thoughts in a relatively comprehensive manner. We have chosen for our primary reading Paul William’s 2009 edition of Mahāyāna Buddhism: the doctrinal foundations, which is a revision and improvement to his earlier 1989’s edition. This book covers issues related to the rise of the Mahāyāna Buddhism, the often-neglected thoughts of the earliest Mahāyāna sūtras, predominant systems of thought, such as the “Perfection of wisdom般若,” the “Mādhyamika中觀,” “Yogācāra瑜伽唯識,” the “Flower-garland tradition華嚴,” “Lotus-sūtra tradition 法華,” “bodies of the Buddha 佛身,” “Path of Bodhisattva菩薩道,” etc. We will also read in English translation many passages of Mahāyāna sūtras included in this book. Many other primary and secondary references and bibliographies will be mentioned during our class.
The Instructor: Mr. Teng
B.A. (1996) in Pāli and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
M.A (1998) in Sanskrit and Pāli, Poona University, India
M.A (2003) in Religious Studies, University of Chicago
Ph.D. (2010 expected) in Religious Studies, Harvard University
.
Please register if you would like to participate and email your completed form to us at lovingkindnessinct@gmail.com.
