Appropriate for First Year students.

TimeDaysLocationInstructorGERCreditOPUS Class NumberSyllabus (Tentative)
11:30am-12:45pm
TuTh
Rich Building 211
Doyle, Nancy S. HSC. 42037 TBA.

August 29, 2012- December 11, 2012

Catalog Description: (Same as Asian Studies 212.) Thematic study of at least two Asian religious traditions. Thematic emphasis may include relationships of text and context, pilgrimage, gender, epic performance, religious institutions, visual arts, or colonial and postcolonial identities.

Semester Details: This "theory-practice-learning" (TPL) class is an introduction to a number of prominent texts and associated religious practices found in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of South Asia. Texts include Vedic hymns, selections from the Upanishads, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, the Devi-mahatmya, Ashvaghosa's Buddha-carita, the Satipatthana Sutta, and Shantideva's Bodhicaryavatara. Students also witness important rituals and/or festivals at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta and the Thai Temple, practice Hindu yoga and Buddhist meditation, and observe classical Indian dance and Tibetan thangka painting. All these will be studied within historical and contemporary contexts, revealing both the continuity and innovativeness of these two religions.

Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources

  1. Eck. Darsan.
  2. Feuerstein. Shambhala Guide to Yoga.
  3. Rosenberg. Breath by Breath.
  4. Nhat Hanh, Thich. Heart of Understanding.
  5. Two photocopied Readers of articles, chapters, etc. (Course Packet).

Grading

Assignment/ExamDetails% of Total Grade
AssessmentFour essays80%
AssessmentClass participation10%
AssessmentTwo 2-page reflection papers10%

The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.