ASIAN 4400 - [Tibetan Buddhism]

(crosslisted) RELST 4400
(GB) (CA-AS)

Spring. Not offered 2017-2018. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: One course on Asian religion or permission of instructor.

J. M. Law.

This course is an exploration of the development of the Vajrayana tradition through a focus on the myths and stories about, and writings by central figures in what is known in the west as Tibetan Buddhism. A fundamental premise of this course is that any study of Tibetan Buddhism must take into consideration the implications of the dramatic events which have shaped the last sixty years of Tibetan history, and the fracture of meaning caused by the near destruction of this religious world after the communist invasion and subsequent full occupation of Tibet. Understanding how the lens of exile and a nostalgia for a pre-Chinese invasion history shape current studies of Tibetan Buddhism will be a continuing theme throughout this course. At the end of this course, it is hoped that students will have a grounded and nuanced understanding of the complexities of this great religious tradition, the implications of its appropriations in the western imagination as an idyllic Shangri-la, and the challenges Tibetan Buddhism faces as a diverse religious tradition as it attempts to rebuild its religious institutions in exile. (RL)