RELB 5055: THERAVADA BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

Karen Lang

436 Gibson Hall, kcl@virginia.edu

Monday 3:30-6  241 Nau Hall

 

Course description: This seminar will explore the philosophical thought of the Theravada Buddhist School through reading and discussing many of its canonical texts, the classical commentaries of Buddhaghosa, and studies of contemporary Theravadin scholars.  The course will examine on the historical and cultural background of Buddhist ideas and examine what Theravadin texts (canonical and post-canonical) say about such issues as personal identity and continuity, ethical behavior, differing types of meditation experience, and philosophical beliefs and psychological attitudes that characterize the liberated person (arhat).

Objectives of the Course:

• Introduction to the core philosophical ideas of early Buddhist teachings and how they differ from Brahmanical and Jaina teachings
• Exploration of complexity and diversity of the Theravada Buddhist philosophy as  developed from the time of the Buddha (ca. 5^th century BCE) up to the formation of the Pali Buddhist canon by Buddhaghosa (ca. 5^th century CE)

Texts

Collins, Steven, Selfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism

Holder, John, Early Buddhist Discourses

Tilakaratane, Asanga, Theravada Buddhism: The View of the Elders

*Materials on the class web site

Class Requirements: (1) Regular attendance (missing more than 2 classes will negatively impact your grade) and active participation in class discussions. Participation includes presentations and posting to group discussion. Students will lead discussions and/or give presentations on topics of interest to them. For each class session, students will be responsible for introducing and reviewing issues, ideas, and questions related to the assigned readings. You can use study questions Holder provides (which are posted on the materials section of the web site) or create your own discussion questions, or discuss any of the suggestions for further reading at the end of Gowans' chapters, or present material related to your final paper.  The purpose of the presentations is not to summarize the reading, since everyone should have read it, but to set the stage for the class discussion by providing ideas and questions, and highlighting problems or issues you think deserve further discussion. Your task is to provoke your fellow classmates into thinking critically and creatively about the material.

(2) Seminar paper (ca 15-20 pages) that either (a) presents your perspective on a topic from the readings, or (b) presents a research project (e.g., on a particular thinker, text(s) or a philosophical concept.

WEEKLY TOPICS AND READINGS

Jan 13: The Buddha

Readings: Holder, pp. 1-18 (Discourse on the Noble Quest), *Gowans, pp. 17- 27 (The Life of the Buddha) and *Walters, “Sutta as History."

Jan 20: No class--Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Jan 27: The cultural and social context of Buddhist thought

Readings: Tilakaratane, pp. 1-18 (The beginnings of Buddhism); Collins, pp. 29-64 (The origins of rebirth); Holder, pp. 123-127, 150-163 (Discourse to Prince Abhaya, Discourse on the Threefold Knowledge)

Optional: Tilakaratane, pp. 19-30.

Feb 3: The Buddha’s teaching as philosophy

Readings: Tilakaratane, pp. 31-60; Holder, pp. 19-25 (Discourse to the Kalamas); *Gowans, pp. 28-60 (Teaching in Brief, Practical Dimensions of the Teaching, Theoretical Dimensions of the Teaching).

Feb 10 Buddha’s teachings on no-self

Readings: Collins, pp. 87-110, Holder, pp. 26-41, 59-72, 101-116 (Greater Discourse on Cause, Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving, Discourse on the Parable of the Water Snake); *Gowans, pp. 63- 103 (An Interpretation of the not-self doctrine”, “The rationale for thinking there are no substance selves”, “Some philosophical issues: are we substance selves or process selves”)

Optional reading: Collins, pp. 65-84.

Feb 17: Buddha’s teachings on no self, kamma and rebirth  

Readings: Tilakaratane, pp. 61-69 (Karma and its Results); Collins, pp. 147-195 (Personality and Rebirth); Holder, pp. 83-88 (Discourse to the First Five Disciples” Verses of Sister Vajira”) and *Gowan, pp. 104-1 (Kamma, Rebirth and the Not-Self Doctrine).

Feb 24: Abhidhamma views on Personal continuity

Readings: Collins, pp. 199-266 (Continuity), *Gethin, Bhavanga and Rebirth According to the Abhidhamma” and *Rankin, pp. 34-85 “The Buddha’s Teachings and Abhidhamma Thought” in Early Buddhist Metaphysics

Mar 3 Views and non-attachment

Readings: Collins, pp.116-143; Holder, pp, 95-100 (The Shorter Discourse toMalunkyaputta); *Fuller, pp. 145- 156 of The notion of Ditthi in Theravada Buddhism and *Norman, pp. 103-126 (The Chapter of Eights) in the Suttanipata.

Optional: Gomez, “Proto-Madhyamaka in the Pali Canon.”

Mar 10: No class—Spring Break

Mar 17: Morality: The social teachings of the Buddha

Readings: Tilakaratane, pp. 70-78; Holder, pp. 164-201 (Discourse to the Layman Sigala, Discourse to Assalayana, The Lion’s Roar of the Wheel-Turning King), and  * Collins, pp. 414-436 (The perfect moral commonwealth) in Nirvana and other Buddhist felicities. 

Mar 24 Meditation: Cosmology, Concentration and Insight

Readings: Collins, pp.111-115, 139-143, Holder, pp 42- 58, 128-149

(The Greater Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness, Discourse

to Potthapada); *Conze, “Buddhaghosa on Mindfulness”; *Griffiths,

"Concentration or insight: the problematic of Theravada Buddhist

meditation-theory, and * Thanissaro (Geoffrey deGraff) at:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/concmind.html (concentration)

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/onetool.html (insight)

Mar 31 Wisdom: understanding suffering and its cessation in life

Readings: Holder, pp. 73-79, 88-94 (Discourse of the Honey ball,

Discourse on the All, Feelings that Should be Seen and the Dart); *Burford, “Theravada Buddhist soteriology and the paradox of desire”; *Gowans, pp. 119-147 (The nature and extent of suffering, The origin of suffering, The cessation of suffering in life”)

Apr 7:Wisdom:  Nirvana and the cessation of suffering after death

Readings: Holder, pp. 117-122 (Discourse to Vacchagotta on Fire); *Collins, “The imagery of Nirvana” *Gowan, pp. 148-175 (The cessation of suffering after death, the eightfold path: wisdom)

Apr 14: The traditional Theravada world and traditional Theravada practice

Readings: Tilakaratane, pp. 79-137

Apr 21: The modern Theravada World and the practice of insight meditaiton

Readings: Tilakaratane, pp.138-153; *Cousins, “Origins of Insight meditation”.

Apr 28 Conclusions