Religions of India (REL 3330)

Listen to Class Online (Spring Semester '09)

2009-04-08T15:00:00.005-04:00

Class 1 Introduction (Wednesday- January 7, 2009)
*Class cancelled on Friday (1/10)
Class 2 Karma, Cosmology, & Theodicy (Monday- January 12, 2009)
Class 3 Dharma, Social Order, Purity, & Pollution
(Wednesday- January 14, 2009)
Class 4 The Indo-European Issue & Vedic Religion
(Friday- January 16, 2009)
*Class cancelled on Monday (1/19)
Class 5 Jaina Dharma (Wednesday- January 21, 2009)
Class 6 Buddha: Life & Teachings (Friday- January 23, 2009)
Class 7 Buddhism: Karma, Cosmos, Sangha & Mahayana
(Monday- January 26, 2009)
Class 8 Buddhist Philosophy (Wednesday- January 28, 2009)
Class 9 Hindu Response to Buddhism: Purva Mimamsa
(Friday- January 30, 2009)
Class 10 Vedanta: Upanishads (Monday- February 2, 2009)
Class 11 Vedanta: Brahma-sutras, Advaita (Wednesday- February 4, 2009)
Class 12 Vedanta: Brahma-sutras: Ramanuja, Madhva
(Friday- February 6, 2009)
Class 13 Ramayana: personalism, avatara (Monday- February 9, 2009)
Class 14 Ramayana (Wednesday- February 11, 2009)
Class 15 Mahabharata: cosmic struggle (Friday- February 13, 2009)
Class 16 Mahabharata: earthly struggle (Monday- February 16, 2009)
Class 17 Bhagavad-gita within Mahabharata
(Wednesday- February 18, 2009)
Class 18 Bhagavad-gita: chapters 3-6 (Friday- February 20, 2009)
Class 19 Bhagavad-gita: chapters 7-10 (Monday- February 23, 2009) Part II
Class 20 Bhagavad-gita: chapters 11-14 (Wednesday- February 25, 2009)
Class 21 Bhagavad-gita: chapters 15-18 (Friday- February 27, 2009)
Class 22 Dharma and the individual (Monday- March 2, 2009)
Class 23 Yoga (Wednesday- March 4, 2009)
*Spring Break (3/6-3/14)
Class 24 Hindu Deities & the Puranas (Monday- March 16, 2009)
Class 25 The Bhagavata Purana: Trans-historicity
(Wednesday- March 18, 2009)
*Class cancelled on Friday (3/20)
Class 26 Hindu Worship & Tantra (Monday- March 23, 2009)
Class 27 Islam in India I (Wednesday- March 25, 2009)
Class 28 Islam in India II (Friday- March 27, 2009)
Class 29 Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism (Monday- March 30, 2009)
Class 30 Early Sikh History (Wednesday- April 1, 2009)
Class 31 Later Sikh History (Friday- April 3, 2009)
Class 32 Medieval Bhakti: Mirabai & Caitanya (Monday- April 6, 2009)
Class 33 Rupa & Rasa (Wednesday- April 8, 2009)
Class 34 First European Contacts (Friday- April 10, 2009)
Class 35 19th c. Indian Reaction to Europe (Monday- April 13, 2009)
Class 36 20th c. Indian Reaction to Europe (Wednesday- April 15, 2009)
Class 37 Hinduism and the West (Friday- April 17, 2009)
Class 38 Hare Krishna (Monday- April 20, 2009)
Class 39 Hinduism & Ecology (Wednesday- April 22, 2009)

The Syllabus (Spring Semester '09)

2009-01-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Grading:
1/3- Class attendance (physical and mental) and completion of homework.
1/3- First 7-8 page paper, due February 20.
1/3- Second 7-8 page paper, due April 17.

Attendance:
Our readings will support class lectures and discussions. Our experience in the classroom is central and essential to our learning. At the beginning of each class, you will turn in short and simple answers to questions on the reading for that day. Your answers will not be graded and need only show that you read the material, not that you perfectly understand it.

Books:
IH: Introducing Hinduism by Hillary Rodriguez, Routledge
IP: Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Sue Hamilton, Oxford
BD: Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown, Oxford
BG: Bhagavad Gita by Graham M. Schweig, Harper Collins

Schedule of Class, Topics, and Readings:
The first number for each class is the date of the month. The second number is the number of the class. For example under August, 27.2 = August 27, the second class of the semester.

January
7.1 Introduction to the course: books, themes, requirements, methods, relevance.

9.2 Karma, cosmology, and theodicy. Read: IH Ch 2;
Questions: IH p54, Discussion questions 3-6

12.3 Dharma, social order, purity and pollution etc. Read: IH Ch 3
Questions: IH p73, Discussion questions 1-6

14.4 The Indo-European issue. Read: IH pp 1-22. Questions: IH p22, questions 1-4. Special attention to question 3, for Wednesday’s lecture.

16.5 Vedic religion. Read: IH Ch 1, IP Ch 2. Questions: IH 42-43 questions 3-5. Explain the ‘ontological term’ monism (IP p 29).

1/19 No class (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

21.6 Jaina dharma. Read: Course reserve: article on Jaina dharma; IH pp121-123. Questions: identify: the dominant religious ideal in Jainism; ahimsa, and its role in Jainism; Mahavira; the Jinas; the Svetambaras and Digambaras; the Jaina ‘ascetic ideal’; Jaina lay practices; Carvak.

23.7 Buddha: life and teachings. Read: BD Chs 2, 4; IH 121-122; IP Ch 3
Questions: Briefly recount Buddha’s life, and his ‘four noble truths.’

26.8 Buddhism: Karma, cosmos, sangha and Mahäyäna. Read: BD Chs 3 and 5. Questions: What are Buddhist notions of karma, including types of rebirths? What is Mahäyäna?

28.9 Buddhist Philosophy. Read: IP Chs 3 and 6. Questions: What were some Buddhist questions about the ‘self’? What is dependent origination? What are some Buddhist schools of thought? Who is Nagarjuna?

30.10 Hindu response to Buddhism: Pürva Mimamsa. Read: IH Ch 5 and 131-132; IP 57-66 and 121-125. Questions: What is (Purva) Mimamsa? How does this school regard language? What is the ‘sphoöa’ theory of language? What is the role of ‘mantra’ in Hinduism?

February
2.11 Vedanta: Upanishads. Read: IH p249; IP 66-69. Questions: What are the Brahma Sutras? What schools do Jaimini and Badarayana represent? What was the attitude of these schools toward testimony?

4.12 Vedanta: Brahma-sutras, Advaita. Read: IH pp 250-251; IP 125-131
Questions: IH p 254, Questions 1 and 5

6.13 Vedanta: Brahma-sutras: Ramanuja, Madhva. Read: IH p 252-253; IP 131-135; Question: briefly summarize the reading.

9.14 Ramayana: personalism, avatära. Read: IH 136-143, 177-180 and 199 – 205. Questions: What is ‘itihasa’? The Ramayana? Rama?

11.15 Ramayana: Reread - IH 136-143. Summarize the reading.

13.16 Mahabharata: cosmic struggle. Text-critical issues. Read: IH 144-150. Questions: IH p151, Discussion questions 3-5

16.17 Mahabharata: earthly struggle. Reread: IH pp144-150. Questions: IH p151, Discussion questions 1-5.

18.18 Bhagavad-gita within Mahabharata. Read: IH Ch 8; Intro and Chs 1-2 of BG. Questions: What is the Bhagavad-gita?
What might account for its great influence? What three yogas does it teach? What is the Gita’s ‘Outer and Inner Conflict’?

20.19 Bhagavad-gita. Read: BG Chs 3-6. Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter? 1st Paper Due

23.20 Bhagavad-gita. Read: BG Chs 7-10. Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

25.21 Bhagavad-gita. Read: BG Chs 11-14. Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

27.22 Bhagavad-gita. Read: BG Chs 15-18. Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

March
2.23 Dharma and the individual. Read: IH Ch 4. Question: briefly summarize the chapter.

4.24 Vaishesika, Nyaya and Sankhya. Read: IH 128-130; IP Ch 5, and 112-117. Questions: Briefly, what is Vaishesika? Nyaya? Sankhya? What is the importance of the Sanskrit language?

6.25 Yoga. Read: IH 126-128; IP 107-112; BD Ch 7; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras. Questions: briefly describe the topics and goals of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

3/7-3/14 Spring Break

16.26 Hindu Deities and the Puranas Read: IH Ch 10. Questions: What are the Puranas? In what sense did the Vedic deities ‘decline’? Who is Siva? Visnu’s ‘avataras’? Sarasvati and Lakshmi?

18.27 The Bhagavata Purana. Trans-historicity. Read: edwinbryant.org -> Book Publications -> Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God -> Introduction. Please read the first 28 pages of the Introduction.
Question: Briefly summarize the reading.

20.28 Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Read: IH Ch 9. Questions: IH pp184-185. Discussion questions 1-6.

23.29 Hindu worship. Read: IH Ch 11. Questions: IH pp243-244. Discussion questions 1-6.

25.30 Tantra. Read: IH Ch 13. Questions: IH p269. Discussion questions 1-7.

27.31 Islam in India: a history. Please watch and summarize: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec-V5FVt_bs

30.32 Islam in India. Read: IH 273-280; Questions: IH 296. Discussion questions 1, 4.

April
1.33 Early Sikh-history. Watch the first half of this film and summarize it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia9MfRLxUxQ&feature=related

3.34 Later Sikh history. Finish watching and summarize:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia9MfRLxUxQ&feature=related

6.35 Medieval Bhakti: Mirabai and Caitanya. Read: IH p162-167; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mira_Bai
Questions: Who was Mirabai? How and what did she teach? Who was Caitanya? What was his mission?
8.36 Bheda-abheda and Rasa. Read: http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/bhed-ved.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupa_Goswami Questions: What is bhedabheda? Who is Rüpa Gosvami? His contribution?

10.37 First European contacts. Read: IH 280-2 and summarize.

13.38 19th century Indian reaction to Europe. Read: IH 282-287 and summarize.

15.39 Early 20th century Indian reaction to Europe. Read IH 287-296 and summarize.

17.40 Hinduism and the West. Read: IH Ch 16 and summarize. 2nd Paper Due

20.41 Hare Krishna. Read: IH 319-321, Swami Bhaktivedanta, and summarize.

22.42 Hinduism and ecology. Read: IH Ch 17; http://www.fov.org.uk/hinduism/07.html. Briefly summarize the readings.

Listen to Class Online (Fall Semester '08)

2008-12-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

Class 1 Introduction (Monday- August 25, 2008)
Class 2 Karma, Cosmology, & Theodicy (Wednesday- August 27, 2008)
Class 3 Dharma, Social Order, Purity, & Pollution
(Friday- August 29, 2008)
Class 4 The Indo-European Issue (Wednesday- September 3, 2008)
Class 5 Vedic Religion (Friday- September 5, 2008)
Class 6 Jaina Dharma (Monday- September 8, 2008)
Class 7 Buddha: Life & Teachings (Wednesday- September 10, 2008)
Class 8 Buddhism: Karma, Cosmos, Sangha & Mahayana
(Friday- September 12, 2008)
Class 9 Buddhist Philosophy (Monday- September 15, 2008)
Class 10 Hindu response to Buddhism: Purva Mimamsa
(Wednesday- September 17, 2008)
Class 11 Vedanta: Upanisads (Friday- September 19, 2008)
Class 12 Vedanta: Brahma-sutras, Advaita (Monday- September 22, 2008)
Class 13 Vedanta: Brahma-sutras: Ramanuja, Madhva
(Wednesday- September 24, 2008)
Class 14 Ramayana: personalism, avatara (Friday- September 26, 2008)
Class 15 Ramayana: political theory (Monday- September 29, 2008)
Class 16 Mahabharata: cosmic struggle (Wednesday- October 1, 2008)
Class 17 Mahabharata: earthly struggle (Friday- October 3, 2008)
Class 18 Bhagavad Gita within Mahabharata (Monday- October 6, 2008)
Class 19 Bhagavad Gita: chapters 3-6 (Wednesday- October 8, 2008)
Class 20 Bhagavad Gita: chapters 7-10 (Friday- October 10, 2008)
Class 21 Bhagavad Gita: chapters 11-14 (Monday- October 13, 2008)
Class 22 Bhagavad Gita: chapters 15-18 (Wednesday- October 15, 2008)
Class 23 Midterm Review (Friday- October 17, 2008)
Class 24 Dharma & the Individual (Monday- October 20, 2008)
*Classes cancelled on Wednesday (10/22) & Friday (10/24)
Class 25 Vaisesika, Nyaya, & Sankhya (Monday- October 27, 2008)
Class 26 Yoga (Wednesday- October 29, 2008)
Class 27 Hindu Deities & The Puranas (Friday- October 31, 2008)
Class 28 Shaivism, Vaishnavism, & Shaktism (Monday- November 3, 2008)
Class 29 Hindu Worship (Wednesday- November 5, 2008)
Class 30 Tantra (Friday- November 7, 2008)
Class 31 Islam & India: a history (Monday- November 10, 2008)
Class 32 Islam & India (Wednesday- November 12, 2008)
*Class cancelled on Friday (11/12)
Class 33 Sikh History (Monday- November 17, 2008)
Class 34 Medieval Bhakti: Mirabai & Caitanya (Wednesday- November 19, 2008)
Class 35 Bheda-Abheda & Rasa (Friday- November 21, 2008) Part II
Class 36 First European Contacts (Monday- November 24, 2008)
*Classes cancelled on Wednesday (11/26) and Friday (11/28)
Class 37 19th c. Indian Reaction to Europe (Monday- December 1, 2008)
Class 38 20th c. Indian Reaction to Europe (Wednesday- December 3, 2008)
Class 39 Hinduism and the West (Friday- December 5, 2008)
Class 40 Hare Krishna (Monday- December 8, 2008)
Class 41 Hinduism & Ecology (Wednesday- December 10, 2008)

The Syllabus (Fall Semester '08)

2008-08-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Grading:
1/3 class attendance (physical and mental) and completion of homework.
1/3 each, two 7-8 page papers, due on October 24, and December 10.

Attendance:
Our readings will support class lectures and discussions. Our experience in the classroom is central and essential to our learning. At the beginning of each class, you will turn in short and simple answers to questions on the reading for that day. Your answers will not be graded and need only show that you read the material, not that you perfectly understand it.

Books:
IH: Introducing Hinduism by Hillary Rodriguez, Routledge
IP: Indian Philosophy, A Very Short Introduction by Sue Hamilton, Oxford
BD: Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown, Oxford
BG: Bhagavad Gétä by Graham M Schweig, Harper Collins
SK: Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction by Eleanor Nesbitt, Oxford

Schedule of Class Topics and Readings:
The first number for each class is the date of the month. The second number is the number of the class. For example under August, 27.2 = August 27, the second class of the semester.

August
25.1 Introduction to the course: books, themes, requirements, methods, relevance.

27.2 Karma, cosmology, and theodicy. Read: IH Ch 2
Questions: IH p54, Discussion questions 3-6

29.3 Dharma, social order, purity and pollution etc. Read: IH Ch 3
Questions: IH p73, Discussion questions 1-6

September
1 Labor Day
3.4 The Indo-European issue. Read: IH pp1-22
Questions: IH p22, Discussion questions 1-4 Special attention to question 3, for Wednesday’s lecture.

5.5 Vedic religion. Read: IH Ch 1, IP Ch 2
Questions: IH pp42-43 Discussion questions 3-5
Explain the ‘ontological term’ monism (IP p 29).

8.6 Jaina dharma. Read: Course reserve: article on Jaina dharma; IH pp121-123
Questions: Please identify: the dominant religious ideal in Jainism; ahimsa, and its role in Jainism; Mahävéra; the Jinas; the Çvetämbaras and Dig-ambaras; the Jaina ‘ascetic ideal’; Jaina lay practices;
Cärväk.

10.7 Buddha: life and teachings. Read: BD Chs 2 and 4; IH 121-122; IP Ch 3
Questions: Briefly recount Buddha’s life (one paragraph); What are Buddha’s ‘four noble truths.’

12.8 Buddhism: Karma, cosmos, sangha and Mahäyäna. Read: BD Chs 3 and 5
Questions: What are Buddhist notions of karma, including types of rebirths? What is Mahäyäna?

15.9 Buddhist Philosophy. Read: IP Chs 3 and 6
Questions: What were some Buddhist questions about the ‘self’? What is dependent origination? What are some Buddhist schools of thought? Who is Nägärjuna?

17.10 Hindu response to Buddhism: Pürva Mémäàsa. Read: IH Ch 5 and 131-132; IP 57-66 and 121-125
Questions: What is (Pürva) Mémäàsa? How does this school regard language? What is the ‘sphoöa’ theory of language? What is the role of ‘mantra’ in Hinduism?

19.11 Vedänta: Upaniñads. Read: IH p249; IP 66-69,
Questions: What are the Brahma Sutras? What schools do Jaimini and Bädaräyaëa represent? What was the attitude of these schools toward testimony?

22.12 Vedänta: Brahma-sütras, Advaita. Read: IH pp 250-251; IP 125-131
Questions: IH p 254, Questions 1 and 5

24.13 Vedänta: Brahma-sutras: Rämänuja, Madhva
Read: IH p 252-253; IP 131-135; http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/bhed-ved.html

26.14 Rämäyana: personalism, avatära. Read: IH 136-143, 177-180 and 199 – 205
Questions: What is ‘itihäsa’, the Rämäyana, Räma?

29.15 Rämäyana: political theory. Read: Reread - IH 136-143

October
1.16 Mahäbhärata: cosmic struggle. Text-critical issues. Read: IH 144-150
Questions: IH p151, Discussion questions 3-5

3.17 Mahäbhärata: earthly struggle. Reread: IH pp144-150

6.18 Bhagavad-gétä within Mahäbhärata. Read: IH Ch 8; Intro and Chs 1-2 of BG
Questions: What is the Bhagavad-gétä? What might account for its great influence? What three yogas does it teach? What is the Gétä’s ‘Outer and Inner Conflict’?

8.19 Bhagavad-gétä. Read: BG Chs 3-6
Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

13.20 Bhagavad-gétä. Read: BG Chs 7-10
Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

15.21 Bhagavad-gétä Read: BG Chs 11-14
Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

17.22 Bhagavad-gétä. Read: BG Chs 15-18
Questions: What are the general topics in each chapter?

20.23 Midterm review

22.24 1st Paper due. Dharma and the individual.
Read: IH Ch 4

24.25 Homecoming

27.26 Vaiçeñika, Nyäya and Säìkhya. Read: IH 128-130; IP Ch 5, and 112-117
Questions: Briefly, what is Vaiçeñika? Nyäya? Säìkhya?

29.27 Yoga. Read: IH 126-128; IP 107-112; BD Ch 7; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras
Questions: Give a brief description of the topics and goals of Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras.

31.28 Hindu Deities and the Puräëas Read: IH Ch 10
Questions: What are the Puräëas? In what sense did the Vedic deities ‘decline’? Who is Çiva? Viñëu’s ‘avatäras’? Sarasvaté and Lakñmé?

November
3.29 The Bhägavata Puräëa. Trans-historicity.

5.30 Çaivism, Vaiñëavism and Çäktism. Read: IH Ch 9
Questions: IH pp184-185 Discussion questions 1-6

7.31 Hindu worship. Read: IH Ch 11
Questions: IH pp243-244 Discussion questions 1-6

10.32 Tantra. Read: IH Ch 13
Questions: IH p269 Discussion questions 1-7

12.33 Islam in India: a history.

14.34 Islam in India. Read: IH 273-280;
Questions: IH p 296, Discussion questions 1, 4.

17.35 Early Sikh-history. Read: SK Chs 1-4
Questions: Who is Guru Nanak? The ten Sikh gurus?
What is the Guru Granth Sahib? What are the ‘Five Ks’?

19.36 Later Sikh history. Read: SK Chs 5-8, IH 279-280 ‘Guru Nanak’.
Questions: How and why did the Sikhs ‘militarize’? (pp 59-62) What is the Sikh attitude toward women?
How is caste seen, in theory and practice?

21.37 Medieval Bhakti: Mirabai and Caitanya
Read: IH p162-167; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mira_Bai
Questions: Who was Mirabai? How and what did she teach? Who was Caitanya? What was his mission?

24.38 Bheda-abheda and Rasa. Read: http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/bhed-ved.html , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupa_Goswami
Questions: What is bhedäbheda? Who is Rüpa Gosvämé? His contribution?

26.39 First European contacts

28.40 19th century Indian reaction to Europe. Read: IH p280-296

December
1.41 20th c Indian reaction to Europe

3.42 Hinduism and the West. Read: IH Ch 16

5.43 Hare Krishna
Read: IH 319-321, Swami Bhaktivedanta

8.44 Review for 2nd paper.

10.45 2nd paper due. Hinduism and ecology. Read: IH Ch 17; http://www.fov.org.uk/hinduism/07.html