RELG 009. The Buddhist Traditions of Asia

This course explores the unity and variety of Buddhist traditions within their historical developments in South, Central, and East Asia, by way of the study of its texts The course will be organized chronologically and geographically, and to a lesser extent thematically, focusing on the formations of early Indian Buddhism (the Nikaya traditions in Påli and Sanskrit), the Theravada in Sri Lanka and Thailand, Mahayana Ch’an/Zen traditions in China and Japan, and Vajrayana (tantra) traditions in Tibet. Themes include narratives of the Buddha and the consecration of Buddha images; gender, power, and religious authority, meditation, liberation, and devotional vision; love, memory, attachment and Buddhist devotion; the body, and the social construction of emotions and asceticism.
Humanities.
Writing course.
1 credit.
Eligible for ASIA
Fall 2026. Hopkins.
Catalog chapter: Religion
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/religion

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