Buddhist Meditation Traditions Fall 2008

Professor

Ryan (Bong Seok Joo) Joo

Course Number

HACU 122T

Course Description

The course will introduce the three most representative meditation practices (Vipassana, Koan, Deity Yoga) from Theravada, Zen and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. We will first explore meditation methods as they were developed and cultivated in traditional Asian monastic settings. Attention will be given to doctrinal understandings, Buddhist cosmology, and the roles of ethics and faith. The second half of the course will examine meditation practice as a social and cultural phenomenon. Lines of inquiry to be followed are: is meditation an inherently social practice? Who and what authorizes one's Enlightenment? What are the differences, if any, between meditation and ritual? What is the role of lineage in meditation practice? The course will make extensive use of audio-visual materials and include a series of meditation trial sessions. This is a writing intensive course, and students should be prepared to submit a weekly response paper.