EASTERN RELIGIONS (PHI 110 )…

Instructor: David Makinster, Greenfield Community College

Fall 2008, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Course Description (from the GCC catalogue) *PHI 110 Eastern Religions (HC) 3 cr
An introduction to the fundamental dimensions of religion and the central teachings and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, and the religions of China and Japan. Through readings, site visits and dialogues with practitioners, students explore how these religions shape both individual lives and modern societies.
Prereq: Placement beyond or satisfactory completion of COL 090 and ENG 090

AGENDA

This course will introduce you to several of the “wisdom traditions” of India, Tibet, China and Japan. We will approach each tradition with these questions in mind:

What is wisdom? How is it attained? What are the barriers to attaining wisdom? What is to be gained by attaining wisdom?
How does the core spiritual message of each tradition manifest itself in the lives of those who embrace it? (practices, cultural forms, personal conduct, etc.)
What can you learn from this tradition to enrich your own life?

OBJECTIVES

You are expected to approach each tradition with the same respect and open-mindedness as you would want extended toward your own beliefs. You are, of course, free to reach any conclusions you deem appropriate regarding the value of each tradition.
You will need to become acquainted with some of the most important ideas and practices of each tradition.
You will be asked to use some creativity in applying these ideas and expressing your understanding.

ASSIGNMENTS/GRADING

Needless to say, you will not be graded on what conclusions you draw. You will be graded on how reasonably you draw them, and how well you express them.

· A series of "take-home" essay questions covering each tradition, based on our “agenda” described above. (5 @ 15% = 75% of your grade). If you have a great idea for substituting some other activity for any essay, please feel free to suggest it!

· A project, due at final exam time. This may be a traditional term paper, a journal of personal practice, an art or performance piece, a report on additional readings, an interview with some appropriate authority, or something else you suggest. (25% of your grade) You must submit a proposal for your final project, and a brief description of how you intend to research or create it, no later than mid-semester.

Previous students have created mandala sculptures, written screenplays, composed poetry cycles… the possibilities are endless, since the purpose is to extend your investigations and understanding. Be creative and use your own talents!

BOOKS

These texts are required.

THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS, Huston Smith (Harper)
THE WORLD’S WISDOM, Philip Novak (Harper)
THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, Trungpa & Freemantle (Shambhala)
THE I CHING, Cleary (Shambhala)

HOW TO CONTACT ME

Email: anta.baka@gmail.com
Voicemail: 775-1265

Office: N121

BASIC EXPECTATIONS

You are responsible for knowing and abiding by all GCC requirements explained in your current Student Handbook.
Plan to attend class regularly. If you must miss class, speak to me, preferably in advance, about making up the work. Undue, unexcused absence can lead to a grade of "F." If you arrive after I have taken attendance, it is your responsibility to make sure I count you as present. See “Attendance Expectations” on this syllabus.
Plan to submit work on time. If this is ever impossible, speak to me about it. Allowances can be made for legitimate reasons, but I reserve the right to penalize for lateness.
Although substance is more important than style, if your work is illegible or otherwise unacceptable in form, you may be asked to resubmit it.
I may, at my discretion, require an oral examination over some part of the material, for a particular student, if warranted by uneven or anomalous performance.
If you choose to drop the course, you must do the required paperwork to avoid an "F."
If you need to take an "I" for the course, you MUST discuss this with me before the end of the semester. Failure to do so may result in an "F" for the course.
Cheating, including plagiarism, will result in an automatic "F"…FOR THE COURSE. Please refer to your current GCC Student Handbook for more information on academic honesty/academic offences. The GCC Student Handbook defines plagiarism as follows: The college accepts the definition of plagiarism by the Modern Language Association as the “act of using another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source...” Other academic offenses consist of dishonesty, fraud, cheating, disruption of teaching or any other activity which adversely affects the academic process.”
In order to avoid class disruption, please turn off cell phones and beepers during class time, and do not leave class to answer cell phone calls. Do not text message during class. If you are on-call for work and therefore need an exception, please talk to me. It goes without saying that iPods and similar devices should be left home. Laptops and small audio recorders are acceptable as long as they do not create distraction or disruption.
If you do not understand any part of these rules, or are unsure of your current status in relation to them, it is YOUR responsibility to ask me for clarification.
If you have any special needs regarding health or learning, please let me know ASAP. Self-disclosure is voluntary, but would help me to address your needs.

ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS

· No penalty will be applied for “excused” absences, when legitimate reasons for missing class are evident. Legitimate reasons can typically include illness, court appearances, transportation mishaps, family crisis, abduction by space aliens, and cosmic apocalypse. I may request documentation.

· Unexcused absences will result in a deduction from your final grade at the rate of 0.25 grade points per absence.

· Arriving late will treated in the same way as an absence - no penalty with a legitimate reason, possible penalty for unexcused tardiness with the penalty varying (at my discretion) based on how late you arrive. In general, you are better off coming late than not at all.

*** This syllabus is not a contract, and may be changed without prior notice. ***

Calendar - Important Notes:

· If guest speakers and field trips can be arranged, the calendar may change accordingly. If you miss class, be sure to check with me regarding any changes.

· This syllabus is available on my website, www.oocities.org/david_makinster. Any changes to the calendar for this course will be reflected in updates to the syllabus on the web.

Calendar	Date	Topic			Assignment
Intro	9/4	1. Studying Eastern Thought: history, phenomenology, philosophy.
Hinduism	9/9 – 9/11	2. The Hindu Tradition			Read: * Smith, “Hinduism” * Novak, “Hinduism”
	9/16 – 9/18	3. Yoga, Scriptures and Practice
	9/23 – 9/25	4. God(s) & Cosmos
Indian Buddhism	9/30 – 10/2	5. Buddha and The Early Buddhist Tradition			Hinduism Essay due by 10/4 Read: * Smith, “Buddhism” * Novak, “Buddhism” (omit #40 - #55)
	10/7 – 10/9	6. Mindfulness, Scriptures and Practice
Tibet	10/14 – 10/16	7. Tibet: Bon, Tantra, Vajrayana			Buddhism Essay due by 10/18 Read: * Novak, “Buddhism” (#41 - #44) * Trungpa & Freemantle (entire)
	10/21 – 10/23	8. The Book of The Dead
China	10/28 – 10/30	9. The Chinese Tradition and the I Ching			Tibet Essay due by 11/1 Read: * Cleary (entire)
	11/4 – 11/6	10. Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius)			Submit a brief, written proposal for your final project no later than 11/6. Read: * Smith, “Confucius” * Novak, “Confucius”
	11/11 – VETERNS DAY – No day classes
	11/13 – 11/18	11. Taoism			Read: * Smith, “Taoism” * Novak, “Taoism”
	11/20 – 11/25	12. Chinese Buddhism – Chan, Quan Yin and Amitabha			Essay on I Ching or Kung Fu Tzu or Taoism due by 11/20 Read: * Novak, “Buddhism” (#40) * Handouts
	11/27 – THANKSGIVING BREAK – no classes
Japan	12/2 – 12/4		13. The Japanese Tradition		Read: Novak, “Buddhism” (#45 - #55)
	12/9 – 12/16		14. Zen & Shin: Unity in Diversity		Read: Handouts
Final Exam Week, 12/17 – 12/22 Exact date/time/location of final exam to be announced.				1. A brief (5 minute) class presentation on your final project. 2. Submit your final project. 3. Submit your essay on topic 12, 13 or 14. 4. submit any late assignments.