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Lecture Topic
Introduction to the Module Oct 5 Buddhist Societies: Values Oct 12 and Coherence 1 Buddhist Societies: Values Oct 19 and Coherence 2 Buddhist Societies: Oct 26 Monasticism and Gender Female Sex Roles No seminar Reading week no classes The Origins of Buddhism and Nov 16 the Other Ascetic Orders Critical Interpretations of Nov 23 Theravda Buddhism Buddhism, the Yaka Cult Nov 30 and the State Tantric Religion and Tantric Dec 7 Buddhism in South Asia No classes
Lecture Topic Religion in Newar Society 1 Religion in Newar Society 2 Buddhism in the Traditional Thai State Buddhism in the Traditional Feb 22 Thai Village Religion in Pre-Modern Tibet Feb 29 I Reading Week no classes Religion in Pre-Modern Tibet Mar 14 2 Modern Transformations in Mar 21 Tibetan Buddhism Modernist movements in Mar 28 Thailand Easter Break Modernist movements and Apr 25 the civil war in Sri Lanka Religious responses to May 2 globalisation and postmodernity Revision lecture No seminar
Film schedule to be announced later Films will be shown in Rm. 5.24, Tuesdays 3.10-4 p.m.
RT1347 Buddhism and Society: Southeast Asia, Tibet and the Himalayas Module Handbook
Welcome to Buddhism and Society. This double module introduces students to a range of issues about Buddhism and its social context, both historically and in the context of a variety of Asian societies. These include Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tibet. The approach is mainly anthropological, also drawing on gender studies, textual interpretation and historical study.
Contents
Contents.......................................................................................................................................3
1.
Module
Description.............................................................................................................4
2.
How
the
module
will
be
delivered .................................................................................5
3.
How
the
module
will
be
assessed ...................................................................................6
4.
Reading....................................................................................................................................6
5.
Learning
Central
(Blackboard) .......................................................................................6
6.
Assessment
and
How
to
Approach
It .............................................................................7
Assessment
Structure .......................................................................................................................7
The
Essay...............................................................................................................................................7
The
Examination.................................................................................................................................9
7.
Essay
Questions ....................................................................................................................9
8.
Planning
Your
Essay............................................................................................................9
9.
Presentation
and
Referencing ...................................................................................... 11
10.
Lectures,
Seminars
and
Readings
Detailed
Listing .......................................... 15
AUTUMN
SEMESTER
2011 .................................................................................................... 15
Week
1
-
beginning
Oct
3
Introduction
to
the
Module ..................................................... 15
Week
2
-
beginning
Oct
10
Buddhist
Societies:
Values
and
Coherence
1 .................. 15
Week
3
-
beginning
Oct
17
Buddhist
Societies:
Values
and
Coherence
2 .................. 17
Week
4,
beginning
Oct
24:
Buddhist
Societies:
Monasticism
and
Gender ................... 18
Week
5
-
beginning
Oct
31:
Female
Sex
Roles........................................................................ 20
Week
6
-
beginning
Nov
7
-
Reading
Week.............................................................................. 20
Week
7
-
beginning
Nov
14.
Origins
of
Buddhism
and
Other
Ascetic
Orders.............. 20
Week
8
-
beginning
Nov
21.
Critical
Interpretations
of
Theravda
Buddhism .......... 22
Week
9
-
beginning
Nov
28:
Buddhism,
the
Yaka
Cult
and
the
State ............................ 23
Week
10
-
beginning
Dec
5.
Tantric
Religion
and
Tantric
Buddhism
in
South
Asia . 24
Week
11
-
beginning
Dec
11......................................................................................................... 25
SPRING
SEMESTER
2012....................................................................................................... 25
Case
Studies
in
Pre-Modern
Buddhism .................................................................................... 25
Week
1
-
beginning
Jan
30:
Newar
1.......................................................................................... 25
4 Week 2 - beginning Feb 6: Newar 2 ........................................................................................... 26 Week 3 - beginning Feb 13: Thailand 1 .................................................................................... 27 Week 4 - beginning Feb 20: Thailand 2 .................................................................................... 28 Week 5 - beginning Feb 27: Tibet 1 ........................................................................................... 28 Week 6 - beginning Mar 5 - Reading Week ............................................................................. 29 Week 7 - beginning Mar 12. Tibet 2........................................................................................... 30 Case Studies in Contemporary Buddhism ............................................................................... 30 Week 8 - beginning Mar 19. Tibet .............................................................................................. 30 Week 9 - beginning Mar 26. Fundamentalistic Movements .............................................. 32 Week 10 - beginning Apr 23. Sri Lanka .................................................................................... 33 Week 11 - beginning Apr 30 Buddhism and Postmodernity ............................................ 34 Week 12 (Revision Week) May 7 ................................................................................................ 36
11. Book List............................................................................................................................ 36 12. Personal Development Programme (PDP): Thinking About and Planning Your Time at University ...................................................................................................... 39
1. Module Description
The aim of this module is to look at Buddhism in its social context, as a religion practised by real people as well as a body of texts. We will do this both historically, and in the context of a variety of Asian societies, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tibet. The first semester (Autumn Semester 2011) is mainly about ideas and history. After the first, introductory, week, Weeks 2 to 5 introduce various concepts and approaches for the study of Buddhism in relation to society. Weeks 7 to 10 deal with various historical issues to do with the development of Buddhism in India. The second semester (Spring Semester 2012) is more contemporary and ethnographic. The first six weeks (Case Studies in Pre-Modern Buddhism) look at a number of Buddhist societies as they were investigated in the late 20th century by anthropologists and religious scholars. The following four weeks (Case Studies in Contemporary Buddhism) look at issues that have emerged as these societies have become part of the globalised world system over the last couple of decades. Specific issues we will discuss include the relation between the transcendental and soteriological goals posited by the Buddhist tradition and the more pragmatic and thisworldly goals of everyday religious life, the role of spirits and deities, value systems in Buddhist societies, gender issues in Tibet and Southeast Asia, and the refiguring of Buddhism in colonial and post-colonial contexts. On completion of the module a student will be able to: Identify and describe a range of current theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches in the study of Buddhism as a living religion. Compare and contrast a variety of Buddhist societies in South, Southeast and central Asia. Give examples of religious practice within these societies, and explain various modes of analysis that might be applied to these forms of practice.
5 Demonstrate awareness of key debates within the study of Buddhism as a lived religion, including those relating to gender, to spirit cults and popular religion, and to Protestant Buddhism and Buddhist modernism. Demonstrate critical awareness of the differences between textual and sociological/anthropological approaches to the understanding of Buddhism and of Buddhist societies, and the contexts in which each might be useful and relevant.
Tuesday 2.10-3 A+S Room 5.24 (lecture) Tuesday 3.10-4 A+S Room 5.24 (films, some weeks only) Weds 12.10-1 (Seminar 1) A+S Room 5.26 Thurs 4.10-5 (Seminar 2) A+S Room 5.26
The handbook outlines the module lectures, seminars and coursework details. It is intended as a guide to get you started. You should also be putting together your own notes, starting in week one. Be aware that lectures will not simply deliver information. Instead, they will often present an argument that may or may not reflect the opinions of the lecturer (in other words, I may be presenting views that I disagree with or feel are only partially correct). There are set readings for each seminar. We will decide the precise format for how the seminars will be run at the first seminar meetings. The questions under the set readings are intended to help you think and make notes on the readings, but they are not meant to be restrictive. You are very welcome to bring into the discussion ideas and questions triggered by reading further afield, or from films, television documentaries, contemporary news or your own day-to-day experience. The Additional References for the Lectures provide a starting point if you want to follow up the issues in a particular lecture further. You will, however, also find these lists useful when finding readings for the essays. Some of these readings will be placed on Blackboard as the module proceeds, along with other useful readings. Be aware that these readings are just a starting point; you are encouraged to use your initiative to find
6 relevant books and articles for your essays, so if you come across something interesting in the library, make a note of it. Students who wish to have teaching material provided in an alternative format, such as large print, Braille, audiotape, coloured paper (to aid dyslexic students), etc., should contact the School Office. Lectures will be used to present the basic issues and topics, and will also present different theoretical approaches to the material. I will also make some use of film and video material, so as to present a different kind of input on the issues. You should attend all lectures, as you will find that relevant ideas and material for your essays (including references and handouts) are presented throughout the module. You are expected to attend all the seminars and to complete the readings for each seminar. You will get much more out of the module if you do this. The exact arrangements for the seminars will be negotiated with students at the opening meeting. However, students who repeatedly miss seminars may be regarded as not completing the module requirements. You will be encouraged to ask questions please do not be shy about this. You will come across new words and ideas throughout this module and every time you ask a question you will also be helping others to clarify points.
4. Reading
The basic readings for the module are the weekly seminar readings. These are available as a series of pdf files on Learning Central (Blackboard). The readings are given below in the detailed week-by-week listing. A list of books in the University Library that provide useful supplementary reading, and may be helpful in relation to the essay topics, is given at the end of this handbook (Section 11). Further supplementary reading is available in pdf form on Blackboard. I will be adding to this in the course of the year, so look regularly to see if there is new material.
7 change the version number every time I make a significant update to the Handbook. Announcements regarding the module will also be placed on Learning Central and circulated to students by e-mail. The Learning Central site can be accessed from the main Cardiff University page by clicking on Education and then going to Learning Central (Virtual Learning environment) under Reference and Resources on the right hand side. Alternatively you can go straight to https://learningcentral.cf.ac.uk/ - you may want to bookmark this address on your browser. The seminar readings are also available on the Learning Central site. Many additional readings are also on the site and you can download and use them for further reading and for your assignments. If you arent already familiar with Learning Central, learn how to use it
The Essay
You may choose any questions for your essay from the list of essay questions provided below. However, your assignment must not duplicate work handed in for any other module that you have taken. Please word-process your essays, use double line spacing, and reference properly (this includes full URL and date accessed for web references). Further details of presentation and referencing are given below. Keep a copy of your essay (this is important). Please note that you will be expected to use at least five sources that are academic books or journal articles for the essay (more is fine, but Im more interested in what you do with them than in how many they are). In addition, you may use other sources (internet, film, newspapers), with appropriate references. Before writing your essay refer to the following notes, and to the sections of the guide Planning Your Essay and Presentation and Referencing below. I suggest that you also look at the document, Guide to Study and Essay Writing Techniques, included in the Course Documents on Blackboard. Submission Date The submission deadline for the essay is Friday, 11 May 2012. Essay Consultation (Formative Assessment) Formative assessment will be by one pre-submission essay consultation. When you have completed a full draft version of your essay, send it to me as hard copy or by e-mail to SamuelG@cardiff.ac.uk for initial marking and feedback. This will be provided by email or in person.
8 The draft version of the essay should be written out in full, so that your style, structure and the overall argument can all be checked. You should include all the references in the text and the full bibliography. There is no formal deadline for the consultation, but you should aim at submitting the draft of your essay to the module tutor by the start of Spring Semester, Week Seven (March 12th) at the latest. Library If you have problems getting hold of books, you are encouraged to contact Ms Erica Swain, the Subject Librarian for Religious and Theological Studies, in the Arts and Social Studies Library: SwainE@cardiff.ac.uk Referencing Students are required to use the Harvard (author-date) system in referencing the essays for this module. Details of how to use this system are below (Section 7) and in other sources,1 and will also be explained in the lectures. Check the Course Documents on Blackboard for further resources. In particular please note: Edited books always refer to individual articles by name and title, not the edited book as a whole (unless you are deliberately referring to the book as a whole). Always give journal names, volume issue, date, page numbers for journal articles. Never italicise book chapter or journal article titles. Always italicise book and journal titles. All quotations need exact page numbers. URLs need dates of access. Apart from clearly marked quotations, never, ever, copy or paraphrase from a book or article. Either express the idea in your own words, or quote and mark the quotation properly. Plagiarism Please refer to the RELIG Student Handbook and to the Schools and Universitys guidelines on plagiarism if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism. As stated in the Student Handbook, Plagiarism refers to the use of the ideas or words of others without acknowledging them as such. Plagiarism is a serious offence and as such, it is completely unacceptable for you to plagiarise in your written work. Doing so will adversely affect your grade and in some cases, will result in your work not being marked at all. In the case of assessed work (portfolios and dissertations that count towards an exam mark), you will also have committed an unfair examination practice and will be reported to the Academic Registry. Plagiarism includes using material from the internet and from essays by other students as well as books and journal articles, and it includes summarising and paraphrasing as well as direct copying. Proper acknowledgement includes giving a correct reference for all material deriving from the work of others. As stated in the Handbook, if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, you should speak with a lecturer or personal tutor.
E.g. in the MHRA Style Guide, which may be downloaded from the web at http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/download.shtml
9 Be careful when making notes from readings to distinguish between your notes and quotations from the original good note-taking habits can save you time later, and make it much easier to reference your essays properly.
The Examination
The examination is based on the lectures and on the seminar readings for both semesters. There will be some choice, but you are advised as far as possible to revise all the material in the course. Further details of the examination structure and format will be given at the revision meeting in Spring semester, Week 12.
7. Essay Questions
1.
Explain the relationship between the Buddhist and non-Buddhist elements of the religious system of one of the following societies: North Thailand, Northeast Thailand, the Newars. Discuss the relationship between Buddhist values and the values of everyday life in one or more Buddhist societies. How has the work of anthropologists or other social scientists helped in understanding this relationship? Why are nuns less valued than monks in some Buddhist societies? Give examples from at least one society studied in the module (e.g. Tibet, Thailand, Sri Lanka). Discuss Michael Rhums contention that how to socialize nature is a central issue for Theravada Buddhism. In what ways is this also true for Tibetan Buddhism? Discuss the ways in which Tibetan Buddhism today differs from Tibetan Buddhism before 1950. To what extent can modern Buddhist movements be considered fundamentalist? Discuss either one or two specific movements in some detail. Considering one Buddhist society from Tibet, the Himalayas or Southeast Asia (including Sri Lanka), discuss how successfully Buddhism has responded to the problems of globalisation.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
10 A plan, on the other hand, is a written outline of the way you propose to structure your ideas and information. If you have prepared your material adequately you should be able to formulate a plan that, if necessary, can be revised as you proceed. The plan should include: Introduction: What is the key theme/s or issue/s in the question? What general background do you have to take into account? What are the appropriate concepts, etc. and how are they defined? Content: This contains your reasoned argument. Here you detail the substance of your discussion, citing relevant evidence, and your evaluation of it in relation to the topic under consideration. Conclusion: this should pull together the various strands of your discussion, and stand as a coherent summary of your argument. References: Ensure you adequately acknowledge all your source material.
Do not expect to complete the essay in one fell swoop! Be prepared to write a few drafts if necessary. Because planning is a continuous process it often involves some degree of trial and error to check whether your plan is producing the desired effect. Some general points: Discuss, analyse, interpret. Your job is NOT just to summarise but to think about the material and to develop your own understanding of it. Its vital to develop a critical attitude towards what you read. This is actually more important at this stage than whether your criticisms are right or wrong. Learn to think through and assess an authors arguments for yourself. Use your sources (books, articles) for arguments not just for facts the point in reading books and articles is not just to raid them for isolated facts but to engage with their arguments. Doing this will dramatically improve your own essays. Look for the central argument of whatever you are reading and think about whether you agree with it. What is the writer trying to persuade you to think? The individual details are less important (in any case, they have been selected to fit the overall argument). Always think about what you are reading, evaluate it, judge it, think about what the author is trying to do. This is particularly important with material on religion but its important with all university work. If you dont understand a term or argument, dont use it. Stay within your own understanding of the material.
Finding and Using Sources for Your Essay: The material on Blackboard is meant mainly as a starting point. This is meant however mainly as a starting point. You should be finding material on your own. Choose your sources intelligently and critically. Always look at more than one source for a given topic if at all possible. As a rule of thumb, you should have at least four or five solid sources (books, book chapters or journal articles presenting original research) for an essay of this kind at this level (more is fine, but as noted above Im more interested in what you do with the sources than in how many they are). See my advice on finding sources (on Blackboard).
11 As far as possible, avoid quoting other peoples opinions of works you havent read yourself. Generally, its better not to do this at all. Be careful about out-of-date items. Research moves quite fast. Much of what was written about e.g. Hinduism or Buddhism 50 years ago is seriously out of date or just plain wrong. Avoid using survey and encyclopaedia articles, especially short ones meant for a popular readership, and general books (for example books on world religions, or on Hinduism or Christianity as a whole rather than on a particular sub-field). You should be reading material by original researchers, not pre-digested summaries. Material of this kind is also often not very up to date. If you use websites, use them as a starting point or for illustration not as major sources for your argument. There is no quality control on the internet. Unless you know who is writing something and know that they are a legitimate authority on the topic, dont trust what they say. These sources can be useful as a starting point but they should not be your major sources. The same applies to Wikipedia, which are only as good as the last person to edit them. A good Wikipedia page can be a useful starting point, but dont trust it too much. A poor Wikipedia page can be actively misleading. If you are using material from the internet to represent a religious tradition, be careful, and find out as much as you can about who the author is and where the material comes from. There are numerous religious texts around and often they represent eccentric or anomalous positions. This is the nature of the internet. It provides a voice to people who wouldnt otherwise have one. Insiders and outsiders both have valid viewpoints, and its often useful to read a mix of the two. In this module, however, you should approach the material as a scholar, not as a believer.
12 Location: always specify where you took the quote from, with page number(s) included. Grammatical Sense: your quote should always make grammatical sense within the wider sentence. Short Quotations: if a passage is less than two lines long it should be left within the main body of your paragraph Longer Quotations: quotes longer than two lines need to be in a separate indented paragraph. Indented quotes do not need quotation marks at beginning and end. Quotation Marks: use single quotation marks around quotations (except for indented quotations, which do not need quotation marks). Only use double quotation marks (speech marks) when citing a quote within a quote (i.e. According to Frank, The cat [sat] on the mat). Single Spacing: although the main body of your essay should be either 1.5 or double spaced, indented quotations should be single spaced .
If you are unsure, please ask the module tutor for further guidance. Presentation and line spacing Many people produce single spaced essays with narrow margins. This leaves no room for tutorial correction and comment and makes your work difficult to read. You should spread your work out on a page by always using: double line spacing 12 point type headings, where appropriate, to help to structure the argument.
You should also: leave at least one inch margins around the text. indent or separate by a double space the start of a new paragraph. There are many different styles of presentation and referencing, and individual publishing houses and journals often have their own style, which authors are required to follow when preparing material. As a part of your skills training, the Department expects you to become familiar in the consistent use of such styles. Moreover, the correct and consistent use of style forms a part of your essay/assignment grade. For the presentation of essays, you are asked to use a 12-point font, either Arial or Times New Roman. Footnotes may be size 10. You should use either 1.5 or double line spacing, except for quotations and footnotes, which should be single spaced. You should use single quotation marks, except where citing a quote within a quote (in which case use double quotation, or speech, marks). Block quotations should be indented, without quotation marks. Please be aware of the importance of careful proof-reading and general presentation in relation to your assignments. Marks will be deducted for poor presentation or inadequate proof reading. (This does not apply in the case of students with dyslexia/dyspraxia.) The Department of Religious Studies generally requires you to use one of two referencing systems consistently throughout a particular piece of work. These are either the Humanities Style (Modern Humanities Research Association style) or the Social Sciences Style (which is a modified Harvard style, also known as author-date referencing). For this essay, you are required to use the Social Sciences Style.
13 The Social Sciences Style does not reference texts using footnotes, but uses a reference in the main text. This consists of author, year of publication and page number where applicable (e.g. Ruether, 2009, p.209), which is why this system is also often known as the author-date system. Several guides to this system may be found on the internet, e.g. at http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/harvard.html A version of author-date referencing is also given in the MHRA Style Guide, which can be downloaded from the MHRA web site at http://www.mhra.org.uk/ (see Section 11.4 of the MHRA Style Guide). As with footnoting, there are a number of slightly different versions of author-date referencing. These different conventions may affect matters such as how page numbers are presented, whether titles of articles are in quote marks, and so on. However, the amount of variation is quite limited, and using non-standard formatting (for example, italicising article titles, or failing to italicise book or journal articles) can make it impossible for the reader to make sense of the reference. The rules may look arbitrary but they serve a purpose and you may be marked down for not following them. Always remember that a complete reference has to give the reader all the information needed to locate the item. Above all, make sure that you are completely consistent in how you reference throughout any particular piece of work. There are special rules for referencing internet sources. In particular, make sure that you give the full URL of the page from which the material is taken (not just the address of the home page) and that you include the date on which you accessed or downloaded the information. This information is important because the website may change or disappear. 8.1.5.2) Example 2: Social Sciences Style (Harvard, or author-date) Little has been written on Jaina meditational practices in this period. As we saw earlier, the orientation of the Jaina traditions was towards the cessation of all activity, above all that of the mind. A series of four meditational states (ukladhyna) seems to have formed part of the path, at least in ideal terms, from early times (Qvarnstrm 2003: 1312), although the Jaina appear to have emphasised external ascetic practice as their primary technique; Qvarnstrm notes that the theoretical requirements for undertaking the ukladhyna are such as to make their use virtually impossible (2003: 140 n.10). Dundas comments that Jainism never fully developed a culture of true meditative contemplation (Dundas 2002: 166) and that It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that later Jain writers discussed the subject only because participation in the pan-Indian socio-religious world made it necessary to do so. (Dundas 2002: 167) This is perhaps unfair to Hemacandra, who claims in his great twelfth-century work on the Jain path, the Yogastra, to be writing at least in part from his own experience. The techniques he describes, however, show signs of the Tantric approaches of Abhinavagupta and of the Nth Siddha tradition, rather than deriving from earlier Jaina practices (Qvarnstrm 2002: 12-13, 2003: 134-8). In Corts description of the life of a contemporary Jaina mendicant, austerities, fasting and study are referred to, but there is no mention of yoga, dhyna, meditation or samdhi except in the context of maintaining control over ones faculties at the time of death (Cort 1987: 655) The list of references should be at the end of your essay and will include the following
14 items: References: Cort, John E., 1991, The vetmbar Mrtipjak Jain Mendicant, Man (N.S.) 26: 651671. Dundas, Paul 2002, The Jains, 2nd edn. London and New York: Routledge. Qvarnstrm, Olle, 2002, The Yogastra of Hemacandra: A Twelfth Century Handbook on vetambara Jainism. Translated by O. Qvarnstrm. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Qvarnstrm, Olle, 2003. Losing Ones Mind and Becoming Enlightened: Some Remarks on the Concept of Yoga in vetmbara Jainism and Its Relation to the Nth Siddha Tradition, in Yoga: The Indian Tradition, eds. Ian Whicher and D. Carpenter, pp.130-42. London and New York: RoutledgeCurzon. In the Social Sciences (author-date) system, where the same author occurs twice in succession, you can leave out the name and just use the year and page. Include the authors name, though, if there could be any doubt about who you are referring to. If there is more than one item from the same year by the same author (for example if there was another Dundas item from 2002 in the above excerpt) they would be labelled e.g. 2002a, 2002b, in order of appearance in the essay. As with the footnoting system, page numbers must always be given for quotations. Page numbers are not essential elsewhere but it is good practice to use them where possible (as in the above examples). Notice that the full (inclusive) page numbers for articles and book chapters appear in the list of references at the end. This list should only include the works you have referred to in the article. Do not include items you have not referred to, even if you have read them while working on the essay. The above examples do not cover all possible eventualities. Check a standard reference guide or consult your course tutor if you are unsure what to do in any specific case. Electronic & Internet References The Internet provides access to a vast range of information. However, unlike a library, there are few controls on the quality of this material. Some online content is excellent, whilst some is terrible. You need to develop the ability to use the Internet discerningly and you should always reference the source of any such information (including images, ideas or direct quotations) when you do so Be aware that not all sites will be balanced. For example, a pro-Hindu nationalist movement site may give an interesting insight into the views of BJP activists, but it is not likely to give an accurate portrayal of Islam. As a general rule of thumb, the online text of a published and peer-reviewed journal will be of excellent academic quality (and may even be available to download, often in PDF format). A named article may be good but neednt be (do not be persuaded merely by the letters PhD after someones name). Be careful if it is a general site or discussion group; the author may be prejudiced, bigoted, ignorant or just more ill-informed than most commentators. Such sites might also show a prejudiced view. An Islamophobic description of Islam, or an Anti-Pagan caricature of Witchcraft, are examples of this. It may be useful to know about these views, but you need to use these sites (and all websites) with due care and attention. In conclusion, do
15 not assume what you read is a true or reliable guide, unless it is from a reputable source. In short, evaluate it! When citing a source from the worldwide web, you should include the Author (if relevant), document title, document type (i.e. the nature of the site [website or electronic journal] in square brackets), full web address (e.g. http:// www...) and the date when you accessed the site in square brackets. Examples of Internet References: Cabezn, Jos Ignacio. 2008. Introduction to Sera Monastery. Part of the Sera Monastery Project at the Tibetan and Himalayan Library. [Website.] http://www.thlib.org/places/monasteries/sera/#!essay=/cabezon/sera/intro/ [Accessed 20 September 2011.] Losang. 2007. Sera Monastery. [Blog.] http://kekexili.typepad.com/life_on_the_tibetan_plate/2007/03/sera_monastery.html [Accessed 20 September 2011.] Wikipedia. n.d. Sera Monastery. [Website.] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sera_Monastery [Accessed 18 September 2011.] Wilson, Ian Douglas. 1999. Reog Ponorogo: Spirituality, Sexuality, and Power in a Javanese Performance Tradition. Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific. Issue 2, May 1999. [Article in electronic journal.] http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue2/Warok.html [Accessed 12 April 2009.]
10. Lectures, Seminars and Readings Detailed Listing AUTUMN SEMESTER 2011
Week 1 - beginning Oct 3 Introduction to the Module
Lecture Tuesday Oct 4: The first lecture is an introduction to the module. It discusses the need for a critical approach to Buddhism and the ways in which seeing Buddhism in its wider social context can help provide such an approach and lead to a deeper understanding of Buddhism as a religious tradition both in the contemporary and historical context. Seminars Wednesday Oct 5 and Thursday Oct 6: Organisational meeting. The aim of this meeting is to set up ground rules for the seminars and to agree how the students want to run them.
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Seminars Wednesday Oct 12 and Thursday Oct 13: The Values of Thai Society: The chapter from Mulders book Inside Thai Society stresses what Mulder sees as the fundamental value orientations in the Weltanschauung (world-view) of modern urban Thai society. Durrenberger and Tannenbaum, working respectively with the Lisu highlanders and the valley-dwelling Shan lowlanders of northern Thailand, ask whether the value systems of the two societies they work with are really so different. (N.B. The Shan are Theravadin Buddhists who are closely related to the Thais.) Required Readings for Seminar/Tutorial: Mulder, Neils 1992. Inside Thai Society: An Interpretation of Everyday Life (3rd rev.edn.) Duang Kamol, Bangkok. Chapter 2, pp.15-41 (The Ideas of Power and Goodness in the Thai Weltanschauung,). Durrenberger, E. Paul and Nicola Tannenbaum 1989. Continuities in Highland and Lowland Regions of Thailand. Journal of the Siam Society 77:83-90. Questions on Readings: 1. Explain what Mulder means by goodness (khuna) and power (decha). Give examples of people or beings who have each of these. 2. How, according to Mulder, do Thais accommodate to the sphere of saksit power and access it for personal purposes? 3. How, according to Mulder, do the various spirit protectors of the household (phraphuum), village (phiibaan), temple (phiiwad) and province (phiimyang) relate to saksit power? 4. How, according to Mulder, does saksit power relate to morality? 5. What does Mulder mean by nondomesticated power? 6. How, according to Mulder, do goodness and the Buddha relate to morality? 7. How and to what degree, according to Mulder, do goodness (khuna) and power (decha) interpenetrate each other in civic religion? 8. What does Mulder mean by calling the Thai Weltanschauung non-centred? 9. Explain how Mulder sees Thai animism and Theravada Buddhism as being able to coexist because of their common relationship to basic human experience. 10. Why does Mulder think that there has been a strong revival of animistic expressions in recent years? 11. Explain the relationship between power, honour, blessing and shame in Lisu society according to Durrenberger and Tannenbaum. 12. What do D & T mean by saying that [Lisu] spirits are mappings of productivity onto occult beings? 13. How do D & T regard the ethical dimension of Lisu ideas about power and wealth? 14. How according to D & T do the Shan regard power? How does Shan power relate to austerity and Buddhist practice? 15. How according to D & T does Shan power relate to morality and to Buddhist ideas about merit and karma? 16. How do D & T understand the relationship between upland and lowland concepts of power? 17. Explain what D & T mean by their closing remarks: [I]t is not plausible to explain lowland behaviour or ideology in terms of Buddhist ideology or doctrine. Rather, one can explain the aspects of Buddhist ideology which have been incorporated at various times and places in terms of the underlying world view which is, itself, not Buddhist. (p.88). 18. In what ways do Mulder and D & T agree? In what ways do they disagree? Can you suggest any possible reasons for the disagreements? Additional References (for those who want to read further):
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Ames, Michael (1964. 'Magical Animism and Buddhism: a Structural Analysis of the Sinhalese Religious System.' In E.B. Harper (ed.) Religion in South Asia. University of Washington Press, Seattle, pp.21-5 Evers, Hans-Dieter (ed)(1969) Loosely Structured Social Systems: Thailand in Comparative Perspective. Yale University, New Haven. Kammerer, Cornelia Ann and Nicola Tannenbaum 1996. Merit and Blessing in Mainland Southeast Asia in Comparative Perspective. New Haven: Yale University Southeast Asia Studies. Mulder, Neils 1992. Inside Thai Society: An Interpretation of Everyday Life (3rd rev.edn.) Duang Kamol, Bangkok. (Remaining chapters.) Russell, Susan D. (ed) 1989) Ritual, Power, and Economy: Upland-Lowland Contrasts in Mainland Southeast Asia. Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University. (Occasional Paper No.14.) Skinner, G. William and A. Thomas Kirsch (ed) 1975. Change and Persistence in Thai Society. Cornell University Press. Southwold, Martin 1983. Buddhism in Life. Manchester UP Spiro, Melford E. (1967. Burmese Supernaturalism: A Study in the Explanation and Reduction of Suffering. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. [Expanded edition, 1978, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Philadelphia.] Tambiah, Stanley J. (1968. The Ideology of Merit and the Social Correlates of Buddhism in a Thai Village. In Edmund Leach (ed) Dialectic in Practical Religion. Cambridge U.P., pp.41-12 Tambiah, Stanley J. 1970. Buddhism and the Spirit Cults in North-east Thailand. Cambridge University Press. Tannenbaum, Nicola. 1987. Tattoos, Invulnerability and Power in Shan Religion. American Ethnologist 14: 693-71 Tannenbaum, Nicola Beth 1995. Who Can Compete Against the World?: Power-Protection and Buddhism in Shan Worldview. Association for Asian Studies, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Van Esterik, Penny 1982. "Interpreting a Cosmology: Guardian Spirits in Thai Buddhism." Anthropos 77: 1-15
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5. How according to Aziz do ga-ny frienship ties relate to class and ethnic differences? 6. What according to Aziz is the importance of shame (gno-tsa or ngo-tsa) among the Tibetan migrants she knew? 7. What according to Aziz is the relationship between karmic (Buddhist) judgements and gany mediation? 8. How could persuading someone to delay a monastic career be seen as totally in accord with Buddhist teaching? 9. How according to Aziz does divination relate to the ga-ny system? 10. What does Aziz mean when she says that a moral system is not simply built on a set of rewards and punishments, and [. . .] co-operation among neighbours cannot be conducted by general rules regarding vague possibilities of rebirth. They have to be administered. (p.17) 11. Why does Aziz find Phillips analysis of Thai peasant values unsettling and inconclusive (p.20)? 12. How, according to Samuel, do Buddhist morality and everyday morality relate to each other in the life of ordinary lay Tibetans? 13. Discuss the various meanings of bodhicitta. 14. In what ways, according to Samuel, does the ethical dimension of Buddhism help to explain how Buddhism became part of Tibetan society?
Additional References
Aziz, Barbara N. 1978. Tibetan Frontier Families: Reflections of Three Generations from D'ing-ri. Vikas, New Delhi. Calkowski, Marcia 1993. "Contesting Hierarchy: on Gambling as an Authoritative Resource in Tibetan Refugee Society." In Charles Ramble and Martin Brauen (eds.) Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalaya. Zrich: Vlkerkundemuseum der Universitt Zrich. pp.30-38. Clark, Graham 1990. Ideas of Merit (bsod-nams), Virtue (dge-ba), Blessing (byin-rlabs) and Material Prosperity (rten-'brel) in Highland Nepal. J. Anthropological Soc. Oxford 21: 165194. Levine, Nancy E. 1981a) Perspectives on Love: Morality and Affect in Nyinba Interpersonal Relationships. In Adrian C. Mayer (ed), Culture and Morality. Oxford University Press, Delhi, pp.106-125. Lichter, David and Lawrence Epstein 1983. Irony in Tibetan Notions of the Good Life. In Charles F. Keyes and E. Valentine Daniel (ed), Karma: An Anthropological Inquiry, University of California Press, pp.223-60. Samuel, Geoffrey 1990. Civilized Shamans. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. Chapter 11, pp.199-222 (The Karma Orientation, Rebirth and Tibetan Values) Samuel, Geoffrey 1994. Tibet and the Southeast Asian Highlands: Rethinking the Intellectual Context of Tibetan Studies. In P. Kvaerne (ed.) Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the 6th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Fagernes 1992. Oslo: Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture, pp.696-710
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Questions on Readings: 1. Why does Keyes suggest that an interpretation of initiation rites that sees them as functioning exclusively to transform an asexual and asocial child into a sexual adult with a gender-linked potential to assume particular social roles (p.67) is incomplete and inadequate? What additional element does he want to include? 2. Why does Keyes see men emerging from monastic initiation with a sexual-social identity that is in tension with an ideal male religious identity (p.68)? 3. Why according to Keyes do Thais regard a period as a novice and/or monk as making a man ripe for marriage? 4. In what ways according to Keyes do Northern Thai men have to make a significant break with the world of their childhood, a break not required of their sisters (p.71)? 5. How according to Keyes does initiation reformulate the relationship between boys and their mothers? 6. Explain the significance which lay people, according to Keyes, attach to the sexual purity of monks . 7. What effect according to Keyes has the introduction of compulsory mass education had on the practice of temporary ordination? 8. How do Thai Buddhists find their admiration for the nakleng personality type compatible with Buddhist ideas? 9. Why does Keyes regard [t]he morally tempered male householder as a satisfactory practical compromise which nevertheless does not eliminate gender ambiguity (pp.8990)? 10. Gutschow says that the remarkable absence of nuns in the literature on Buddhism in Kashmir is due to what one might call a category failure (p.190). What does she mean? In what ways do ordained nuns fail to fit the expectations of scholars? 11. Explain the difference between female renunciants and ordained nuns, according to Gutschow. 12. What according to Gutschow are the principal stages by which a woman becomes an ordained nun in Zangskar? 13. Explain the significance of shaving ones hair according to Gutschow. Why does she say that apprentice nuns are both girls and not girls (p.197)? 14. Why according to Gutschow does monasticism still represent modernity for many Zangskari women (p.207)? Additional References: Allione, Tsultrim (ed) 1984.. Women of Wisdom. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London. Barnes, Nancy J. 1996. Buddhist Women and the Nuns Order in Asia. In Christopher S. Queen and Sallie B. King (eds), Engaged Buddhism: Buddhist Liberation Movements in Asia, pp.259294. Albany: State University of New York Press. Bartholomeusz, Tessa 1995. Women Under the Bo Tree. Cambridge University Press. Campbell, June 1996. Traveller in Space: In Search of Female Identity in Tibetan Buddhism. London: Athlone. Ferguson, John P. 1982. The Great Goddess Today in Burma and Thailand: An Exploration of her Symbolic Relevance to Monastic and Female Roles. In James P. Preston (ed) Mother Worship. Grimshaw, Anna. 1992. Servants of the Buddha: Winter in a Himalayan Convent. Cleveland, Ohio: Pilgrim Press. Gutschow, Kim. 2001. The Women who Refuse to be Exchanged: Nuns in Zangskar, Northwest India. In Celibacy, Culture, and Society: The Anthropology of Sexual Abstinence. Elisa Sobo and Sandra Bell, eds. Pp. 47-64. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Gutschow, Kim. 2004. Being a Buddhist Nun: The Struggle for Enlightenment in the Himalayas. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Havnevik, Hanna. 1990. Tibetan Buddhist Nuns: History, Cultural Norms and Social Reality. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Kabilsingh, Chatsumarn 1991. Thai Women in Buddhism. Berkeley, Cal.: Parallax Press. Kawanami, Hiroko 1990. The Religious Standing of Burmese Buddhist Nuns thil-shin: the Ten Precepts and Religious Respect Words. In J. of the International Assocn of Buddhist Studies 13, 17-39. Tsomo, Karma Lekshe 1989. Sakyadht: Daughters of the Buddha. Nalanda, NY: Snow Lion. Tsomo, Karma Lekshe 1995?) Buddhism through American Womens Eyes. Snow Lion. Willis, Janice D. (ed) Feminine Ground: Essays on Women and Tibet. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion.
Week 7 - beginning Nov 14. Origins of Buddhism and Other Ascetic Orders
Lecture Tuesday Nov 15: What do we really know about the origins of Buddhism and the other ascetic orders? Was this a reaction against Hinduism? Was there even such a thing as Hinduism at that times? Was there yoga in the Indus Valley civilisation, or was that yogi really an Elamite sitting bull?
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Seminars Wednesday Nov 16 and Thursday Nov 17: The History of Buddhism: Textual and Archaeological Evidence Required Readings for Seminar/Tutorial: Schopen, Gregory 1997. Archeology and Protestant Presuppositions in the Study of Indian Buddhism. From Schopen, Bones, Stones and Buddhist Monks: Collected Papers on the Archaeology, Epigraphy, and Texts of Monastic Buddhism in India, pp.1-22. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Erdosy, George 1993. The Archaeology of Early Buddhism. In Studies on Buddhism in Honour of Professor A.K. Warder, edited by N.K. Wagle and F. Watanabe, pp.40-56. University of Toronto (Centre for South Asian Studies). Questions on Readings (page numbers are original page numbers of individual articles): 1. What does Schopen mean by his opening comment that the way in which the history of Indian Buddhism has been studied by modern scholars is decidedly peculiar? 2. What other way does he suggest? 3. Why does Schopen cite the comments of Bhler, Lders, Fussman, Marshall and Spink (pp.3-4)? What point is he making? 4. The implicit judgement, of course, is that real Buddhism is textual Buddhism. (Schopen, p.9) What do you think is real Buddhism for Schopen? 5. Do you agree with Schopens comparison of modern Buddhist scholars with early Protestant reformers (p.13) and his suggestion that our picture of Indian Buddhism may reflect more of our own religious history and values than the history and values of Indian Buddhism (p.14)? 6. Compare Erdosys position as stated on p.41 of his article (It is the contention of this paper etc) with Schopens. Are there differences between them, or is Erdosy just making the same point more diplomatically?
7. Why does Erdosy suggest that it is a great mistake to derive classical Indian civilization from its Vedic antecedents (p.44) 8. It is easy to see Buddhism . . . as merely a revolt against the dominance of Vedic ideology However . . .the possibility of Buddhism being rooted in the cultural evolution of northeastern India, and essentially independent of the Vedic ideology of more westerly regions, may warrant closer attention. . . (p.46). What is Erdosy suggesting here? Why does he suggest it? Do you agree? 9. How does Erdosy attempt to establish the dating of the historical Buddhas nirva? What evidence does he see as relevant? Additional References (for those who want to read further): Basham, A.L. (1951. History and Doctrines of the jvikas. London: Luzac. Bechert, Heinz 1991-7. The Dating of the Historical Buddha. Die Datierung des Historischen Buddha. Edited by Heinz Bechert. 3 Vols . Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. Bronkhorst, Johannes. 2007. Greater Magadha: Studies in the Culture of Early India. Handbook of Oriental Studies Series. Leiden: Brill. Cousins, Lance 1996. The Dating of the Historical Buddha: A Review Article. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Series 3, 6.1 1996): 57-63. Available on web at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgadkw/position/buddha/buddha.html nd Dundas, Paul 2002. The Jains. 2 edn. London: Routledge. Gombrich, Richard 1997. How Buddhism Began: The Conditioned Genesis of the Early Teachings. Delhi: Munshiram manoharlal. Harrison, Paul 2000. Manjur and the Cult of the Celestial Bodhisattvas Chung-Hwa Buddhist Journal 13: 157-193. Available on web at http://sino-sv3.sino.uniheidelberg.de/FULLTEXT/JR-BJ001/93605.htm Samuel, Geoffrey 2008. The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century. Cambridge University Press.
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Schopen, Gregory 1997. Bones, Stones and Buddhist Monks: Collected Papers on the Archaeology, Epigraphy, and Texts of Monastic Buddhism in India. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
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Christianity. (p.46) What is Halliseys point here? What implications does he draw for the contemporary and historical study of Buddhism in relation to the wider Indian religious field? 11. Why does Hallisey suggest that modern accounts of Buddhism emphasised the rational and ethical sides of Buddhism (pp.48-49)? What got left out in this process? 12. As we attempt to restructure our understandings of Buddhism in a manner that will enable us to overcome the distortions of our scholarly inheritance, we should perhaps keep in mind that our new representations also will keep us at a distance from what we hope to understand. (p.52). What point is Hallisey making here? What specifically does he think we might miss? Additional References Cohen, Richard 1995. "Discontented Categories: Hinayana & Mahayana in Indian Buddhist History," Journal of the American Academy of Religion 63/1 (Spring 1995): 1-25. Collins, Steven 1982. Selfless Persons: Imagery and Thought in Theravda Buddhism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Collins, Steven 1998. Nirvana and other Buddhist Felicities: Utopias of the Pali Imaginaire. New York and London: Cambridge University Press. King, Richard 1999. Orientalism and Religion: Post-Colonial theory, India and the Mystic East. London: Routledge.
Week 9 - beginning Nov 28: Buddhism, the Yaka Cult and the State
Lecture Tuesday Nov 29: Over the centuries following the death of the Buddha, dramatic changes took place in Indian society and Indian religion. A village religion focussing on yakas, ngas and other local spirits was replaced by state cults of all-powerful gods and goddesses. In the process, the foundations of Hinduism and Mahyna Buddhism were created. Seminars Wednesday Nov 30 and Thursday Dec 1: Buddhism, Popular Religion and Local Deities Required Readings for Seminar/Tutorial: Ray, Reginald A. 1997. Ngrjunas Longevity. In Sacred Biography in the Buddhist Traditions of South and South Asia, edited by Juliane Schober and Mark Woodward, pp.129-159. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. Cohen, Richard S 1998. Nga, Yakin, Buddha: Local Deities and Local Buddhism at Ajanta. History of Religions 37: 360-400. Questions on Readings: (original page numbers bottom of page for Ray) 1. Ray asks To what extent do the Buddhist saints and their longevity reflect early Buddhism, and to what extent do they represent a later development (p.137)? What is his answer? 2. According to Ray, do the Buddhist saints and their cults represent popular (lay) Buddhism as opposed to elite (monastic) Buddhism (see p.143)? If not, why not? 3. What are the implications of rays conclusion for understanding the life of Ngrjuna? 4. In Cohens opening pages he emphasises the terms local and place. Why does he feel that they need more attention in the study of Buddhism? 5. Why does he say (p.362) that it is a problematic conceit that the Buddha was a purely translocal religious figure, whose significance may be recovered exclusively through literary or doctrinal sources? 6. What does Cohen mean when he says that Buddhism has been regarded as an antisocial religion (p.363)? What problems does he see with this? What is his alternative approach (see p.365)? 7. How does he set about recovering local Buddhism at Ajanta? 8. What according to Cohen is the role of yaka deities such as Hrt at Ajanta? Is she a local deity? 9. What according to Cohen was the relation between Ajanta and the Vkaka court and society? 10. Why does he suggest that the Buddha at Ajanta was in a sense a local deity?
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Additional References
Cohen, Richard 2002. "Why Study Indian Buddhism." In The Invention of Religion: Rethinking Belief and Politics in History. Edited by Derek Peterson and Darren Walhof, pp. 19-36. Rutgers: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Cohen, Richard (2000. "Kinsmen of the Son: kyabhikus and the Institutionalization of the Bodhisattva Ideal," History of Religions. 40: 1-31. Malandra, Geri 1993. Unfolding a Maala: The Buddhist Cave Temples at Ellora. Albany: State University of New York Press. Ray, Reginald 1999. Buddhist Saints in India: A Study in Buddhist Values and Orientations. New York: Oxford University Press. Samuel, Geoffrey 2008. The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century. Cambridge University Press.
Week 10 - beginning Dec 5. Tantric Religion and Tantric Buddhism in South Asia
Lecture Tuesday Dec 6: From the 5 century CE onwards, Tantric religion became part of the technology of all major states in South Asia, and was also exported to China, Japan, Korea, mainland Southeast Asia and Indonesia. It survives in numerous forms, including the protective masked dances of Nepal, Tibet, Bali and South India. As Tantra developed, its transgressive aspects were re-imagined as a going beyond the boundaries of ordinary, conditioned existence. This lecture explores these interwoven processes. Seminars Wednesday Dec 7 and Thursday Dec 8: Required Readings for Seminar/Tutorial: Tantric Buddhism: Historical Issues Wedemeyer, Christian K. 2001. Tropes, Typologies and Turnarounds: A Brief Genealogy of the Historiography of Tantric Buddhism. History of Religions 40: 223-259. Chandra, Lokesh 1992. Tantras and the Defence of Tang China. In L. Chandra, Cultural Horizons of India, vol.2, pp.257-266. (ata-Piaka, 366.) Questions on Readings: 1. Wedemeyer says (p.224) that he will show how the initial construction of a general schema of Buddhist history was decisively informed by the precritical choice of narrative archetype used to structure this history . . . how that schema was justified by the earliest interpretative models of Indian religion . . . and how . . . the resulting historiography (and its implications) was enshrined in Buddhological orthodoxy. . .. How does he do each of these? Do you find his arguments convincing? 2. How does Wedemeyers approach relate to those of Schopen or Hallisey? 3. What historical archetype according to Wedemeyer underlay the writing of a history of Buddhism? 4. Why does Wedemeyer criticise the assumptions on which Buddhist Tantras are regarded as a relatively late development in Buddhism? What was the implication of this assumption for the historical identity of figures such as Ngrjuna or ryadeva? 5. What according to Wedemeyer was the role played by the great Buddhist scholar Louis de la Valle Poussin? 6. What does Wedemeyer mean by suggesting that it is long past time that scholars reassessed their fundamental imagination of the history of Tantric Buddhism (p.257)? Why does he suggest it? 7. What according to Lokesh Chandra was the relationship between Tang dynasty translations of Buddhist Tantras and the defence of the realm?
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Additional References: Davidson, Ronald M. 2002. Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement.New York: Columbia University Press. Linrothe, Rob 1999. Ruthless Compassion: Wrathful Deities in Early Indo-Tibetan Esoteric Buddhist Art. London and New York: Serindia. Samuel, Geoffrey 2008. The Origins of Yoga and Tantra: Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century. Cambridge University Press.
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Additional References: Gellner, David 1988. Priesthood and Possession: Newar Religion in the Light of Some Weberian Concepts. Pacific Viewpoint 29: 119-43. Gellner, David 1991. Hinduism, Tribalism and the Position of Women: The problem of Newar identity. Man (N.S.) 26: 105-125. Gellner, David. 1992. Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest: Newar Buddhism and its Hierarchy of Ritual. Cambridge: University Press. Gellner, David N. and Declan Quigley 1995. (ed.) Contested Hierarchies: A Collaborative Ethnography of Caste among the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Oxford: CLarendon Press. Greenwold, Stephen 1974. "Buddhist Brahmans," Archives europennes de sociologie 15: 101-23 Greenwold, Stephen 1978. "The Role of the Priest in Newar Society." In J.F. Fisher (ed), Himalayan Anthropology: The Indo-Tibetan Interface. The Hague and Paris: Mouton, pp.483502 Levy, Robert I. 1990. Mesocosm: Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. Berkeley: University of California Press. Levy, Robert I. 1997. "The Power of Space in a Traditional Hindu City." International J. Hindu Studies vol.1 no.1 (Apr. 1997), pp.55-71 Owens, Bruce McCoy 1995. 'Human Agency and Divine Power: Transforming Images and Recreating Gods among the Newar." History of Religions 34,3 (February 1995), pp.201-40 Slussor, Mary Shepherd 1982. Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
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Levy, Robert I. 1997. "The Power of Space in a Traditional Hindu City." International J. Hindu Studies vol.1 no.1 (Apr. 1997), pp.55-71 Lewis, I. M. 1971. Ecstatic religion: an anthropological study of spirit possession and shamanism. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Merz, B. 1996. Wild goddess and mother of us all: some preliminary remarks on the cult of the goddess Harati in Nepal. In Wild goddesses in India and Nepal, edited by A. Michaels, C. Vgelsanger, and A. Wilke. Berlin: Peter Lang.
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Terwiel, B.J. 1975. Monks and Magic: An Analysis of Religious Ceremonies in Central Thailand. Studentlitteratur, Lund. (Scandinavian Institute of Asian Studies Monograph Series No.24.) Wijeyewardene, Gehan 1986. Place and Emotion in Northern Thai Ritual Behaviour. Bangkok: Pandora.
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Seminars Wednesday Feb 29 and Thursday Mar 1: Religion in Pre-Modern Tibet I Required Readings for Seminar/Tutorial: Sihl, Nicolas 2002. Lhach [Lha mchod] and Hrinn [Sri gnon]: The structure and Diachrony of a Pair of Rituals (Baragaon, Northern Nepal). In Religion and Secular Culture in Tibet (Tibetan Studies II): PIATS 2000: Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the Ninth Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Leiden 2000, ed. Henk Blezer, p.185-206. Leiden: Brill. Schrempf, Mona 1994. Tibetan Ritual Dances and the Transformation of Space. Tibet Journal vol.19 no.2 (Summer 1994), pp.95-120. Questions on Readings (page numbers are original page numbers of individual articles): 1. What according to Sihl is a ngakpa or tantrist? 2. Explain what Sihl means by the patronage relations which over generations have linked Chongkhor tantrists and lay households (p.187). Explain the term jindak as used in the village (p.188). 3. What are the four types of ritual purpose of the standard Tantric classification (p.187)? How according to Sihl does this distinction relate to the shiwa/dakpo contrast in village ritual in Chongkhor? 4. What is the significance of the lhach ritual for Chongkhor households? To which deities is it addressed? How does it relate to the physical structure of the house (e.g. pp.197-8)? 5. What is the significance of the hrinn ritual for Chongkhor households? 6. How did the Sakyapa monks of Dzong Monastery come to perform a set of two monastic rituals in the households of Dzong and Puta villages in place of the Chongkhor Tantrists? What difference does this change make, according to Sihl? 7. What is Cham, according to Schrempf? How does it relate to Tantric ritual in general? 8. [T]he interesting thing about cham and gar is how the ordinary ground is actually transformed by dance movements into a space of pure higher-level existence. (p.107.) Dance movements not only describe ritual space, they simultaneously subjugate the ground physically. (p.109) What does Schrempf mean by this? 9. What is the significance of Padmasambhava in relation to cham? 10. At the end of her article, Schrempf says I do not want to deprive cham of its undoubted Buddhist Tantric meaning of releasing the mind of dancers and participants from inner obscurations, or of its social purposes . . . But . . . why is it annually necessary to violently tame or subdue the forces of the physical world? (p.111.) How would you answer her question? Additional References : Aziz, Barbara N. 1978. Tibetan Frontier Families: Reflections of Three Generations from D'ing-ri. Vikas, New Delhi. Beyer, Stephan 1973. The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. University of California Press, Berkeley. Ortner, Sherry B.1978. Sherpas through their Rituals. Cambridge University Press. Ortner, Sherry B. 1978. 'The White-Black Ones: The Sherpa View of Human Nature,' in James F. Fisher (ed) Himalayan Anthropology, Mouton, The Hague, pp.263-85. Kohn, Richard. J. 2001. Lord of the Dance: The Mani Rimdu Festival in Tibet and Nepal. Albany : State University of New York Press. Samuel, Geoffrey 1993. Civilized Shamans: Buddhism in Tibetan Societies. Smithsonian Institution Press
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Germano, David 1998. Re-Membering the Dismembered Body of Tibet: Contemporary Tibetan Visionary Movements in the Peoples Republic of China. In Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet : Religious Revival and Cultural Identity, ed. Melvyn C. Goldstein and Matthew T. Kapstein, pp.5394. Berkeley : University of California Press. Dreyfus, Georges 1998. The Shuk-Den Affair: History and Nature of a Quarrel. J. International Association of Buddhist Studies 21: 227-270. Questions on Readings (page numbers are original page numbers of individual articles): 1. What are Ter (also written gter, gter-ma)? What is ths significance of Padmasambhava in relation to the Ter cult? 2. Khenpo Jikphun has created a significant countermovement re-establishing the centre of gravity within Tibet herself, thereby stemming the flow of authority and value toward Chinese modernity, on the one hand, and refugee Tibetan communities, on the other. (Germano, p.57) Explain what Germano means by this. 3. What is the significance of the term gar in the name of Khenpo Jikphuns centre (cf. p.62)? 4. In what ways, according to Germano, was Khenpo Jikphun attempting to purify and restore Tibetan Buddhism? 5. What was the significance of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen, rDzogs-chen) tradition in Khenpo Jikphuns teaching? 6. What, accordintg to Dreyfus, is a dharma protector (chos-skyong srung-ma)? What is the difference between mundane and supra-mundane protectors (see p.264)? 7. Why does Dreyfus argue against reading the Shuk-den cult simply in terms of the Ge-luk hierarchys resentment of a strong Dalai Lama? (p.233) What alternative interpretation does he suggest? 8. Was Pa-bong-ka (1878-1941) a traditionalist or an innovator? What was innovative about his teachings (cf.p.246-8)? 9. Explain the relevance of Padmasambhava (Guru Rin-bo-che) and Ne-chung to the position of the Dalai Lama (pp.259-261). 10. What, according to Dreyfus, does it mean to say that Ne-chung resents Shukden (pp.264-8)?
Additional References: Batchelor, Stephen and Donald S. Lopez, Jr. 1998. Deity or Demon: The Controversy over Tibets Dorje Shugden. Tricycle 7,3 (Spring): 58-69. Goldstein, Melvyn C. 1998. The Revival of Monastic Life in Drepung Monastery. In Melvyn C. Goldstein and Matthew T. Kapstein (eds.) Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity, pp.15-52. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Goldstein, Melvyn C. and Matthew T. Kapstein (eds.) 1998. Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Kay, David 1997. The New Kadampa Tradition and the Continuity of Tibetan Buddhism in Transition. J. Contemporary Religion 12,3: 277-293. Korom, Frank J. (ed.) 1997. Tibetan Culture in the Diaspora: Papers Presented at a Panel of the 7th Seminar of the International Associatiuon for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995. Wien: Verlag der sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Korom, Frank J. (ed.) 1998. Constructing Tibetan Culture: Contemporary Perspectives. Hyacinthe, Quebec: World Heritage Press. St..-
Schwartz, Ronald D. 1994. "Renewal and Resistance: Tibetan Buddhism in the Modern Era. In Ian Harris (ed.) Buddhism and Politics in Twentieth-Century Asia, pp.229-253. London: Pinter.
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Schwartz, Ronald D. 1994. "The Anti-Splittist Campaign and Tibetan Political Consciousness." In Robert Barnett and Shirin Akiner (eds.), Resistance and Reform in Tibet, pp.207-237. London: Hurst & Co. Schwartz, Ronald D. 1994. Circle of Protest: Political Ritual in the Tibetan Uprising. London: Hurst & Co.
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McCargo, Duncan 1999. The politics of Buddhism in Southeast Asia, in Jeff Haynes (ed.), Religion, globalization and the political culture in the Third World, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 213-39 McMahan, David L. 2008. The Making of Buddhist Modernism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mackenzie, Rory. 2006. New Buddhist Movements in Thailand: Towards an Understanding of Wat Phra Dhammakaya and Santi Asoke. London: Routledge. Sanitsuda Ekkachai 2001. Keeping the Faith: Thai Buddhism at the Crossroads. Bangkok: Post Books. Scott, Rachelle. 2006. A New Buddhist Sect: The Dhammakaaya Temple and the Politics of Religious Difference. Religion 36: 215-230. Taylor, J.L. 1993. Forest monks and the nation-state: an anthropological and historical study in northeastern Thailand. Singapore : Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
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9. What does Obeyesekere mean by the dark underside of Buddhism without the mitigating humanism of the Buddhist conscience (p.238)? How far does he hold Dharmapala responsible for its emergence?
Additional References: Bartholomeusz, Tessa J. and Chandra R. de Silva (eds.) 1998. Buddhist Fundamentalism and Minority Identities in Sri Lanka. Bond, George D. 1998. Conflicts of Identity and Interpretation in Buddhism: The Clash between the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement and the Government of President Premadasa. In Tessa Bartholomeusz and Chandra R. de Silva (eds.), Buddhist Fundamentalism and Minority Identities in Sri Lanka, pp.36-52. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Deegalle, Mahinda (ed.) 2006. Buddhism, Conflict and Violence in Modern Sri Lanka. London and New York: Routledge. Deegalle, Mahinda. 2007. "Buddhist Monks and Political Activism in Sri Lanka," In Can Faiths Make Peace? (ed.) P. Broadhead and D. Keown, pp. 134-148. I.B. Tauris. Gamage, Siri and I.B. Watson (ed.) 1997. Culture and Community in Contemporary Sri Lanka. Special issue (vol.20) of the journal South Asia. Gombrich, Richard and Gananath Obeyesekere 1990. Buddhism Transformed: Religious Change in Sri Lanka. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. Prothero, Stephen 1995. Henry Steel Olcott and "Protestant Buddhism". Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Summer 1995 v 63 n 2 Manor, James 1994. "Organizational Weakness and the Rise of Sinhalese Buddhist Extremism." In Martin E. Marty and R. Scott Appleby, (eds) Accounting for Fundamentalisms: The Dynamic Character of Movements, pp.770-784. Chicago and London: Chicago University Press. Obeyesekere, Gananath 1995. "Buddhism, Nationhood, and Cultural Identity: A Question of Fundamentals." In Martin E. Marty and R. Scott Appleby (eds)Fundamentalisms Comprehended, pp.231-256 . Chicago and London: Chicago University Press Schalk, Peter 1988. Unity and Sovereignty: Key Concepts of a Militant Buddhist Organization in the Present Conflict in Sri Lanka. Temenos 24: 55-87. Tambiah, Stanley J. 1986. Ethnic Fratricide and the Dismantling of Democracy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Tambiah, Stanley J. 1992. Buddhism Betrayed? Religion, Politics and Violence in Sri Lanka. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Tambiah, Stanley J. 1993. Buddhism, Politics and Violence in Sri Lanka. In Martin E. Marty and R. Scott Appleby, (eds)Fundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance, pp.589-619. Chicago and London: Chicago University Press Trawick, Margaret 1997. Reasons for Violence: A Preliminary Ethnographic Account of the LTTE. South Asia 20: 153-180. Whitaker, Mark P. 1997. Tigers and Temples: The Politics of Nationalist and Non-Modern Violence in Sri Lanka. South Asia 20: 201-14.
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Mills, Mary Beth 1995. Attack of the Widow Ghosts: Gender, Death, and Modernity in Northeast Thailand. In Bewitching Women, Pious Men: Gender and Body Politics in Southeast Asia, ed. Aihwa Ong and Michael G. Peletz, pp.244-73. Berkeley and LA: University of California Press. Kapferer, Bruce 2003. Sorcery and the Shapes of Globalization Disjunctions and Continuities: The Case of Sri Lanka. in Globalization, The State, and Violence, ed. Jonathan Friedman, pp.249-78. Oxford: Altamira Press. Questions on Readings (page numbers are original page numbers of individual articles): 1. How does Mills relate the concerns in North East Thailand (Isan) about widow ghost attacks to wider changes in Thai society? Why does she see ideas of modernity and progress as a significant factor in generating the fear of attacks? 2. Why were phalluses used to defend houses against widow ghosts? How do these phalluses relate to the rockets discussed in Week Four, and to Northeast Thai gender attitudes in general? (p.251, see also p.265). 3. Widow ghosts thus provide an object lesson in the unnatural and dangerous consequences of allowing women to roam freely, their bodies and sexual powers unconstrained by the controls of society or of men. (p.257). Explain. 4. Explain the way in which concerns about men working overseas fed into the widow ghost scare (pp.260-3). 5. How does Mills explain the apparently puzzling failure of people in Baan Naa Sakae to mobilize the authority and power of Buddhism against the threat of widow ghosts (p.265)? 6. Kapferer regards many recent anthropologist approaches to the widespread concerns in many parts of todays world with sorcery and witchcraft as attempting to de-exoticise the phenomena (p.250). In what was does he see his own approach as different? 7. In what ways does Kapferer see Suniyam (in his modern urban form) as particularly relevant to the situation of contemporary Sri Lanka? 8. In what ways, according to Kapferer, are sorcery and Suniyam embedded within Sinhala Buddhist cosmology and its practices (p.255)? 9. What is the relationship between Suniyam and the Suniyama anti-sorcery rite? 10. How does Kapferer relate the growth in importance of the bandara spirits to the weakness of the Sri Lankan state? Why did they become more important after the IMF/World Bank instigated infrastructure reforms (pp.261-2)? 11. While the bandara augment or extend the state, Suniyam may be better seen as its contingency, even its conditionality . . . Suniyam manifests, virtually causes, the Buddha. (p.263). What does Kapferer mean by this? 12. The problem for anthropology is to break through implicit and explicit relativisms and this it can do by ever broadening our horizons of understanding through an engagement with other modes of cultural practice. (Kapferer in Smedal 2000-1.) In what ways can Kapferers article be seen as an attempt to pursue this programme? Essay/Exam Question Discuss one or more examples of how people in Buddhist societies today are reshaping religious resources of the past in response to globalising forces and the weakness of their societies in relation to those forces. Additional References : Kapferer, Bruce 1997. The Feast of the Sorcerer: Practices of Consciousness and Power. Chicago University Press. Kapferer, Bruce 2003. Beyond Rationalism: Rethinking Magic, Witchcraft and Sorcery, Oxford: Berghahn Books. Kapferer, Bruce 2000 Sexuality and the Art of Seduction in Sinhalese Exorcism in Ethnos 65: 532
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Kapferer, Bruce 2000 Star Wars: About Anthropology, Culture and Globalisation in The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 11: 174-19 Kapferer, Bruce 2000 The Sorcery of Consciousness: A Sinhala Buddhist Discourse on the Dynamics of Consciousness Jnl of Cognition and Communication 33: 97-120 Kapferer, Bruce 2002 a Outside All Reason: Magic, Sorcery and Epistemology in Anthropology Social Analysis 46: 1- 30 Kapferer, Bruce 2002b Sorcery, Modernity and the Constitutive Imaginary: Hybridizing Continuities Social Analysis 46: 103-128 Morris, Rosalind C. (2000. In the Place of Origins: Modernity and its Mediums in Northern Thailand. Duke University Press, Durham NC and London. Ockey, James S. 1999) God Mothers, Good Mothers, Good Lovers, Godmothers: Gender Images in Thailand. Journal of Asian Studies 58: 1033-1058 Scott, David 1994. Formations of Ritual: Colonial and Anthropological Discourses on the Sinhala Yaktovil. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press. Smedal, Olaf H. (2000-2001. Bruce Kapferer: An Interview. Originally published in Antropolog Nytt 3/2000 and 1/2001. On web at http://www.anthrobase.com/Txt/S/Smedal_Kapferer_01.htm Taylor, James. 2008. Buddhism and Postmodern Imaginings in Thailand: The Religiosity of Urban Space. Farnham: Ashgate.
37 Burma (Myanmar) Aung, Maung Htin. 1959. Folk elements in Burmese Buddhism. Rangoon, Burma: U. Myint Maung. Spiro, Melford E. 1967. Burmese Supernaturalism: A Study in the Explanation and Reduction of Suffering. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Spiro, Melford E. 1971. Buddhism and Society: A Great Tradition and its Burmese Vicissitudes. Allen and Unwin, London. India (Historical) Davidson, Ronald M. 2002. Indian esoteric Buddhism: A social history of the Tantric Movement. Columbia University Press, New York. Ray, Reginald A. 1994. Buddhist saints in India: a study in Buddhist values and orientations. New York: Oxford University Press. Samuel, Geoffrey. 2008. Origins of yoga and tantra: Indic religions to the thirteenth century. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. Schopen, Gregory. 1997. Bones, stones, and Buddhist monks: collected papers on the archaeology, epigraphy, and texts of monastic Buddhism in India. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press. Snellgrove, David L. 1987. Indo-Tibetan Buddhism: Indian Buddhists and their Tibetan successors. London: Serindia. Nepal *Gellner, David. 1992. Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest: Newar Buddhism and its Hierarchy of Ritual. Cambridge: University Press. Levy, Robert I. 1990. Mesocosm: Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. Berkeley: University of California Press. Mumford, Stan Royal. 1989. Himalayan dialogue: Tibetan lamas and Gurung shamans in Nepal. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Bartholomeusz, Tessa 1995. Women Under the Bo Tree. Cambridge University Press. Carrithers, Michael 1983. The Forest Monks of Sri Lanka : an Anthropological and Historical Study. Oxford University Press, Delhi. Gombrich, Richard. 1991. Buddhist precept and practice: traditional Buddhism in the rural highlands of Ceylon. London ; New York : Kegan Paul International New York. Gombrich, Richard and Gananath Obeyesekere 1998. Buddhism transformed: Religious change in Sri Lanka. Princeton, N.J : Princeton University Press Gyatso, Janet and Havnevik, Hanna (eds.). Women in Tibet. Kapferer, Bruce 1983. A Celebration of Demons: Exorcism and the Aesthetics of Healing. Indiana University Press, Bloomington. *Kapferer, Bruce 1997. The Feast of the Sorcerer: Practices of Consciousness and Power. University of Chicago Press. Tambiah, Stanley J. 1992. Buddhism Betrayed? Religion, Politics and Violence in Sri Lanka. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Southeast Asia General (Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) *Kammerer, Cornelia Ann and Nicola Tannenbaum 1996. Merit and Blessing in Mainland Southeast Asia in Comparative Perspective. New Haven, CT: Yale University Southeast Asia Studies. Swearer, Donald K. 1995. The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia. State University of New York Press, Albany, NY. Thailand Davis, Richard 1984. Muang Metaphysics. Pandora Press, Bangkok.
38 Tambiah, Stanley J. 1976. World Conqueror and World Renouncer: A Study of Buddhism and Polity in Thailand against a Historical Background. Cambridge University Press. Tambiah, Stanley J. 1970. Buddhism and the Spirit Cults in Northeast Thailand, Cambridge Universit Press, *Tambiah, Stanley J. 1984. The Buddhist Saints of the Forest and the Cult of Amulets: A Study in Charisma, Hagiography, Sectarianism and Millennial Buddhism. Cambridge University Press. *Taylor, J. L. 1993. Forest Monks and the Nation-State: An Anthropological and Historical Study in Northeastern Thailand. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore. Terwiel, B.J. 1975. Monks and Magic: An Analysis of Religious Ceremonies in Central Thailand. Studentlitteratur, Lund. (Scandinavian Institute of Asian Studies Monograph Series No.24.) Tiyavanich, Kamala 1977. Forest Recollections: Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand. University of Hawaii Press. Wijeyewardene, Gehan 1986. Place and Emotion in Northern Thai Ritual Behaviour. Bangkok: Pandora. Tibet Beyer, Stephan 1973. The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. University of California Press, Berkeley. Goldstein, Melvyn C. and Matthew T. Kapstein (ed) 1998. Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet: Religious Revival and Cultural Identity. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Huber, Toni. 1999. The cult of Pure Crystal Mountain: popular pilgrimage and visionary landscape in southeast Tibet. New York: Oxford University Press. Lopez, Donald S., Jr. 1998. Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West. University of Chicago Press. *Ortner, Sherry B. 1989. High Religion. Princeton University Press *Ortner, Sherry B.1978. Sherpas through their Rituals. Cambridge University Press. Samuel, Geoffrey. 1993. Civilized shamans: Buddhism in Tibetan societies. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. Samuel, Geoffrey. 2005. Tantric revisionings: new understandings of Tibetan Buddhism and Indian religion. London: Ashgate; New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. Snellgrove, David L. 1992. Four lamas of Dolpo: Tibetan biographies. Kathmandu, Nepal: Himalayan Book Seller. Snellgrove, David L. 1987. Indo-Tibetan Buddhism: Indian Buddhists and their Tibetan successors. London: Serindia. Tucci, Giuseppe. 1980. Religions of Tibet. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Willis, Janice D. 1995. (ed) Feminine Ground: Essays on Women and Tibet. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion.
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12. Personal Development Programme (PDP): Thinking About and Planning Your Time at University
A Basic Definition:
The Centre for Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice in Education (EPPE) define PDP as follows: Personal Development Planning (PDP) is a process by which students can monitor, build and reflect upon their personal development. PDP is defined as a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development. The primary objective of PDP is to improve the capacity of students to understand what, how and when they are learning and to review, plan and take responsibility for their future learning. The objectives of PDP are to: improve the capacity of individuals to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning; record achievement and the acquisition of skills and qualities at the subject and extra-curricular level and help make explicit the link between academic skills and their application to the wider world; provide students with the ability and confidence to understand the competencies they have developed, how they have obtained them and how they can evidence and apply them within new situations.
The Bottom Line: What Will The Personal Development Process Do For Me?
The PDP process will help you to: 1. Adjust To, And For Continuing Students Get The Most Out Of, University Life Some students find it difficult to adapt to the new ways of teaching and learning expected by University level education or find it hard to adapt to the new demands of university study. PDP helps make the transition to new levels of study easier by prompting you to think about how you learn, helping you to reflect upon your own achievements and encouraging you to plan for your future academic and personal development. 2. Give You More Than Just A Degree Employers are not only concerned about the academic subject that candidates study but are looking for evidence of the development of a wide variety of transferable skills and competencies. Many of the skills that employers look for can be developed through your degree programme but there are also opportunities to develop transferable skills and qualities via participation in extra curricular activities e.g. membership of clubs and societies, part-time employment, voluntary work. PDP will encourage you to use your time at University to develop the skills and experience that are essential in an increasingly competitive graduate job market. 3. Ensure That You Stand Out From The Crowd With more students than ever starting university each year, a degree qualification alone is no longer a guarantee of securing employment or guaranteeing a place or funding for further study. Whilst a degree from Cardiff University will impress employers, they are increasingly looking for graduates who can demonstrate an added extra and this usually translates as the ability to articulate and demonstrate the skills you have acquired. Participation in the PDP process will help you to prove and document your personal and professional development and develop the confidence and ability to articulate your skills and qualities.
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any externally accredited qualifications (e.g. European Computer Driving License) which you may achieve during your time at Cardiff. The school also offers a dedicated PDP module entitled NOW AND NEXT: SUBJECT METHODS AND LIFE SKILLS IN RELIGIOUS AND THEOLOGICAL STUDIES. This is a second level course and is designed to help you to develop and refine core subject specific and transferable skills whilst having the opportunity to think about both your university studies and your plans for the future.
The PDP menu bar on the left hand side will allow you to navigate the module. The sections explained The sections contain a range of activities, exercises and information. Have a go with them and see what you think! Please take particular note of the following sections: My PDP Records - This final section duplicates the forms and activities that you will be asked to complete while working through the individual sections of this module and aims to help you to navigate through the module. PDP Year One, Two, Final Year - These sections provide information, activities and resources that are appropriate for each year of undergraduate study. For example: Year one - Skills audits, discussing module choice, Year two Thinking about career planning, Year three Job applications, CV writing, postgraduate study. Graduate skills, additional records, self reflection, employability, extracurricular activities - These sections provide general advice, information and exercises to help you in the PDP process. The information contained in these sections is relevant to all years of study Completing the exercises When working through the module you will find a number of forms that have been designed to prompt you to think about your progress and help you to maintain a record of your development. Full details of downloading and saving the forms can be found under the whats involved and what support will I receive link of the Introduction to PDP section.