RLB55 Buddhism in the West

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Pavel Šindelář, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Wed 16:40–18:15 zruseno D51
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the teaching and history of Buddhism in the extent of courses Buddhism I and II.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course presents the circumstances of the arrival of Buddhism to the West, its spread and changes connected to these processes. Particular lectures will be focused on the arrival and development of Buddhism in selected European countries with the aim to compare various trends occurring in different conditions. Special attention will be paid to the state of Buddhism in the Czech Republic. The course also presents current theoretical models connected to the study of Buddhism in the West and provides the student with an opportunity to examine them in practice. Main objectives of the course are: to understand the process of the arrival of Buddhism to the West; to understand the connection between Buddhist studies and acculturation of Buddhism in the West; to analyze the differencies among selected European countries; to train students in empirical fieldwork; to learn students how to critically use data aquired in a fieldwork.
Syllabus
  • 0. Introductory lecture; 1. Periodization of the development of Buddhism in the West, typologies of Buddhism(s) in the West, early knowledge of Buddhism in antiquity and the Middle Ages; 2. Principles of scientific fieldwork - essentials for a semestral group project; 3. Context of the arrival of Buddhism in the West - historism, emphasis on texts, Buddhism in German speaking countries, concept of "Buddhism in Protestant shape"; 4. Buddhism in the UK – first Buddhist monks and monasteries, adaptation of the sangha's structure; 5. Buddhism in Czechoslovakia before 1989; 6. Buddhism in the Czech Republic today; 7. Asian Buddhists in Europe; 8. From "Buddhism in the West" to a "Global Buddhism"?; 9. Presentation of students projects; 10. Presentation of students projects; 11. Presentation of students projects; 12. Discussion over given text and concluding remarks to the issues adressed during the course.
Literature
  • LUŽNÝ, Dušan and Luboš BĚLKA. Podoby buddhismu na Západě (Faces of Buddhism in the West). In Lopez, Donald Jr., Příběh buddhismu. Průvodce dějinami buddhismu a jeho učením. 1st ed. Brno: Barrister and Principal, 2003, p. 209-221. Buddhismus. ISBN 80-86598-54-3. info
  • TRÁVNÍČEK, Zdeněk. Leopold Procházka : první český buddhista. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova universita, 2002, 143 s. ISBN 8021029501. info
  • LENOIR, Frédéric. Setkávání buddhismu se západem. Vyd. 1. Praha: Volvox Globator, 2002, 334 s. ISBN 8072074962. info
  • LUŽNÝ, Dušan. Stručné dějiny buddhismu na Západě (A Short History of Buddhism in the West). In E. Conze: Stručné dějiny buddhismu. Brno: Jota, 1997, p. 155-173. ISBN 80-7217-002-3. info
  • FIELDS, Rick. How the swans came to the lake :a narrative history of Buddhism in America. 3rd ed., rev. and updated. Boston: Shambhala, 1992, xvii, 434. ISBN 0-87773-631-6. info
Assessment methods
Contents of the semester:
Lectures, class discussions with members of various Buddhist groups, student presentations.
Requirements:
(a) active participation in seminars and preparation for discussions;
(b) written commentaries to given texts;
(c) presentation of seminary group project and its written form.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučující.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2004, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2014, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2008/RLB55