Courses, Northwestern College Preparation Program | Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

View Courses

RELIGION 210-0 : Introduction to Buddhism

Description

This course offers an introduction to Buddhist history, philosophy, culture, and ritual practices. We explore texts, beliefs, and practices in all the major Buddhist traditions--Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism. As we study how the practice of Buddhism differs in different Buddhist countries and traditions, we will read teachings by Buddhist masters including Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, and the Dalai Lama and discuss their implications in the twenty-first century.

In this course, we will pay close attention to primary and secondary source texts to learn about how Buddhists describe and teach the meaning of life, death, rebirth, suffering, karma, and enlightenment. Beyond an examination of texts, we will also discuss the contemporary practice of Buddhism in Asia and the West including the place of mindfulness.

This course is online, sychronous, meeting TTH 2-4:00pm.