Description: This course surveys the many ways in which the Buddha, his life and his world, were imagined in Asia, Europe, and America. In the first part of the course, students will be encouraged to consider the changes that occurred in Buddhist traditions in India as the Buddha and his world became globalized throughout Asia. The second part of the course will examine the ways in which influential European and American voyagers, missionaries, and scholars have imagined the Buddha since the age of global exploration. Readings include Buddhist texts in translation, such as biographies of the Buddha and stories of his previous lives, as well as classic works on the study of Buddhism addressing the modern search for the historical Buddha. Students will compare pre-modern and modern understandings of the Buddha’s life and world in order to ask interdisciplinary questions about religion, philosophy, and history;
Student level: Senior seminar;
Related Fields: Asian Studies, Religious Studies, History, Philosophy; Course format: Weekly seminar meeting;
Requirements: Weekly reading responses; Final research paper.