About the course:Buddhist Philosophy is a four-credit course of 15 weeks duration.The course deals with :(a) Early Buddhism, which will include the major doctrines of Buddhism such as the four noble truths, noble eight-fold path, Dependent origination and Nirāṇa and also the Buddha’s approach to caste and gender(b) The schools of Buddhism namely Vaibhāṣika, Sautrāntika, Yogācāra and Mādhyamika, covering Śrāvakayāna (Hīnayāna) and Mahāyāna. This part will focus on Vasubandhu and Nāgārjuna in detail(c) Buddhist logic and Epistemology where the contributions of Diṅnāga and Dharmakīrti will be discussed in detail and(d) Different manifestations of Modern Buddhism. There the modern approaches such as engaged Buddhism, secular Buddhism and Buddhist feminism with special reference to the modrn Buddhist thinkers such as Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, Sangharakshita, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Satyanarayan Goenka and B. R. Ambedkar will be discussed.Pre-requisite for the course:-Graduation in any subject with the knowledge of English as medium of instruction, interest in Buddhist studies.Course type: core or elective: :- Open ElectiveEstimated work load every week :-8 to 12hours. (Watching videos, reading module contents- (2 or 3 every week), attempting questions and reading related reference materials.)Total assignments allotted for the course(Indicate Graded assignments (which contain marks) and non-graded (those non-marks) ):-In all fifteen assignments (one assignment per week) and 15 assignments without marks. In addition there will be five long essay type assignments (One assignment every three weeks). Out of them three assignments will be graded and two non-graded.
Overview
Syllabus
Week wise schedule (including the assignment to be kept in the week) :-
Week No.Nos. and Titles of ModulesAssignment to be given to the students
1
1.Diverse Philosophical views at the time of the Buddha
2. Life and the major Philosophical Views of the Buddha
3. The Buddhist Doctrine of no-self (Anattā)
Assignment 1 to be submitted next week.
Special assignment 1 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 3rd week.2
4. The Law of Dependent Origination (Pratītyasamutpāda) and Twelve Links (Dvādasa Nidāna)
5. The Concept of Nirvāṇa and the Path leading to Nirvāṇa
6. The Buddha’s Social Philosophy: A Critique of the Caste System and a Move towards Gender EqualityAssignment 2 to be submitted next week.3
7. Schools of Buddhism: Continuity and Harmony
8. Sarvāstivāda (Vaibhāṣika) and Sautrāntika : Chief Tenets
9. Buddhist Abhidharma according to Vasubandhu: Skandha, Āyatana and Dhātu
Assignment 3 to be submitted next week.
4
10. Ācārya Dharmakīrti on Momentariness: A Brief Exposition
Assignment 4 to be submitted next week.11. Yogācāra Vasubandhu’s arguments for Mind-only thesis
12. The Doctrine of Variegated Non-dual Consciousness (Citrādvaita-vāda) Special assignment 2 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 6th week.5
13. Vasubandhu’s Doctrine of Three Natures
14 The problem of other minds: Dharmakīrti and Ratnakīrti Assignment 5 to be submitted next week.6
15. Nāgārjuna’s argument in Vigrahavyāvartanī
16. Nāgārjuna’s Position in Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
17. The Mādhyamika doctrine of Emptiness (Śūnyatā) Assignment 6 to be submitted next week.7
18. Prāsaṅgika and svātantrika approaches to Mādhyamika philosophy
19. Nāgārjuna’s socio-political thought in Ratnāvali
20. Candrakīrti’s Introduction to Mādhyamika Philosophy Assignment 7 to be submitted next week.
Special assignment 3 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 9th week.8
21. Buddhist Epistemology in juxtaposition with Nyāya
22. Pramāṇa-samplava and Pramāṇa-vyavasthā Assignment 8 to be submitted next week.9
23. Diṅnāga and Dharmakīrti on perception and pseudo-perception
24. Diṅnāga’s theory of inference (1)
25. Diṅnāga’s theory of inference (2) Assignment 9 to be submitted next week.10
26. Fallacies: of Thesis, Probans and Instance according to Diṅnāga
27. Dharmakīrti on Prameya and Pramāṇa
Assignment 10 to be submitted next week. Special assignment 4 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 12th week.11
28. Transition from Diṅnāga to Dharmakīrti: Part I: Inference for Oneself
29. Transition from Diṅnāga to Dharmakīrti: Part II: Inference for others
30. Buddhist Approach to Language Assignment 11 to be submitted next week.12
31. Buddhism Beyond Religion: Some Modern Approaches
32. Buddhism and modern valuesAssignment 12 to be submitted next week.13
33. The concept of Engaged Buddhism
34. Secularist Trends in Modern Buddhism 35. Buddhist Feminism
Assignment 13 to be submitted next week. Special assignment 5 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 15th week.14
36. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as a Modern Buddhist Leader
37. Thich Nhat Hanh’s approach to BuddhismAssignment 14 to be submitted next week.15
38. Vipassanā-centric Contemporary Approach to Buddhism: S. N. Goenka
39. Sangharaksita’s approach to Buddhism 40. B. R. Ambedkar’s interpretation of Buddhism Assignment 15 to be submitted at the end of the week week.
Week No.Nos. and Titles of ModulesAssignment to be given to the students
1
1.Diverse Philosophical views at the time of the Buddha
2. Life and the major Philosophical Views of the Buddha
3. The Buddhist Doctrine of no-self (Anattā)
Assignment 1 to be submitted next week.
Special assignment 1 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 3rd week.2
4. The Law of Dependent Origination (Pratītyasamutpāda) and Twelve Links (Dvādasa Nidāna)
5. The Concept of Nirvāṇa and the Path leading to Nirvāṇa
6. The Buddha’s Social Philosophy: A Critique of the Caste System and a Move towards Gender EqualityAssignment 2 to be submitted next week.3
7. Schools of Buddhism: Continuity and Harmony
8. Sarvāstivāda (Vaibhāṣika) and Sautrāntika : Chief Tenets
9. Buddhist Abhidharma according to Vasubandhu: Skandha, Āyatana and Dhātu
Assignment 3 to be submitted next week.
4
10. Ācārya Dharmakīrti on Momentariness: A Brief Exposition
Assignment 4 to be submitted next week.11. Yogācāra Vasubandhu’s arguments for Mind-only thesis
12. The Doctrine of Variegated Non-dual Consciousness (Citrādvaita-vāda) Special assignment 2 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 6th week.5
13. Vasubandhu’s Doctrine of Three Natures
14 The problem of other minds: Dharmakīrti and Ratnakīrti Assignment 5 to be submitted next week.6
15. Nāgārjuna’s argument in Vigrahavyāvartanī
16. Nāgārjuna’s Position in Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
17. The Mādhyamika doctrine of Emptiness (Śūnyatā) Assignment 6 to be submitted next week.7
18. Prāsaṅgika and svātantrika approaches to Mādhyamika philosophy
19. Nāgārjuna’s socio-political thought in Ratnāvali
20. Candrakīrti’s Introduction to Mādhyamika Philosophy Assignment 7 to be submitted next week.
Special assignment 3 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 9th week.8
21. Buddhist Epistemology in juxtaposition with Nyāya
22. Pramāṇa-samplava and Pramāṇa-vyavasthā Assignment 8 to be submitted next week.9
23. Diṅnāga and Dharmakīrti on perception and pseudo-perception
24. Diṅnāga’s theory of inference (1)
25. Diṅnāga’s theory of inference (2) Assignment 9 to be submitted next week.10
26. Fallacies: of Thesis, Probans and Instance according to Diṅnāga
27. Dharmakīrti on Prameya and Pramāṇa
Assignment 10 to be submitted next week. Special assignment 4 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 12th week.11
28. Transition from Diṅnāga to Dharmakīrti: Part I: Inference for Oneself
29. Transition from Diṅnāga to Dharmakīrti: Part II: Inference for others
30. Buddhist Approach to Language Assignment 11 to be submitted next week.12
31. Buddhism Beyond Religion: Some Modern Approaches
32. Buddhism and modern valuesAssignment 12 to be submitted next week.13
33. The concept of Engaged Buddhism
34. Secularist Trends in Modern Buddhism 35. Buddhist Feminism
Assignment 13 to be submitted next week. Special assignment 5 (Long essay) to be completed by the end of the 15th week.14
36. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as a Modern Buddhist Leader
37. Thich Nhat Hanh’s approach to BuddhismAssignment 14 to be submitted next week.15
38. Vipassanā-centric Contemporary Approach to Buddhism: S. N. Goenka
39. Sangharaksita’s approach to Buddhism 40. B. R. Ambedkar’s interpretation of Buddhism Assignment 15 to be submitted at the end of the week week.
Taught by
Prof. Pradeep Prabhakar Gokhale (Former Professor, Savtribai Phule Pune University, Pune)
