Asian Religions

Dr. Brian J. Nichols (nicho2bj@cmich.edu)

RELS 3380 Fall 2011 University of Houston

Contact: nicho2bj@cmich.edu (please write UH Asian Religions in subject line)

Course Description
This class will survey the religious and philosophical traditions of Asia focusing on the traditions of
Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Jainism, Shinto, and Sikhism. An effort will be made to
spend time on each tradition according to its importance to Asia as a whole. Buddhism will thus receive
the most attention as it is the only pan-Asian religion.

Course Objectives
The primary goal of this course is to help the student develop an understanding and appreciation of
Asian religious and philosophical thoughts and practices. To this end students will be expected to learn
the meaning of key concepts such as samsāra, māyā, karma, mokṣa, dharma, yoga, mantra, Tao, filial
piety and so on. This will be accomplished through lectures on the historical and philosophical contexts
of these and other Asian ideas and readings of secondary and primary texts elucidating these ideas.
Gaining familiarity with central texts in these traditions and their authors is an additional goal of this
course. It is hoped that through developing an understanding of Asian religious and philosophical ideas
the student will have a broader-minded appreciation of these thoughts and the cultures which produced
them and continue to value them. In addition, the study of these different religious conceptions will
provide students with an alternative framework for viewing and evaluating Western religious and
philosophical ideas and presuppositions.

Required Texts:
1. World Religions: Eastern Traditions edited by Willard Oxtoby. (World Religions)
2. Yoga: Discipline and Freedom – The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali translation with
commentary by Barbara Stoler Miller (Yoga Sutra)
3. What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula
Recommend Text:
4. The Way and Its Power a translation of the Tao Te Ching by Arthur Waley

Additional Requirements:
1. You must have reliable internet access. This includes having backup options if your primary internet
source has problems.
2. You will need an e-mail address. Please update PeopleSoft with your correct email address. You may
be contacted by the professor through the email listed in PeopleSoft.
3. You should expect to carefully read 50 to 80 pages per week for this class. We will read Oxtoby’s
textbook throughout the course while primary materials (e.g. Rahula and Miller) will be used to
supplement the overviews provided by Oxtoby. Additional texts, narrated powerpoint lectures will be
made available online. Readings should be completed and powerpoint lectures viewed by the end of the
week for which they are assigned in order to keep up.

Grades will be determined by the following:

I. Final Exam (30%) (cumulative)
II. 5 quizzes (40%) open notes (30 minutes)
III. 2 Reflection Papers (30%) On What the Buddha Taught and The Analects or Tao Te Ching (2 pages¸
double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins around).

This is an online course, no makeup work will be accepted. Should some emergency arise contact Amy
Ramirez (arramirez@uh.edu) or the professor (nicho2bj@cmich.edu).
For academic advising in Religious Studies (as a minor) see Amy Ramirez in113B A.D. Bruce Religion
Center; email: arramirez@uh.edu

Course Schedule
Week 1: August 22-26
Lectures 1-2 Introduction to Asia and the study of Asian religions
Hinduism I: From Pre-History to the Vedas
Reading World Religions, pp.4-43
Week 2: August 29 – September 2
Lectures 3-4 Hinduism II: The Upanisads and central concepts in Hinduism
Hinduism III: The Hindu Epics, the Bhagavad Gītā and bhakti (devotion)
Reading World Religions, pp. 43-93; Yoga Sutra, pp. ix-25
** Quiz I Hinduism due by Saturday, September 3 11:59 PM
Week 3: September 6-9
Lectures-5-6 Hinduism IV: Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtra
Sikhism
Reading Yoga Sutra, pp. 29-83; World Religions, Chapter 3 (pp.108-132)
Week 4: September 12-16
Lectures 7-8 Jainism
Indian Buddhism I: The Buddha, the early sangha, Ashoka and the spread of
Buddhism
Reading World Religions, Chapter 4 (pp. 146-172); What the Buddha Taught, Preface to
Chapter 1 (pp. xi-15); World Religions, pp. 178-198
** Quiz II Yoga, Sikhism and Jainism due by Saturday, September 17, 11:59 PM
Week 5: September 19-23
Lectures 9-10 Indian Buddhism II: The Four Noble Truths
Indian Buddhism III: Interdependent Arising and Anatman
Reading What the Buddha Taught, Chapter 2-5 (pp. 16-50); World Religions, pp. 199-201
Week 6: September 26-30
Lectures 11-12 Buddhist Meditation
Buddhism in Southeast Asia
Reading What the Buddha Taught, Chapters 6-7 (pp. 51-75); World Religions pp. 202-204,
240-243 (SE Asia)
**Paper 1 Reflection paper on a chapter of your choice in What the Buddha Taught; due by
Saturday, October 1, 11:59 PM
Week 7: October 3-7
Lectures 13-14 Mahāyāna Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism: Dharma in the Land of Snows
Reading World Religions, pp. 205-235; Study for Midterm
** Quiz III Buddhism due by Saturday, October 8, 11:59 PM
Week 8: October 10-14
Lectures 15-16 Introduction to Chinese religious thought; Confucius and his teachings
Confucianism and East Asian culture
Reading World Religions, pp. 256-294; Online handout which includes excerpts from the
Analects etc.

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Week 9: October 17-21
Lectures 17-18 Lao Tzu/Laozi and philosophical Taoism
Religious Taoism
Reading World Religions, pp. 294-313; Online excerpts from the Tao Te Ching.
Recommended reading: The Way and Its Power or other translations of the Tao Te
Ching
** Paper 2 Select and discuss from one to three sayings or chapters from the Analects OR the
Tao Te Ching (your choice). Due by Saturday, October 22, 11:59 PM.
Week 10: October 24-28
Lectures 19-20 Introduction to Chinese Buddhism
Chan Buddhism in China
Reading World Religions, pp. 236-237; Online excerpts
** Quiz IV Chinese Religions, due by Saturday, October 29, 11:59 PM
Week 11: November 1-4
Lectures 21-22 Japanese Shinto: The Kami Way
Japanese Buddhism I: Origins and Early Buddhism in Japan (From Nara to Kyoto)
Reading World Religions, pp. 330-344, 350-354
Week 12: November 7-11
Lectures 23-24 Japanese Buddhism II – Issues in Japanese Buddhism
Zen and Japanese Culture
Reading World Religions, pp. 344-350 (popular movements).
** Quiz V Japanese traditions, due by Saturday, November 12, 11:59 PM
Week 13: November 14-18
Lectures 25-26 Themes in Asian Religion
Religion in the Modern World
Reading World Religions chapter 8 (pp. 366-380); What the Buddha Taught chapter 8 (pp.
76-89)
Week 14: November 21-25 Thanksgiving Break: Catch up on reading and eating
Week 15: November 28-December 2
Lecture 27 Final Review
Reading Review notes; Read and submit questions to online discussion board
Exam Week: December 7-15
**Final Exam Cumulative; day and time TBA

Notes:
All quizzes and papers are due Saturday night before midnight on the week for which they are
assigned. Late assignments will not be accepted. Consult the syllabus frequently and keep up with
readings and assignments.

Makes sure you will be able to take the final exam on campus at the scheduled time (TBA) or arrange
to take it at a suitable testing center. For arranging a proctored exam see:
http://distance.uh.edu/services/exam_proctoring.html

Additional information about the papers will be provided online.

When viewing the narrated power points please take notes as you would for a regular lecture.
Likewise it would be best to have few/no distractions when you are watching them. I will try to make
them as concise as possible.

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