Buddhism in India and Tibet
Schools of Buddhism
What constitute the major divisions of institutional monastic Buddhism in Tibet?
The Himalayan Landscape
How did medieval Indian Tantra find a home in the mountains and plateau regions of the Himayala?
Winter 2021
Religious Studies
RELS 3112
Instructor: Dr. Christopher Austin
prerequisite: any 2000-level RELS course or permission of the instructor
Why does Tibetan Buddhism seem to be so distinct from other forms of world Buddhism? What are the unique ritual, meditation, and social practices that defined Buddhism in Tibet and the Himalayan cultural region? Just who is the Dalai Lama, and why is Tibetan Buddhism so much more prominent in public awareness in the West than other forms of Buddhism?
In this small seminar-style course we will examine
- roots of tantric ritual in medieval India
- historic development of major schools of Tibetan Buddhism
- social practices of both monastic and lay Buddhists
- meditation, soteriology and enlightenment
- 20th century and contemporary issues in the politics and practice of Tibetan Buddhism