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Department of the Study of Religions

Samples of Buddhist Literature in Sanskrit and Tibetan

Course Code:
15PSRC067
Status:
Course Not Running 2013/14
Unit value:
1.0
Year of study:
Any
The principal thrust of the course is on reading original texts and interpreting them whenever possible on the basis of commentaries and related textual sources. A particular attention is paid to technical terminology and philosophical and religious ideas. Linguistic, philological, stylistic and other considerations are also taken into account in order to establish correct and critical translations and interpretations of the studied texts.

The students also receive some guidance in editing texts. The selection of texts includes representative passages from the Vinaya, some early sutra material, Mahayana sutras and tantras, and relevant commentaries. The list of texts for this course is not fixed but is decided at the beginning of each academic year in order to accommodate the academic needs and interests of participating students. As an example a yearly list may include selections from such texts as: Pratimoksa, Suvarnaprabhasottama, Lankavatara, Sarvatathaga, Tattvasamgraha, Hevajra, Guhyasamaja, and, Kriyasamgraha.

Prerequisites

This course is available to students who already possess working knowledge of either the Sanskrit or Tibetan languages.

This course is taught jointly with the advanced BA course Selected Buddhist Texts in Sanskrit and Tibetan. The MA students have additional sessions dedicated to reading more texts and to discussions of relevant issues relating to Buddhist literature.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

The primary objective of this courses is to provide the students with an opportunity to improve their knowledge of the Sanskrit and Tibetan languages, and to gain further skills in reading Buddhist texts in these two languages. Upon the completion of this courses the students should be able to pursue independent studies and translations of the texts in which they are interested.

Method of assessment

Coursework: two 3,000 word essays. Assessment: three hour exam paper 60%, essays 40%.