24
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism is best understood as the unfolding of the story of the Buddha himself, and of the many generations of followers who have contributed to Buddhism's influence and diversity in India, the rest of Asia, and the world.
1.
What is Buddhism?
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13.
Buddhist Philosophy
The Mahayana tradition developed a sophisticated philosophy to deal with Emptiness. Two major schools of thinking appeared—the Madhyamaka and the Yogachara—that took very different approaches toward understanding the "reality" of Emptiness.
13.
Buddhist Philosophy
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2.
India at the Time of the Buddha
Buddhism began when Siddhartha Gautama, the man who would come to be known as the Buddha, "awoke" to the truth. This awakening was rooted in the tradition of the Vedas, Hindu scriptures that describe the lives of Indian sages and the Indian quest for wisdom about the nature of the world and the self.
2.
India at the Time of the Buddha
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14.
Buddhist Tantra
The Buddhist movement known as Tantra emerged in the 6th century. This tradition took a radical stance toward the concept of Emptiness that produced strikingly new forms of ritual and meditation.
14.
Buddhist Tantra
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3.
The Doctrine of Reincarnation
Along with the quest for wisdom, Buddhism inherited the Indian notion of reincarnation. Humans and all other living beings live not one but many lives in a continuous process of death and rebirth. This process is known as samsara or wandering from one life to the next. While we might view reincarnation as an opportunity to enjoy life repeatedly, those in ancient India considered it to be a burden.
3.
The Doctrine of Reincarnation
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15.
The Theory and Practice of the Mandala
Practitioners of Buddhist Tantra use a mandala, or ritual circle, to explore connections between the self, Buddhist deities and the universe. A mandala can be a two dimensional representation or a three-dimensional object, ranging from a small implement to an enormous temple or even an entire city or nation.
15.
The Theory and Practice of the Mandala
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4.
The Story of the Buddha
The Buddha was a real person who was born into a royal family, had a spiritual awakening and lived to be about 80. But the actual facts of Siddhartha Gautama's life cannot explain his impact on his followers. We must examine the stories that Buddhists tell about the Buddha, including those of his previous lives.
4.
The Story of the Buddha
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16.
The “First Diffusion of the Dharma” in Tibet
The "First Diffusion" or arrival, of Buddhism in Tibet occurred in the 7th century under the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo. Over time, Tibetan Buddhism took on the complex institutional characteristics of Indian Buddhism, and also had strong influence on a native Tibetan tradition known as Bon.
16.
The “First Diffusion of the Dharma” in Tibet
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5.
All Is Suffering
After the Buddha's death, attention turned to his Dharma, or teaching. A fundamental claim was that "All is suffering." This may seem pessimistic, but Buddhists find it a realistic, and even liberating, view of life. This perspective derives from the concept of "no self."
5.
All Is Suffering
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17.
The Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhism had to be reintroduced from India to Tibet in the 10th century. This "Later Diffusion of the Dharma" led to four schools of Tibetan Buddhism
17.
The Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
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6.
The Path to Nirvana
After describing the truth of suffering, the Buddha went on to describe the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. The cessation of suffering is also called nirvana, the "blowing out" of desire.
6.
The Path to Nirvana
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18.
The Dalai Lama
Tibetan Buddhism is personified for many people by the figure of the Dalai Lama. The present Dalai Lama, winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, is the fourteenth in a line of incarnations that began in the 15th century.
18.
The Dalai Lama
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7.
The Buddhist Monastic Community
The Buddha's first converts formed the early Buddhist Samgha, or "community." After his death, attention shifted to his teachings, or Dharma. Disputes over doctrine and discipline eventually led to many different traditions of Buddhist practice.
7.
The Buddhist Monastic Community
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19.
The Origins of Chinese Buddhism
Buddhism entered China at a time when the Chinese were disillusioned with traditional Chinese values. Through a long process of interaction with Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese popular religion, Buddhism took on a distinctively Chinese character.
19.
The Origins of Chinese Buddhism
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8.
Buddhist Art and Architecture
Buddhists developed distinctive artistic and architectural styles to express their understanding of the Buddha's teaching and to serve as the focus of worship and veneration. A blend of Indian and Hellenistic influences created the classic Gupta style that inspired Buddhist art throughout the rest of Asia.
8.
Buddhist Art and Architecture
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20.
The Classical Period of Chinese Buddhism
During the Tang Dynasty, a series of indigenous Chinese schools gave brilliant expression to the values of the Mahayana tradition. In return, Buddhist values had important influence on Chinese literature and the arts.
20.
The Classical Period of Chinese Buddhism
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9.
Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia
The arrival of the first Buddhist missionaries in Sri Lanka led to the Theravada Buddhism that now predominates in Southeast Asia. Part of this tradition is the concept of the "righteous King," which continues to link Buddhist practice with political involvement.
9.
Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia
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21.
The Origins of Japanese Buddhism
Buddhism entered Japan as early as the year 535 from Korea. The indigenous Japanese tradition of Shinto, or "the way of the Gods," came to be seen as harmonious with "the way of the Buddha."
21.
The Origins of Japanese Buddhism
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10.
Mahayana Buddhism and the Bodhisattva Ideal
The Mahayana tradition, or "Great Vehicle," emerged in India near the beginning of the Common Era. It introduced the ideal of the bodhisattva, or "future Buddha," who, rather than seeking nirvana, returns again and again in the cycle of samsara to seek the welfare of others.
10.
Mahayana Buddhism and the Bodhisattva Ideal
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22.
Honen, Shinran and Nichiren
During the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) political unrest in Japan led some to doubt whether Buddhism could be practiced in such a "degenerate age." Three Buddhist thinkers—Honen, Shinran and Nichiren—set new traditions in motion that have had enormous influence wherever Japanese Buddhism has traveled in the world.
22.
Honen, Shinran and Nichiren
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11.
Celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
Another aspect of the Mahayana tradition is "celestial" Buddhas and bodhisattvas, heavenly beings who can save earthly beings who ask for their help. Among the most important are Avalokiteshvara, "The Lord Who Looks Down," and Amitabha, "the Buddha of Infinite Light," who is worshipped widely in Japan.
11.
Celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
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23.
Zen
The Kamakura period also saw the appearance of Zen, now one of the most popular Buddhist Movements in the West. The goal of this process is to achieve awakening in the Mahayana sense—that is, to achieve an awareness of Emptiness.
23.
Zen
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12.
Emptiness
At the heart of Mahayana practice lies the paradoxical and elusive concept of Emptiness. This concept challenged and undermined many of the rigid categories of traditional Buddhism, but it also introduced a new spirit of affirmation and possibility.
12.
Emptiness
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24.
Buddhism in America
The American Theosophist, Colonel Olcott, traveled to Ceylon in the 1880s, converted to Buddhism, and helped formulate a modern view of the Buddhist tradition. Today, Buddhism is represented in Asian immigrant communities, and has influenced American visual arts, literature, film, and music.
24.
Buddhism in America
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24
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Mindlessness—The Default Setting
Do you control your mind, or does your mind control you? Investigate how the mind operates and the condition of "mindlessness"—the pervasive swirl of thoughts and judgments that separate you from the world around you. Consider the possibility of cultivating the mind in ways conducive to deep well-being for yourself and others.
1.
Mindlessness—The Default Setting
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13.
Insight—Clearing the Mind
Practicing mindfulness over time prepares the mind for "insight," which in this tradition means seeing clearly into the fundamental nature of reality. Begin an inquiry into what Buddhism calls the three "marks" of existence with the notion of impermanence—the eternal arising and passing away of all phenomena.
13.
Insight—Clearing the Mind
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2.
Mindfulness—The Power of Awareness
Explore the notion of "mindfulness"—nonjudgmental attention to experience—as it occurs in everyday life and as a deliberate practice. Note the many benefits of mindfulness practice, from the freedom to choose how you respond to life, to releasing detrimental emotions and patterns of thinking, to its effects on your physical health.
2.
Mindfulness—The Power of Awareness
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14.
Wisdom—Seeing the World as It Is
Now investigate dukkha, the insatiable quality of human experience—seen in our endless pursuit of the symbols of well-being and achievement and avoidance of unwanted experience. Finally, contemplate not-self—penetrating the illusion of the "I" as an entity separate from the rest of reality, which must be bolstered, protected, and satisfied.
14.
Wisdom—Seeing the World as It Is
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3.
Expectations—Relinquishing Preconceptions
This lecture introduces the practice of meditation as a tool for developing mindfulness. Here, distinguish the true nature of mindfulness meditation from common preconceptions about it, revealing its capacity to instill a deeper connection to reality, as well as cultivating a wisdom based in empathy and compassion.
3.
Expectations—Relinquishing Preconceptions
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15.
Compassion—Expressing Fundamental Kindness
With relation to mindfulness practice, explore compassion—the desire to alleviate suffering—as an essential component of our nature as human beings. See how compassion allows us to look at suffering without aversion or attachment, and learn specific practices for developing empathy and deeply recognizing the inner experience of others.
15.
Compassion—Expressing Fundamental Kindness
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4.
Preparation—Taking Moral Inventory
In approaching meditation, consider the interconnections of ethical behavior with the development of mindfulness and the shaping of personal character. Drawing from the Buddha's teachings, explore five precepts of behavior that are conducive to the greatest benefits of meditation practice, based in the fundamental principle of not harming others or yourself.
4.
Preparation—Taking Moral Inventory
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16.
Imperfection—Embracing Our Flaws
Finding compassion for ourselves is greatly challenging for many of us. Consider the complex of beliefs, attitudes, and conditioning that underlie this; in particular, the thorny phenomenon of perfectionism. Learn how to embrace and accept both imperfection and perfectionism itself as an opening to freedom and deeper humanity.
16.
Imperfection—Embracing Our Flaws
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5.
Position—Where to Be for Meditation
Now learn about the most beneficial physical conditions for your meditation. First, consider the time of day and the physical setting that will best serve your practice. Then, study the most effective sitting postures on the floor, cushions, or chair and the optimum alignment of the body for mindfulness meditation.
5.
Position—Where to Be for Meditation
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17.
Wishing—May All Beings Be Well and Happy
The mindfulness tradition offers an additional practice that is highly effective in revealing and cultivating compassion. With Professor Muesse's guidance, experience metta meditation, a focused contemplation wishing well-being and peace for others. See how this practice works to relinquish alienation and hostility and to deepen solidarity with all humanity.
17.
Wishing—May All Beings Be Well and Happy
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6.
Breathing—Finding a Focus for Attention
Mindfulness meditation is based in the use of an anchor or focus of attention, allowing the mind to calm itself. Using your breathing as the focus, learn in detail about the fundamental elements of sitting meditation, focusing attention on the breath and returning to it when the mind strays, without judgment.
6.
Breathing—Finding a Focus for Attention
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18.
Generosity—The Joy of Giving
Here, study the mindfulness tradition's insights concerning attachment to "things," our culture's dominant emphasis on possessions, and the psychological roots of greed. Learn about the Buddhist tradition of dana (sharing with others) and specific practices that reveal the life-giving effects of generosity on the giver and receiver.
18.
Generosity—The Joy of Giving
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7.
Problems—Stepping-Stones to Mindfulness
Here, explore difficulties often encountered in meditation and ways of working with them that are also useful in the larger context of living. Consider physical discomfort and the specific use of mindfulness itself in working through it. Look also at ways to strengthen concentration and to counter frustration and discouragement.
7.
Problems—Stepping-Stones to Mindfulness
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19.
Speech—Training the Tongue
Mindfulness practice brings focus to the critical link between speech and behavior. Consider the ways in which both inner experience and outward action are influenced by our use of language. Reflecting on four Buddhist principles of skillful communication, explore mindful attention to speaking and the use of language in genuinely beneficial ways.
19.
Speech—Training the Tongue
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8.
Body—Attending to Our Physical Natures
Building on your work with mindfulness practice, learn another technique that augments and supports meditation. The "body scan" directs focused attention to different areas of the body, promoting deeper sensory awareness, relaxation, and concentration. With Professor Muesse's guidance, experience a 20-minute body scan meditation, a fundamental practice of self-compassion.
8.
Body—Attending to Our Physical Natures
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20.
Anger—Cooling the Fires of Irritation
This lecture discusses the challenges of dealing with anger and ways to disarm it using the skills you've studied. Reflect on our cultural predisposition to either suppress anger or to express it thoughtlessly, and a third way offered by mindfulness, of nonjudgmental observation, acceptance, and the mental spaciousness to choose your response.
20.
Anger—Cooling the Fires of Irritation
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9.
Mind—Working with Thoughts
The mindfulness tradition has much to say on the nature of thoughts and their power to shape personality and character. Here, learn specific ways to identify detrimental thoughts and a variety of methods to work with them, demonstrating that you can influence the conditioned mind through conscious and deliberate response to your own thoughts.
9.
Mind—Working with Thoughts
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21.
Pain—Embracing Physical Discomfort
The skills of mindfulness offer powerful means to work with physical discomfort of all kinds. Consider the crucial distinction between pain and suffering as it directly affects our perceptions. Then experience two meditations for alleviating physical suffering—first, focusing on observing the exact sensation itself, then, on your response to the sensation.
21.
Pain—Embracing Physical Discomfort
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10.
Walking—Mindfulness While Moving
Walking meditation, another core element of the mindfulness tradition, allows you to practice mindfulness wherever and whenever you go. Learn walking meditation in detail, including beneficial conditions for practice, the method of mindful walking, where to focus your attention, and advanced variations on the practice.
10.
Walking—Mindfulness While Moving
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22.
Grief—Learning to Accept Loss
In reflecting on the universality of loss, take a deeper look at the notion of impermanence and how refusal to embrace life's transience affects our experience of living. Learn how mindfulness approaches grief through centering focus in the present moment and fully experiencing what grief brings to us without fear or aversion.
22.
Grief—Learning to Accept Loss
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11.
Consuming—Watching What You Eat
When approached with mindfulness, eating offers heightened awareness and undiscovered depth of experience. This lecture takes you on a rich exploration of mindful eating, beginning with an eating "meditation," using all five senses. Then contemplate mindful eating in daily life and detailed suggestions for sharing a fully mindful meal with others.
11.
Consuming—Watching What You Eat
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23.
Finitude—Living in the Face of Death
The mindfulness tradition considers reflecting on death to be both liberating and essential to living a full and satisfying life. Contemplate the ways in which our culture conditions us to avoid and deny death, and learn four meditations that deepen both the awareness of life's transience and our ability to live freely.
23.
Finitude—Living in the Face of Death
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12.
Driving—Staying Awake at the Wheel
As a familiar and potentially hazardous activity, driving provides a perfect "laboratory" for practicing mindfulness. Assess your own approach to driving and bring the principles of meditation to bear on the road; in particular, giving focused attention to the present moment, to your sensory experience and emotions.
12.
Driving—Staying Awake at the Wheel
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24.
Life—Putting It All in Perspective
Finally, consider various possibilities for continuing your practice through the methods you've learned, further study, and retreats. Professor Muesse concludes with reflections on his own path and on the very real capacity of mindfulness practice to profoundly alter our perceptions of self, the world, and our place in it.
24.
Life—Putting It All in Perspective
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36
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
The Meaning of the Meaning of Life
Establish the solid ground from which your journey will begin. You'll learn the meanings that the word "meaning," itself, may embody and preview the approaches you will take to the question that gives the course its name.
1.
The Meaning of the Meaning of Life
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19.
Santideva—Transforming the Mind
Enhance your grasp of Mahayana Buddhism and Santideva's description of the meaningful life, achieved only through the "six perfections"—the pursuit of generosity, propriety, patience, effort, meditation, and wisdom.
19.
Santideva—Transforming the Mind
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2.
The Bhagavad-Gita—Choice and Daily Life
One of the core texts of the Mahabharata—a major moral and religious text for most Hindus—introduces you to the critically important skill of truly reading a text, deeply and with comprehension. It also begins your consideration of the concept of human choice.
2.
The Bhagavad-Gita—Choice and Daily Life
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20.
Zen—The Moon in a Dewdrop and Impermanence
Expand your understanding of Buddhism with an introduction to Zen. This path to Buddhahood is aimed at direct transformation. Knowledge is handed directly from mind to mind, with great emphasis placed on a teacher-disciple lineage that each Zen master can trace directly to Zen's originating moment.
20.
Zen—The Moon in a Dewdrop and Impermanence
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3.
The Bhagavad-Gita—Discipline and Duty
Plunge more deeply into the Bhagavad-Gita's wisdom by grasping the three kinds of yogas, or disciplines, embedded in its metaphors. See why these disciplines of action, knowledge, and devotion are all required if life is to be coherent, integrated, and rational.
3.
The Bhagavad-Gita—Discipline and Duty
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21.
Zen—Being-Time and Primordial Awakening
This lecture takes you through Zen concepts like duality and non-duality, perception and conception, Dogen's presentation of time as the very nature of our world, and what is required to reawaken our primordial Buddha-nature.
21.
Zen—Being-Time and Primordial Awakening
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4.
The Bhagavad-Gita—Union and Purpose
Conclude your reading of the Bhagavad-Gita with an appreciation of the theophany—Krishna's revelation of the nature of divinity. True freedom, says the Gita's final message, comes from disinterested action, reflective knowledge, and a finding of value at the cosmic level of a universe divine in its own right.
4.
The Bhagavad-Gita—Union and Purpose
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22.
Taking Stock of the Classical World
A look back at the classical traditions studied thus far reveals that although there is no unanimity, there are common dimensions, as well as a consensus about the value of a virtuoso life attained through contemplation and practice.
22.
Taking Stock of the Classical World
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5.
Aristotle on Life—The Big Picture
Shift your perspective from India to the roots of Western thought about life's meaning by beginning your study of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. This introductory lecture sets out the framework of Aristotle's view, as set forth in the lecture notes kept by his son and pupil, Nichomacheus.
5.
Aristotle on Life—The Big Picture
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23.
Hume's Skepticism and the Place of God
European modernity brings the first challenges of science and reason to the primacy of theology. David Hume argues that, although theism may well be reasonable, it cannot be rational, establishing the foundation for separate public and private spheres.
23.
Hume's Skepticism and the Place of God
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6.
Aristotle—The Highest Good
Explore Aristotle's search for the "highest good." It is a search that takes you through his famous "function argument" and offers an explanation of the comprehensive state of being known as eudaimonea, the fully flourishing life that may well elude evaluation until long after death.
6.
Aristotle—The Highest Good
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24.
Hume's Careless and Compassionate Vision
You explore Hume's distinctions between Nature and Second Nature, the importance of our social lives to our cognitive lives, and the key roles our passions and imagination play in our beliefs and actions.
24.
Hume's Careless and Compassionate Vision
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7.
Aristotle—The Happy Life
Your examination of Aristotle's ethical teachings concludes with his explanation of virtue, its key dimensions, and its necessary coupling with action. Special attention is also paid to the importance of friendship.
7.
Aristotle—The Happy Life
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25.
Kant—Immaturity and the Challenge to Know
The work of Immanuel Kant is considered the demarcation line for modern academic philosophy. Here you take up Kant's view of the Enlightenment as a call for people to emerge from their self-imposed immaturity and realize their nature as fully formed human beings.
25.
Kant—Immaturity and the Challenge to Know
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8.
Job's Predicament—Life Is So Unfair
As you move to the Hebraic tradition, you grasp how the core question has shifted. Instead of seeking our answer in our relationship to the cosmos, as in the Indian tradition, or to society, as in that of the Greeks, the focus is now on our relationship to a personal God.
8.
Job's Predicament—Life Is So Unfair
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26.
Mill's Call to Individuality and to Liberty
Readings from John Stuart Mill's On Liberty reveal the first purely individualistic doctrine of the meaning of life encountered in the course. Mill presents the strongest possible defense of the connection between a meaningful life and a liberal social order.
26.
Mill's Call to Individuality and to Liberty
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9.
Job's Challenge—Who Are We?
The book of Job brings an encounter with a troubling conclusion. Although life may indeed have meaning, it is a meaning shrouded by a mysterious divine, and we may need to live in ignorance of what that meaning may be.
9.
Job's Challenge—Who Are We?
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27.
Tolstoy—Is Everyday Life the Real Thing?
A novella by Tolstoy presents a very different and critical view of modernity, suggesting that its values of secularization and mass society invariably lead us, in fact, to a life that is meaningless.
27.
Tolstoy—Is Everyday Life the Real Thing?
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10.
Stoicism—Rationality and Acceptance
Your focus moves to the beginnings of Stoic moral theory in the writings of Seneca and Epictetus. Their accounts of a good life describe one that is moderate, reasonable, and controlled, living in harmony with the universe and society, and accepting of the inevitability of death.
10.
Stoicism—Rationality and Acceptance
|
28.
Nietzsche—Twilight of the Idols
Nietzsche initiates postmodernism in philosophy—its first sustained attack on modernity. Through readings from his Twilight of the Idols, you grasp Nietzsche's dismissal of modernity's core values, including philosophical progress, reason, systematicity, god, and transcendent value.
28.
Nietzsche—Twilight of the Idols
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11.
Human Finitude—The Epicurean Synthesis
A brief introduction to Lucretius, the foremost Epicurean philosopher, serves as a gateway to the thought of Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius's Meditations synthesizes Stoic ideas about rational order and the importance of emotional control with Epicurean ideas about finitude and impermanence.
11.
Human Finitude—The Epicurean Synthesis
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29.
Nietzsche—Achieving Authenticity
Nietzsche's repudiation of modernity's concept of a meaningful life does not mean he lacks his own. This lecture presents his vision of life as a successful creative act on a grand scale, with oneself as the hero of a great autobiography.
29.
Nietzsche—Achieving Authenticity
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12.
Confucius—Order in the Cosmos and in Life
Your focus shifts to China and the ideas attributed to the man known to the West as Confucius. Hear what his teachings have to say about concepts like warm-heartedness, propriety, virtue, filial piety, the nature of the universe, and the achievement of an effortless excellence of character.
12.
Confucius—Order in the Cosmos and in Life
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30.
Gandhi—Satyagraha and Holding Fast to Truth
Your introduction to the thought of Gandhi reveals him as even more radical than Nietzsche. Although a realization of Gandhi's views would admittedly sacrifice many of modernity's benefits, including much of technology, medicine, and law, it is a price he says we must be willing to pay.
30.
Gandhi—Satyagraha and Holding Fast to Truth
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13.
Daodejing—The Dao of Life and Spontaneity
An exploration of a very different Chinese approach to understanding than that set forth in Confucianism begins with a cautionary demonstration of the startling differences in interpretation that will always be present among various translations of a text.
13.
Daodejing—The Dao of Life and Spontaneity
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31.
Gandhi—The Call to a Supernormal Life
Gandhi's own life serves as an example of the supernormal life he advocates. See how his argument for what he believes to be the only meaningful life includes echoes from almost every text we've examined.
31.
Gandhi—The Call to a Supernormal Life
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14.
Daodejing—The Best Life Is a Simple Life
Some beautiful readings from the Daodejing bring out the profound differences in outlook that set it apart from Confucianism. Grasp how it turns away from social structures and the "cultivation" of individual excellence in favor of a simple, natural life.
14.
Daodejing—The Best Life Is a Simple Life
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32.
Lame Deer—Life Enfolded in Symbols
Readings from Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions offer a different vantage point for seeking meaning: a symbolic view of life. It is not that modernity lacks its own symbolism or is without meaning, says this Lakota Sioux holy man, but that it means the wrong things.
32.
Lame Deer—Life Enfolded in Symbols
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15.
Daodejing—Subtlety and Paradox
Conclude your immersion in the Daodejing with this examination of some of its most important aspects. Take in its perspectives on the nature of the universe, the subtlety and suppleness of virtue, the value of "negativity," and the delicacy of life.
15.
Daodejing—Subtlety and Paradox
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33.
Lame Deer—Our Place in a Symbolic World
Go deeper into Lame Deer's critique of modernity, examining his ideas about the impact of money and our fetishism about it, the alienation from nature it brings about, and modernity's simultaneous denial and spreading of death.
33.
Lame Deer—Our Place in a Symbolic World
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16.
Zhuangzi on Daoism—Impermanence and Harmony
Your exploration of Daoism ends with its longest classical text, the Zhuangzi. You find not only the themes of spontaneity and the suspicion of logic, but also ridicule of the Confucian emphasis on ritual, propriety, and rigid relationships.
16.
Zhuangzi on Daoism—Impermanence and Harmony
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34.
HH Dalai Lama XIV—A Modern Buddhist View
You are introduced to the Dalai Lama's Buddhist-inflected but very modern, secular vision about the universal human goal of happiness. You learn its components and the relationship between their pursuit and the interconnectedness of human life.
34.
HH Dalai Lama XIV—A Modern Buddhist View
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17.
The Teachings of the Buddha
This lecture begins with the search for enlightenment by a young Indian prince and concludes with an introduction to what he found—the so-called Four Noble Truths, including the eightfold path to sharing that enlightenment.
17.
The Teachings of the Buddha
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35.
HH Dalai Lama XIV—Discernment and Happiness
A vigorous discussion of how to achieve happiness reveals how the Dalai Lama's views of a meaningful life, modern as they are, also contain a deep traditionalist thread. We must still commit to the bodhisattva path, the altruistic aspiration to attain awakening for the benefit of all.
35.
HH Dalai Lama XIV—Discernment and Happiness
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18.
Santideva—Mahayana Buddhism
Here you begin your study of one of the major evolutions in Buddhist thought, the Mahayana, and one of its major texts—Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara—a "how-to" manual for leading an enlightened life.
18.
Santideva—Mahayana Buddhism
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36.
So, What Is the Meaning of Life?
Tempting as it may be to form a single answer agreed on by all, there is none to be found. What is clear is that there are recurrent themes, with the answer that works for you likely to be found among them.
36.
So, What Is the Meaning of Life?
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36
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Life's Great Questions—Asian Perspectives
Professor Hardy introduces you to this survey of Eastern philosophy's great minds and ideas. After providing a road map for the course, he answers two questions that demand to be asked: What does the Eastern intellectual tradition look like? Why does it matter to those of us in the West?
1.
Life's Great Questions—Asian Perspectives
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19.
Saicho to Nichiren—Japanese Buddhism
Take a closer look at the development of Buddhism in Japan. Among the early Buddhist thinkers you encounter in this lecture are Saicho, founder of Japan's foremost Buddhist temple; Honen, who established Japan's Pure Land sect; and Nichiren, whose form of Buddhism is one of the most prominent in modern Japan.
19.
Saicho to Nichiren—Japanese Buddhism
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2.
The Vedas and Upanishads—The Beginning
Witness how the Eastern intellectual tradition began in India with two anonymous writings: the Vedas and the Upanishads. The former contains the East's earliest thoughts on social conventions (specifically the Indo-Aryan caste system), while the latter sees thinkers truly starting to struggle with basic questions about existence and knowledge.
2.
The Vedas and Upanishads—The Beginning
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20.
Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva—Hindu Vedanta
Why is the Vedanta school of Hinduism the most important and influential of the six orthodox darshanas? How did three great Indian philosophers—Shankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva—bring order to the confusing teachings of the Upanishads? How did they each conceive the critical relationship between self (Atman) and absolute reality (Brahman)?
20.
Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva—Hindu Vedanta
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3.
Mahavira and Jainism—Extreme Nonviolence
Jainism developed as a rejection of the authority of the Vedas and Brahmin priests. Investigate the views of its founder, Mahavira; delve into Jainism's central tenets and ideas; and listen to two ancient stories that illustrate the pervasiveness of suffering in the world and the theory of multiple truths.
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Mahavira and Jainism—Extreme Nonviolence
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21.
Al-Biruni—Islam in India
One fascinating aspect of the Eastern intellectual tradition is the intricate relationship between Hinduism and Islam. After a brief overview of Islam and its arrival in India, delve into some of the vast intellectual accomplishments of Al-Biruni, whom Professor Hardy considers one of the greatest minds in world history.
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Al-Biruni—Islam in India
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4.
The Buddha—The Middle Way
Buddhism, like Jainism, grew as another of India's major heterodox schools of thought. Get an overview of this philosophical and spiritual school by exploring the Buddha's life story, Buddhism's basic principles (including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path), the daily practices of Buddhists, and more.
4.
The Buddha—The Middle Way
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22.
Nanak and Sirhindi—Sikhism and Sufism
Conclude your look at the connections between Hinduism and Islam with this exploration of how thinkers tried to find a balance between the two faiths. Guru Nanak founded Sikhism as a religious tradition that was neither Hindu nor Muslim. Ahmad Sirhindi, a Sufi master, worked to establish clear philosophical boundaries between Hinduism and Islam.
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Nanak and Sirhindi—Sikhism and Sufism
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5.
The Bhagavad Gita—The Way of Action
Written partly in response to challenges posed by Buddhism, the Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important writings in Eastern intellectual history. Comb through this landmark text's pages, paying particular attention to its historical context and its emphasis on karma yoga, or acting without attachment to success or failure.
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The Bhagavad Gita—The Way of Action
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23.
Han Yu to Zhu Xi—Neo-Confucianism
Follow the rise of a new major system of Eastern thought: Neo-Confucianism, a philosophy concerned more with ethics than with the soul. Some great early Neo-Confucians you meet include Han Yu (who revived an interest in Confucian ideas) and Zhu Xi, who answered Buddhist questions about metaphysics with Confucian insights.
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Han Yu to Zhu Xi—Neo-Confucianism
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6.
Confucius—In Praise of Sage-Kings
Focus now on China and the ideas of its first philosopher, Confucius. What was life like during the "age of Confucius"? What are the key ideas and lessons to take away from the Analects, which collect his various sayings? How does Confucianism work for a society? A family? An individual?
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Confucius—In Praise of Sage-Kings
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24.
Wang Yangming—The Study of Heart-Mind
Neo-Confucianism is a supremely practical philosophy, according to Professor Hardy. Find out why in his lecture on how intellectuals such as Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming applied the principles of Neo-Confucianism to education and knowledge—specifically through China's iconic imperial examination system, which lasted from the 7th century until 1905.
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Wang Yangming—The Study of Heart-Mind
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7.
Laozi and Daoism—The Way of Nature
Examine Daoism, the second of China's major philosophies, cultivated by a legendary figure known as Laozi. This school's central text, the Daodejing, offers unique solutions to the problems of social disorder and violence and provides rulers and individuals with practical advice that prefers simplicity and humility over power and ambition.
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Laozi and Daoism—The Way of Nature
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25.
Dogen and Hakuin—Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism, which teaches that meditation under the guidance of an enlightened master is the only way to liberation, is the most famous form of Japanese Buddhism. Investigate this philosophy through two Zen masters: Dogen, of the Soto school of gradual enlightenment, and Hakuin, from the Rinzai school of sudden enlightenment.
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Dogen and Hakuin—Zen Buddhism
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8.
The Hundred Schools of Pre-imperial China
The Warring States Era (475–221 B.C.) was a golden age in Chinese philosophy. Meet three great minds from this period: Mozi, whose ideas centered on "universal love"; Huizi, who explored the relativity of time and space; and Zhuangzi, who argued for a radical skepticism that refused to choose between contradictory positions.
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The Hundred Schools of Pre-imperial China
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26.
Zeami and Sen no Rikyu—Japanese Aesthetics
Noh drama and the tea ceremony are indebted to Confucian rituals and Buddhist ideals. Learn how the great Noh playwright Zeami and the teamaster Sen no Rikyu epitomize medieval Japanese aesthetics and their emphasis on yugen (profound emotion), wabi (feelings of age and obscurity), and sabi (feelings of simplicity and tranquility).
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Zeami and Sen no Rikyu—Japanese Aesthetics
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9.
Mencius and Xunzi—Confucius's Successors
Mencius and Xunzi, both followers of Confucius, are likened to the ancient Greek thinkers Plato and Aristotle (who learned from Socrates). Both Chinese philosophers accepted the main precepts of Confucianism, but disagreed on several issues. Compare their views on morality, the existence of evil, the principles of economics, and more.
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Mencius and Xunzi—Confucius's Successors
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27.
Wonhyo to King Sejong—Korean Philosophy
Focus here on Korean philosophy and three of its greatest proponents. They are Wonhyo, who popularized Buddhism throughout the country; Chinul, who tried to bridge the divide between the doctrinal and meditation schools of Buddhism; and Sejong the Great, who invented one of the most scientific, rational scripts ever devised.
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Wonhyo to King Sejong—Korean Philosophy
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10.
Sunzi and Han Feizi—Strategy and Legalism
Sunzi was a Chinese philosopher best known for The Art of War, which promoted the merits of strategic, deceptive warfare. Han Feizi epitomized legalism, the philosophical school aimed at strengthening the state through rational means. Both thinkers—and their roles in the Eastern intellectual tradition—are the subject of this illuminating lecture.
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Sunzi and Han Feizi—Strategy and Legalism
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28.
Padmasambhava to Tsongkhapa—Tibetan Ideas
Philosophy and religion are nowhere more connected than in Tibet, whose Vajrayana school of Buddhism emphasizes secret rituals and meditative practices. Examine key minds, including the man who introduced Buddhism to Tibet (Padmasambhava), a mystic who felt Enlightenment must be experienced directly (Milarepa), and the fascinating figure of the Dalai Lama.
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Padmasambhava to Tsongkhapa—Tibetan Ideas
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11.
Zarathustra and Mani—Dualistic Religion
Follow the lives and teachings of two ancient Persian minds. Zarathustra's faith, Zoroastrianism, posited a universe in which the forces of good and evil were locked in combat. Mani later expanded on this dualistic notion to develop Manichaeism, in which this struggle represented the larger battle between spirit and matter.
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Zarathustra and Mani—Dualistic Religion
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29.
Science and Technology in Premodern Asia
Discover how science and technology form a part of the Eastern intellectual tradition through the discoveries, theories, and insights of people such as Aryabhata (from India) and Shen Gua (from China). Also, ponder the question of why the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions occurred in Europe and not in Asia.
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Science and Technology in Premodern Asia
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12.
Kautilya and Ashoka—Buddhism and Empire
Go back to India during the time of Mauryan Empire (322–185 B.C.) and encounter two of its most renowned political thinkers: Kautilya, who sought to combine ethics with political pragmatism, and Ashoka, the Buddhist convert who desired to govern with compassion. How did their intriguing ideas define India—then and now?
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Kautilya and Ashoka—Buddhism and Empire
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30.
Muhammad Iqbal and Rabindranath Tagore
There were many ways that Asian thinkers confronted the technological superiority of Western civilization. See how the views of Pakistan's chief poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal and India's Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore held on to respective Islamic and Hindu traditions while accommodating them to the strengthening presence of the West.
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Muhammad Iqbal and Rabindranath Tagore
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13.
Ishvarakrishna and Patanjali—Yoga
The yoga commonly practiced in the West stems from the ideas of Ishvarakrishna and Pantajali. Learn how the former developed the metaphysical theories of matter and spirit behind yoga, while the latter cultivated the physical and mental disciplines designed to yoke the body and mind toward spiritual liberation.
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Ishvarakrishna and Patanjali—Yoga
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31.
Mohandas Gandhi—Satyagraha, or Soul-Force
Mohandas Gandhi is rightfully one of the most well-known Asian philosophers. What are the historical roots of some of his ideas, especially that of nonviolent resistance (satyagraha)? Why were some of his critiques of the West and modernity so controversial? What was the relationship between his ascetic lifestyle and his thought?
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Mohandas Gandhi—Satyagraha, or Soul-Force
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14.
Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu—Buddhist Theories
Although the Buddha discouraged philosophy, some of his disciples nevertheless began exploring philosophical questions. The result was the birth of Mahayana Buddhism. Here, get a pointed introduction to two major figures in its development and refinement—Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu—and their views on reality, existence, truth, and consciousness.
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Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu—Buddhist Theories
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32.
Fukuzawa Yukichi and Han Yongun
After a brief look at Japanese and Korean history between the 19th and 20th centuries, explore the intriguing perspectives of the Westernizer Fukuzawa Yukichi and the traditionalist Han Yongun. The former stressed the development of an independent-minded middle class; the latter sought answers to contemporary crises in Buddhist tenets.
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Fukuzawa Yukichi and Han Yongun
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15.
Sima Qian and Ban Zhao—History and Women
First, pore over the pages of Sima Qian's Shiji (The Grand Scribe's Records), which offered a comprehensive history of the world that profoundly influenced China's cultural identity. Then, meet Ban Zhao, the first great female mind of Eastern philosophy and an insightful commentator on the complex relationships between men and women.
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Sima Qian and Ban Zhao—History and Women
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33.
Kang Youwei and Hu Shi
Of all the nations in Asia, China had the most difficult transition to the modern era. Delve into Chinese reform through Kang Youwei, who argued for the persistence of Confucian attitudes in the face of Western individualism, and Hu Shi, whose championing of vernacular Chinese allowed intellectuals to escape the strangleholds of the past.
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Kang Youwei and Hu Shi
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16.
Dong Zhongshu and Ge Hong—Eclecticism
Witness the continued evolution of Confucianism and Daoism through the lens of two great Eastern thinkers. The first is Dong Zhongshu, who combined traditional Confucian moralism with cosmological speculations rooted in nature. The second is Ge Hong, China's most famous alchemist who reconciled several strands of Neo-Daoism with Confucianism.
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Dong Zhongshu and Ge Hong—Eclecticism
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34.
Sun Yat-sen and Mao Zedong
Come face to face with two pivotal figures in recent Chinese history. Sun Yat-sen is considered the father of Chinese nationalism and energized the people with his ideas. Mao Zedong, one of modern history's most infamous figures, is noted for his brutal application of the Communist ideologies of Marx and Lenin.
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Sun Yat-sen and Mao Zedong
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17.
Xuanzang and Chinese Buddhism
After the collapse of the Han dynasty in A.D. 220, Buddhism became widely accepted in China. Explore the ideas of the four major schools of Chinese Buddhism: Tiantai, Huayan (Flower Garland), Pure Land, and Chan (Zen). Also, meet the most important mind behind Buddhism's spread, the monk and translator Xuanzang.
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Xuanzang and Chinese Buddhism
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35.
Modern Legacies
In the first of two final lectures on the modern legacies of Eastern philosophy, Professor Hardy takes a look back at vital lessons from India's and China's great minds and recaps the enduring themes on fundamental human issues that form the core of their rich intellectual traditions.
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Modern Legacies
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18.
Prince Shotoku, Lady Murasaki, Sei Shonagon
Shift now to Japan, which merged Chinese philosophical ideas with Japanese traditions. Professor Hardy introduces you to three early intellectuals and their works: Prince Shotoku and his 17-article constitution; Murasaki Shikibu and her psychological novel, the Tale of Genji; and Se Shonagon and her commentary on court life, the Pillow Book.
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Prince Shotoku, Lady Murasaki, Sei Shonagon
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36.
East and West
Continue examining themes from Chinese and Japanese philosophy. Then, conclude the course with a revealing discussion of a question you may have asked at the start of these lectures: What does this have to do with my life? The answer will open your eyes to the enduring importance of the East's great minds.
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East and West
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