Monographic lecture 3600-7-SI4-WM(L)

The lecture is divided into two semesters, each of which deals with a different issue related to the lecturer's area of research. These issues are discussed in detail, allowing students to gain an in-depth understanding of them. The topics covered vary in each teaching cycle, so information about them can be found in the descriptions of individual teaching cycles.

Term 2025L:

The main objective of the lecture is to familiarise students with the sources, history of development and most important issues of Buddhist philosophy and doctrine in China.
The lecture covers basic information about Buddhism in India, its paths to China, the first contacts of the Chinese with Buddhist doctrine, as well as a discussion of the first texts translated into Chinese, the most important schools, and the influence of native beliefs and philosophy on the development of Buddhism in China.
In addition to historical issues, contemporary issues will be addressed, such as the current situation of Buddhism – including Tibetan Buddhism, which has enjoyed great popularity among the Chinese in recent years – in mainland China and Taiwan. The lecture will also include readings of Buddhist texts in Chinese, such as the ‘Sutra in 42 Sections’ and the ‘Platform Sutra’.

Type of course

elective monographs
obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The aim of the lecture is to familiarise students with selected issues concerning the culture, philosophy and religion of ancient and contemporary China.

Course coordinators

Term 2024L:

Włodzimierz Cieciura

Term 2025L:

Ewa Paśnik-Tułowiecka

Learning outcomes

Knowledge:
• K_W01: The graduate possesses advanced knowledge of the place and significance of Oriental studies within the system of human sciences, as well as its subject matter and methodological specificity.
• K_W04: The graduate has advanced knowledge of the theories of human sciences (literary studies, linguistics, or history) necessary for understanding selected aspects of culture.
• K_W06: The graduate has organized, detailed knowledge of the history of China.
• K_W09: The graduate has organized, detailed knowledge of socio-cultural issues in China, Taiwan, and the Chinese cultural sphere, including the natural environment, ethnic, demographic, and political situations.
• K_W10: The graduate is able to identify and characterize the basic cultural phenomena of China, Taiwan, and the Chinese cultural sphere.
• K_W17: The graduate is familiar with the state of research in selected topics related to China, Taiwan, and the Chinese cultural sphere.
Skills:
• K_U01: The graduate is able to search, analyze, evaluate, and use information from various sources.
• K_U02: The graduate can identify sources of cultural differences in countries of the Orient.
• K_U04: The graduate is able to use basic concepts in the fields of philosophy and religion of China.
• K_U06: The graduate can read, analyze, and interpret literary texts and other cultural works of China and the Chinese-speaking world (film, press, social writings), correctly placing them in their cultural context.
• K_U09: The graduate is able to apply knowledge of socio-cultural issues in China, Taiwan, and the Chinese cultural sphere to typical professional situations.
• K_U13: The graduate is able to analyze and interpret primary source texts in Chinese.
• K_U15: The graduate is able to interpret key concepts of Chinese culture through linguistic/philological analysis.
• K_U17: The graduate is able to function correctly in the linguistic and cultural environment of China.
Social Competence:
• K_K05: The graduate is aware of cultural differences and their religious, philosophical, customary, and historical sources, and their significance for understanding the contemporary world.
• K_K06: The graduate sees the need for intercultural dialogue.
• K_K07: The graduate is aware of the significance of Chinese culture in world culture.
• K_K08: The graduate works to make Chinese cultural and linguistic heritage accessible and promote it.

Assessment criteria

Methods and Criteria of Assessment
The evaluation of the course will be based on various forms of student activity and work, which allow for a comprehensive assessment of the achievement of learning outcomes, including knowledge, analytical skills, and social competencies. The final grade will be based on the following components:
1. Class Participation (20%)
Active participation in lectures and discussions on the topics covered in the course. Students will be assessed on their involvement in responding to questions, engaging in source text analysis, and contributing to discussions related to key issues concerning the history and culture of Chinese-language Muslims.
2. Written Assignment (40%)
Students will prepare a seminar paper analyzing a chosen topic related to the history, religion, or culture of Chinese-language Muslims, using materials in Chinese and English. The paper should demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research, analyze sources, and reference existing academic studies. Both the quality of argumentation and the ability to critically and precisely utilize sources will be evaluated.
3. Final Exam (40%)
The final exam will consist of multiple-choice and open-ended questions designed to test the student's knowledge of the history, culture, and religion of Chinese-language Muslims. The exam will assess both factual knowledge and the ability to critically analyze and interpret source texts.
4. Assessment Criteria:
Grade 5.0 (Very Good): The student demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the topics covered, the ability to analyze and interpret source texts, and applies knowledge to solve research problems. The written assignment and class participation are of the highest standard, showing independence in research.
Grade 4.5 (Good Plus): The student has a good grasp of the subject matter, can mostly analyze and apply it independently. The written assignment is well written, but requires minor improvements in source analysis.
Grade 4.0 (Good): The student is familiar with the fundamental topics of the course and can analyze texts, but does not fully develop a critical approach to the discussed issues. The written assignment is satisfactory but shows weaknesses in source analysis or argumentation.
Grade 3.5 (Satisfactory Plus): The student demonstrates general knowledge of the topics but struggles with critical analysis. The written assignment requires further work in source analysis and interpretation.
Grade 3.0 (Satisfactory): The student knows the basic topics of the course but struggles to understand and apply them in practice. The written assignment is superficial and does not meet the requirements for source analysis.
Grade 2.0 (Unsatisfactory): The student fails to meet the minimal requirements in terms of knowledge, analytical skills, and participation in class.

Practical placement

none

Bibliography

The literature varies depending on the topic of the lecture in a given teaching cycle.

Term 2025L:

Eric Zürcher, The Buddhist conquest of China : the spread and adaptation of Buddhism in early medieval China, Brill 2007.
- Ch'en Kenneth, Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey. Princeton University Press. Princeton 1964.
- Jan Nattier, A Guide to the Earliest Chinese Buddhist Translations: Texts from the Eastern Han 東漢 and Three Kingdoms 三國 Periods,
Tokyo: International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology, Soka University (Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica X).
- Zenryu Tsukamoto, History of Early Chinese Buddhism: From Its Introduction to the Death of Hui-Yuan.
- Seishi Karashima, A Glossary of Dharmarakṣa’s Translation of the Lotus Sutra 正法華經詞典: The International Research Institute for
Advanced Buddhology at Soka University (Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica I), Tokyo 1998.
- Seishi Karashima, A Glossary of Kumārajīva’s Translation of the Lotus Sutra 妙法蓮華經詞典:The International Research Institute for
Advanced Buddhology at Soka University (Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica IV), Tokyo 2001.
- Seishi Karashima, A Glossary of Lokakṣema’s Translation of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā 道行般若經詞典: The International
Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University (Bibliotheca Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica XI), Tokyo 2010.
- Seishi Karashima, “Vernacularisms and Transcriptions in Early Chinese Buddhist Scriptures”, in: Vernacularisms in Medieval Chinese
Texts by Erick Zürcher, Seishi Karashima, and Huanming Qin, Sino-Platonic Papers, Number 71, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern
Studies, University of Pennsylvania, March 1996.
- Stefano Zacchetti, In Praise of the Light: A Critical Synoptic Edition with an Annotated Translation of Chapters 1-3 of Dharmaraksa’s
Guang zan jing, Being the Earliest Chinese Translation of the Larger Prajñaparamita., TOKYO, IRIAB, Soka University, Bibliotheca
Philologica et Philosophica Buddhica VIII, 2005.
Joshua Esler, Tibetan Buddhism and Han Chinese: Superscribing New Meaning on the Tibetan Tradition in Modern Greater China, 2013
Gray Tuttle, Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China, 2005
Hindu, Buddhist and Daoist Meditation. Cultural Histories, ed. Halvor Eifring, 2014
Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia, ed. Charles D. Orzech (General Editor), Henrik H. SØrensen (Associate Editor), Richard
K. Payne (Associate Editor), 2011
Arthur Wright, Buddhism in Chinese History, 1959
Paul Copp, The Body incantatory : spells and the ritual imagination in medieval Chinese Buddhism, 2014
Chinese and Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, ed, Yael Bentor Meir Shahar
Paul Williams, Buddyzm Mahajana, 2000
Buddhist Spirituality..., ed. Takeuchi Yoshinori, 1993
Rupert Gethin, Podstawy Buddyzmu, 2010
John Powers, Wprowadzenie do buddyzmu tybetańskiego, 1999
Dan Smyer Yu, The Spread of Tibetan Buddhism in China..., 2012
John R. McRae, Seeing Through Zen..., 2003
Critical terms for the Study of Buddhism, ed. Donald S. Lopez
Robert Sharf, Coming to Terms with Chinese Buddhism...., 2001
John McRae, The Northern School and the Formation of Early Ch'an Buddhism, 1986
Zapiski z krajów buddyjskich, tłum G. Zduń, M. Kunstler, 2015
Buddhism Between Tibet &China, ed. Matthew Kapstein, 2009
Religions of China in Practice, ed. Donald S Lopez, 1996
Charles Brewer Jones, Buddhism in Taiwan : Religion and the State, 1660-
1990, 1999
Daniel Overmyer, Folk Buddhist Religion..., 1976
Mario Poceski, Chinese Religions, 2009
Modern Chinese Religion II, 1850–2015, ed.Vincent Goossaert, Jan Kiely, and John Lagerwey, 2014

Notes

Term 2025L:

obecność obowiązkowa.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3600-7-SI4-WM(L) in USOSweb