University of California, Santa Barbara

Department of Religious Studies

RS 160A: The Religions of India

Spring 2007 Prof. David White

TR 2:00-3:15 Arts 1247

The purpose of this course: The religions of India have been a subject of western fascination, interpretation, and misinterpretation for over two millennia. In this course, we will survey the major indigenous religions of India, together with Indian transformations of Islam on the basis of recent and accurate primary translations of Indian religious texts, as well as interpretive secondary works written by contemporary western and Indian scholars. The course will have a dual focus: the history of the classical forms of these religions, and popular precept and practice in modern-day India.

In addition to surveying these five religious traditions, we will also attempt to make both historical and thematic connections between them. On the historical level, we must bear in mind that all of these traditions (including, to an important extent, Islam in India) arose out of a preexisting Indian matrix, and have never ceased to reflect their common Indian heritage, in spite of their doctrinal specificities. It is for this reason that one third of the course will be devoted to the earliest Indian religion, i.e., Hinduism: it will serve to ground our understanding of the four other traditions under study. On the thematic level, we will seek to critically compare and contrast a number of elements common to these traditions: care for the dead, religion and society, religious biography of founders, popular religious practice, holy men and their cults, and mystic traditions.

Structure of the course: The class will meet two times each week, and will consist of lectures, often complemented by visual imagery, on the topics of the readings for a given meeting. Generally speaking, the lectures will provide historical and theoretical background for the specific readings on any given day. In addition to taking midterm and final examinations, students will also write two short (4-5 page) papers on common thematic elements mentioned above. These will be critical cross-traditional evaluations of two of the following: 1) beliefs and practices relating to death and afterlife; 2) popular religious belief and practice; 3) biography of religious founders; 4) holy men and religious specialists; 5) mysticism. These papers will be due on May 17 and June 7.

Grades: The breakdown of grades is as follows: two short papers, total 25%; midterm exam (May 8) 25%; final exam (June 12) 50%.

Books for purchase at UCSB Bookstore:

Stephen Huyler, Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotionalism

Don Lopez, ed., Religions of India in Practice [RIP]

Kevin Trainor, ed., Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide

Excerpted articles and chapters, available at Alternative Copy Shop, 6556 Pardall Rd.:

Lawrence A. Babb, Absent Lord: Ascetics and Kings in Jain Ritual Culture

________________, The Divine Hierarchy: Popular Hinduism in Central India

A. L. Basham, Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism

Robert DeCaroli, Haunting the Buddha: Indian Popular Religions and the Foundation of

Buddhism

John E. Cort, “The Cult of Ghantakarn Mahavir, the Great Hero Bell-Ears”

Richard Eaton, "Court of Man, Court of God: Local Perceptions of the Shrine of Baba

Farid, Pakpattan, Punjab"

John Stratton Hawley and Mark Juergensmeyer, Songs of the Saints of India

John Holt, "Assisting the Dead by Venerating the Living"

Padmanabh Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification

Stephanie Jamison, The Ravenous Hyenas and the Wounded Sun

David M. Knipe, "Sapindikarana: The Hindu Rite of Entry into Heaven"

Todd Lewis, "The Story of Simhala," Donald Lopez, ed., Buddhism in Practice [BP]

Harjot Oberoi, The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity and Diversity

in the Sikh Tradition

Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty, Hindu Myths [HM]

______________, The Rig Veda [RV]

John Renard, Seven Doors of Islam

James Robinson, Buddha’s Lions: The Lives of the Eighty-four Siddhas

Jean Varenne, Yoga and the Hindu Tradition

Kristi Wiley, Encyclopedia of Jainism

Schedule of Class Meetings

Date Topic Readings

HINDUISM

April 3 Introduction

April 5 Vedic Religion Davis, "Brief History," in RIP, pp. 5-12

Jamison, Ravenous, pp. 16-32

O'Flaherty, HM, pp. 70-77; 97-99

O'Flaherty, RV, pp. 29-32; 128-31; 148-58

April 10 Care of the Dead in Hinduism Babb, Divine Hierarchy, pp. 90-98

Knipe, "Sapindikarana," pp. 111-24

O'Flaherty, RV, pp. 41-51

April 12 Karma and Renunciation Davis, "Brief History," in RIP, 12-16

Huyler, Meeting, pp. 234-50

Olivelle, "Ascetic Withdrawal," in

RIP, pp. 533-46

April 17 Hindu Devotionalism Basham, Origins, chap. 6

Davis, "Brief History," in RIP, pp. 24-

31; 38-41

Huyler, Meeting, pp. 33-39; 44-63

April 19 Popular Hinduism Huyler, Meeting, pp. 64-154

April 24 Yoga and Hindu Mysticism Varenne, Yoga, chap. 11

White, "Mastnath," in RIP, pp. 399-411

BUDDHISM

April 26 The Life of the Buddha Trainor, Buddhism, pp. 22-45

May 1 What the Buddha Taught Trainor, Buddhism, pp. 58-61, 64-83;

186-93

May 3 Buddhist Care of the Dead Holt, "Assisting the Dead"

Trainor, Buddhism, pp. 62-63; 96-99;

104-05; 110-11

May 8 MIDTERM EXAMINATION

May 10 The Bodhisattva Ideal DeCaroli, Haunting, pp. 173-81

Lewis, "Story of Simhala," in Lopez,

BP, pp. 151-69

Trainor, Buddhism, pp. 54-55; 86-93;

132-49; 196-207

May 15 Medieval Buddhist Mystics Robinson, Buddha’s Lions, pp. 27-32

Lewis, "Power," in RIP, pp. 227-34

Trainor, Buddhism, pp. 162-73; 208-11

JAINISM

May 17 Mahavira: Origins of Jainism Jaini, Jaina Path, pp. 6-29

[first paper due] Wiley, Historical Dictionary, pp. 1-20

May 22 Jain Worship Cort, Jains in the World, pp. 61-80

Granoff, "Jain," in RIP, pp. 412-17

May 24 Popular Jainism Babb, Absent Lord, pp. 102-19

Cort, “Cult of Ghantakarna,” pp. 115-33

SIKHISM

May 29 Guru Nanak: Origins of Sikhism Hawley, "Nanak," in Songs, chap. 3

McLeod, "Life," in RIP, pp. 449-61

May 31 Popular Sikhism Oberoi, Construction, pp. 147-90

ISLAM IN SOUTH ASIA

June 5 The Prophet Muhammad Davis, "Brief History," in RIP, 31-37

and Islamic Doctrine Renard, Seven Doors, pp. 1-13; 35-63

June 7 Muslim Holy Men Eaton, "Court of Man"

[second paper due] Stewart, "Satya Pir", in RIP, pp. 578-97

Tuesday June 12, 4:00 – 7:00 PM FINAL EXAMINATION