Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha: History and Modernity in Theravada Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka

4 credits · Graduate

This seminar introduces students to the recent scholarship on the history and genealogy of Theravada Buddhism in modern Burma, Cambodia, Lanna, Thailand, Southwest China and Sri Lanka. Introductory readings consider the origins of the field and question the very category of Theravada. Module One: Buddha, considers folk, visual, scriptural and literary narratives as ways of telling history through past lives of the Buddha. Module Two: Dhamma, explores diverse interpretations and delivery of the teachings of Buddha across and between different schools. Module Three: Sangha, examines the role of monks and other spiritual leaders in mediating the trauma of colonialism and navigating modernity by protecting the sasana and offering sanctuary.