Hell, Karma, and Pure Land: Death in Buddhism

Undergraduate

What happens after death? Is there such a thing as a “good” death? Can actions in this life shape what comes next? This course introduces students to Buddhist perspectives on death, karma, and the afterlife across Asia, from early Indian texts to contemporary Japan. Through stories of the Buddha’s final days, vivid depictions of hells and hungry ghosts, accounts of miraculous rebirths, and modern practices surrounding funerals and memorials, we will explore how Buddhist traditions have imagined, managed, and ritualized death for over two millennia. Along the way, students will encounter foundational Buddhist ideas—such as karma, rebirth, no-self, and compassion—and see how they are put into practice in real-world contexts: caring for the dying, confronting illness, performing deathbed rituals, and even navigating today’s “death industry.” The course places equal emphasis on texts, visual culture, and lived practices, encouraging students to think about how religious ideas take shape in stories, images, and everyday life. Enrollment limited to first-year students. HU TTh 9am-10:15am