Buddhism Through Storytelling and Narratives

Undergraduate

This seminar explores how stories have shaped Buddhist traditions from India to Japan, while also engaging contemporary examples from North American Buddhism. Together, we will examine how narratives function as vehicles for teaching, ethical reflection, and religious practice. Students will develop tools for interpreting a wide range of genres—including hagiographies, miracle tales, visual narratives, women’s stories, autobiographies, and autofiction—across diverse Buddhist traditions and historical periods. Students interested in working with Japanese-language materials are encouraged to contact the instructor directly. HU Th 1:30pm-3:25pm