ASR205 - Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhism

Unit details

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Year:2019 unit information
Enrolment modes:Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Trimester 2 Unit Chair:

Leesa Davis

Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:

Nil

Incompatible with:

Nil

Scheduled learning activities - campus:

1 x 2 hour Class per week

Scheduled learning activities - cloud (online):

Online independent and collaborative learning activities including 1 scheduled online seminar per week.

Content

Buddhism is a complex, multi-dimensional religious tradition that is far more diverse in philosophies, doctrines and practices than is generally realized. Buddhism is perhaps also unique amongst World Religions in that many of its core ideas, practices, and spiritual understandings have been taken out of their traditional religious contexts and adapted, appropriated, and employed in secular and non-religious contexts.

This unit introduces students to the rich tapestry of traditions, doctrines, and practices that are found throughout the Buddhist world: both in their traditional and modern expressions. In the traditional contexts we look at the “how” of Buddhist practice by exploring diverse meditation practices and their accompanying philosophical underpinnings. In modern expressions we look at how adaptations and appropriations of ancient Buddhist practices such as “mindfulness” have fed into contemporary adaptions of “engaged Buddhism” and “eco-dharma” and how these ideas are impacting on modern worldviews and ideas of “well-being”. We also consider other contemporary expressions of Buddhism such as secular Buddhism, agnostic Buddhism, and atheistic Buddhism.

Students will have the optional opportunity to experiment with Buddhist meditation practices such as insight meditation and Zen meditative techniques.

Assessment

Assessment 1 (Individual) - Short Essay (1000 words) - 25%

Assessment 2 (Individual) - Online exercise (1000 words or equivalent) - 25%

Assessment 3 (Individual) - Major Essay (2000 words) - 50%

Unit Fee Information

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