Study Abroad
Faculty-led: Buddhism in Thailand, January 2024
Program Site
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
Discipline(s)
Religious studies, Honors
Language
English
These courses will NOT appear on this university's transcript.
Application Deadlines
Fall Semester
N/A
Spring Semester
N/A
Fall Quarter
N/A
Winter Quarter
N/A
Spring Quarter
N/A
Academic Year
N/A
Summer Session
N/A
Inter Session
09/27/2023
Requirements & Other Information
- This program is open to sophmores - juniors - seniors
- A GPA of 2.75 is required.
- The student must also know .
- ACCESS TYPES - Direct - Competitive
- This program is administered by our campus.
Costs
HOST PAY FEES- Program Fees: $4,700.00 to $4,700.00 for the inter session.
J term 2024: January 2-14, 2024
3 credit course
Fees include airfare
Course Description:
Some bad news: life is stressful, unpredictable, and full of pain and suffering. It's true now and it was true in the 5th Century BCE when the Buddha lived. Some good news: the Buddha claimed to have discovered a path by which people could escape this pervasive suffering. In the process, he planted the seeds for a religious tradition that has been influential across Asia and, more recently, the modern West. In this course, we will explore the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism while exploring the ways Buddhism is lived and practiced in Thailand. We will explore key ideas from the Buddhist tradition about impermanence, desire, and the nature of the self, and ask how these ideas were taken up and reimagined as Buddhism developed.
Cityscape of Thailand
The course has two primary goals. First: to understand how, in various times, places, and cultural contexts, the Buddhist tradition diagnosed the origins of human suffering, imagined the goal of freedom from suffering, and proposed a path to such freedom. Second: to understand the relationship between Buddhist scriptural traditions and Buddhism as experienced in everyday life by people in Thailand. What do Buddhists seem to be doing? How does Buddhism play a role in their daily lives? How do we think that this daily practice relates (or does not relate) to scriptural sources?
We will explore these questions in Thailand as we visit gorgeous temples, shop at the floating market in Bangkok, relax on the beaches of Pattaya, volunteer at Elephant Nature Park, eat delicious Thai food, and much more! Learn more about the course in Dr. Hartmann's course video trailer!