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Unit of study_

ASNS2003: Buddhism: Historical Perspectives

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit explores important events and periods in Buddhist history, with an emphasis on the complex dynamism between Buddhism and the societies in which it took root, developed, and flourished. It will focus on the role these events and periods played in shaping Buddhism in Asia and elsewhere, and how these regions and their institutions are, in turned, transformed by it.

Unit details and rules

Unit code ASNS2003
Academic unit Asian Studies
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level from any combination of Ancient Greek, Ancient History, Anthropology, Arabic Language and Cultures, Archaeology, Art History, Asian Studies, Biblical Studies and Classical Hebrew, Chinese Studies, Cultural Studies, Education, European Studies, French and Francophone Studies, Gender Studies, Germanic Studies, Hebrew, History, Indonesian Studies, International and Comparative Literary Studies, Italian Studies, Japanese Studies, Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture, Korean Studies, Latin, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Economy, Politics, Psychology, Sanskrit, Sociology, Spanish and Latin American Studies, Studies in Religion, Visual Arts
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Chiew Hui Hui Ho, chiewhui.ho@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Chiew Hui Hui Ho, chiewhui.ho@sydney.edu.au
Mark Allon, mark.allon@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Presentation Tutorial Leadership
In-class presentation and leadership
15% - 750wd equivalent
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Essay 2
Essay
30% Formal exam period 1500wd
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Participation Participation
In-class performance
10% Ongoing N/A
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Essay 1
Essay
30% Week 10
Due date: 16 Oct 2022 at 23:59
1500wd
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Small test Quiz
T/F and MCQ questions
15% Week 13 750wd equivalent
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

Participation: This will be based on students' preparation and participation in lectures and tutorials.

Tutorial Leadership: Each student will lead a tutorial discussion by presenting the week's tutorial readings in relation to tutorial
questions provided, asking relevant questions, drawing responses from your tutorial mates, and answering them. No more than two
students should lead in any one week. You may discuss relevant questions other than those provided. Leaders of the week will
submit a summary of their presentation/the readings as an email attachment the day before the tutorial. Please sign up for tutorial leadership in the first tutorial (week 2).

Quiz: Students will take a quiz in week 13.

Essay 1: Students will write an essay (approx. 1500 words) to be submitted in CANVAS. The questions (on topics covered from
lectures 1–7 /tutorials from weeks 2–8; to be will be provided later) must be on a topic other than the topic of tutorial leadership.

Essay 2: Students will write an essay (approx. 1500 words) to be submitted in CANVAS. The questions (on topics covered from
lectures 8–12 /tutorials from weeks 9–13; to be will be provided later) must be on a topic other than the topic of tutorial leadership.

Assessment criteria

Result name

Mark Range

Description

High distinction

85–100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Distinction

75–84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65–74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50–64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Fail

0–49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

Absent Fail

0–49

When you haven’t completed all assessment tasks or met the attendance requirements.

Cancelled

No mark

When your enrolment has been cancelled.

Discontinued not to count as failure

No mark

When you discontinue a unit after the relevant census date but before the DC deadline.

Discontinue-fail

No mark

When you discontinue a unit after the DC deadline but before the DF deadline

Withdrawn

No mark

When you discontinue a unit before the relevant census date. WD grades do not appear on your academic transcript

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

As per university policy.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to the course & The Buddha in context Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 02 The Buddha in context Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
The originality of the Buddha’s teachings Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 03 The originality of the Buddha’s teachings Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Abhidharma and the rise of the Mahāyāna: two major developments in Buddhist thought and practice Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 04 Abhidharma and the rise of the Mahāyāna Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Buddhism in Gandhara (Afghanistan and Pakistan), the crossroads of Asia Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Buddhism in Gandhara (Afghanistan and Pakistan), the crossroads of Asia Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Buddhism along the Silk Road Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 06 Buddhism along the Silk Road Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Sri Lanka and the preservation of “authentic” Buddhism Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 07 Sri Lanka and the preservation of “authentic” Buddhism Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Southeast Asia: the formation of Buddhist states Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 08 Southeast Asia: the formation of Buddhist states Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
China 1: Transmission and Domestication Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 09 China 1: Transmission and Domestication Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
China 2: Adaptation and Transformation Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 10 China 2: Adaptation and Transformation Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Korea: The Making of a State Religion Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 11 Korea: The Making of a State Religion Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Japan 1: Tendai and Esoteric Traditions Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 Japan 1: Tendai and Esoteric Traditions Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Japan 2: Buddhism in the Degenerate Age Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 13 Japan 2: Buddhism in the Degenerate Age Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Review of East Asian Developments and Quiz Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute for your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spending approximately three hours of preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through Canvas.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Demonstrate foundational understanding of significant events and periods in the history of Buddhism that played a crucial role in shaping Buddhism in various regions
  • LO2. Articulate the social, cultural, and political interaction between Buddhism and the secular world, and their influence on each other
  • LO3. Analyse developments of Buddhism as a cross-cultural phenomenon, with specific reference to its transmission, modification, and reinterpretation across Asia and beyond
  • LO4. Identify the presuppositions underlying the social and political structures in traditional and modern Buddhist societies
  • LO5. Situate and analyse contemporary issues in Buddhism in their historical and cultural contexts from different perspectives

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is the first time it is taught.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.