Buddha’s teachings on impermanence are engraved on monuments and buildings – this course explores why

“Uncommon Courses” is an irregular series from The Conversation US that presents unconventional teaching approaches.

Course title:

The Archaeology of Buddhism

How did the concept for the course come about?

I took over this course from a colleague after I began my position as an assistant professor here on the University of Illinois at Chicago. Over the years, the course content moved further away from the who, what, when and where of Buddhist objects and monuments and focused more on the why and the way of Buddhism becoming considered one of Asia's most vital religions.

In particular, I ask students to reflect on a puzzling query: If Buddha believed in impermanence, why are there so many images and monuments dedicated to his ideas?

What does the course examine?

This course begins with the Teaching story from the lifetime of the Buddhafrom his early years as Prince Siddhartha Gautama to his development right into a famous ascetic and spiritual teacher who was revered during his lifetime throughout what’s now northern India and Nepal.

We then restart the timeline to look at the fabric evidence used to support the claims, where he was born, grew up, attained enlightenment, and at last died. Answering these questions raises some very interesting ideas, reminiscent of whether the rise of Buddhism was a response to the political, social and economic problems of the time.

Recent archaeological research at sites related to the lifetime of Buddha has led to political feud between India and Nepal, each of which try Claim ownership about his birthplace.

The second half of the course examines what happened after the Buddha's death, how Buddhism developed and took hold in various cultures in South, East and Southeast Asia.

An necessary a part of this section is to see how monasteries functioned and interacted with their local communities, and likewise what influence Buddhism had on the event of technologies that shape our world today. For example, the The woodcut press was developed for copying sacred sutras in China in the course of the Tang Dynasty. It is considered one of the primary examples of mass production of printed matter in human history.

Finally, the category visits local museums to see first-hand the range of Buddhist objects, reminiscent of memorial stone slabs referred to as Votive steles created by donors to make merit, sacred containers that supposedly held fragments of the Buddha himself, and thighbone trumpets that were played in funerary rituals. In addition to the sweetness, variety, and craftsmanship of those works, these visits give rise to discussions about how these things got here to be within the United States and the necessity to think about their lawful repatriation to their native land.

Why is that this course relevant now?

Two central concepts that appear time and again on this course are openness to discourse and recognition of the usefulness of a middle path. Successful Buddhism Expansion beyond India was directly related to the power to integrate into other cultures.

We take a look at examples of monasteries, like Nalanda in East Indiawhich function places of debate and dialogue between religions. The exchange of opinions and knowledge expands our understanding of humanity – past and present – and enables growth.

Learn about the Middle Way of the BuddhaA lifestyle that recognizes and overcomes the extremes of asceticism and hedonism offers a option to live a life in balance.

What is a vital lesson from the course?

When we ask ourselves how Buddhism acquired such a big material presence in archaeological finds, we must understand how a faith manages to survive over time. Religion is as necessary to individuals because it is to societies and sometimes becomes a vital instrument of state power. Countless Examples from the past emphasize how kings and customary people cared for the Buddha and later for monks and nuns by giving land, food and donations.

For the elites, donating money to monasteries and monuments is an enrichment of their individual merit, but may also as a method of enforcing power by becoming “Buddha-like” within the eyes of the masses. This fact makes us think more generally about how patronage today advantages the patrons, and we see how politics and economics are at all times present in a faith.

Despite the somewhat contradictory proven fact that there are literally thousands of ancient Buddhist monuments throughout Asia, the category also ultimately learns an indisputable fact about culture: it’s each ephemeral and continuously changing.

What does the course prepare students for?

In addition to gaining an understanding of where to go to explore Buddhism’s past, students learn a vital skill to make future museum visits more enjoyable: the power to tell apart the meaning of seemingly an identical seated and standing Buddha statues from their Hand movements alone.

In our fast-paced and overstimulated world, we are able to all profit from the power to understand and understand small details and nuances of life.