ASR205 - Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhism
Unit details
| Year: | 2024 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Leesa Davis |
| Cohort rule: | Nil |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour lecture per week, 1 x 1-hour seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour lecture per week (recordings provided), 1 x 1-hour 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 adaptations 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.
| ULO | These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Describe and discuss interpretative traditions and practices across the Buddhist world | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Apply your knowledge of the histories and philosophies of Buddhist traditions | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication |
| ULO3 | Critically analyse philosophies and practices of Buddhism in both traditional and modern settings | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Compare and contrast different Buddhist philosophies and practices in the East and the West | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO6: Self-management |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 - Word response | 800 words or equivalent | 20% | Week 4 |
| Assessment 2 - Essay | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Week 8 |
| Assessment 3 - Essay | 1600 words or equivalent | 40% | Week 12 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning Resource
The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link ASR205
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
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