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ASR205 - Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhism

Year:

2022 unit information

Important Update:

Unit delivery will be in line with the most current COVIDSafe health guidelines. We continue to tailor learning experiences for each unit to achieve the best possible mix of online and on-campus activities that successfully blend our approaches to learning, working and research. Please check your unit sites for announcements and updates.

Last updated: 4 March 2022

Enrolment modes:Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), 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.

Scheduled learning activities - campus:

1 x 2-hour class per week

Scheduled learning activities - cloud:

Online independent and collaborative learning activities including 1 x 1-hour 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 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

Understand and appreciate the variety of interpretative traditions and practices across the Buddhist world

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

ULO2

Demonstrate knowledge of the different 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

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Apply theory to 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

GLO8: Global citizenship

These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 - Short Essay 1000 words
or equivalent
25% Information not yet available
Assessment 2 - Online exercise 1000 words
or equivalent
25% Information not yet available
Assessment 3 - Major Essay 2000 words
or equivalent
50% Information not yet available

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 below: 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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