Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region

Summer 2004

Marty Schmidt
Hong Kong International School
"Who is Buddha?" Fall, 2004-2005

Home

Buddhism Projects and Books

1. Kalachakra Mandala (or Mandalas in general)
http://www.buddhanet.net/kalach96.htm
http://college.holycross.edu/orgs/himalayan_cultures/sfried/mandala.htm
2. Visit a local Hong Kong Buddhist Temple, take pictures and do a PowerPoint of the temple, explaining the meaning of the symbols and the use of the temple by the local community (e.g., Tin Hau Temple; Buddhist hall above Stanley; Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road, Central; Design and build a Chinese Buddhist Temple (or other traditions). Interview someone who attends to the temple and some worshipers.
3. Visit the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha (otherwise known as the "Big Buddha") on Lantau, take pictures, and present the meaning of the art and architecture that you see. Interview monks at the monastery.

4. Dalai Lama - Is he a great spiritual leader or someone who promotes an oversimplification of the Tibet-China issue for political gain (e.g., Tibet is Shangri-la, while China is extremely oppressive)? Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetans' portrayal of Tibet and the Chinese portrayal of Tibet.
Pro-Tibetan Independence source http://www.globalsourcenetwork.org/tibet.htm
5. The Tibet Question (see Peter Hessler article, "The Atlantic Monthly," February, 1999, pp. 56ff, "Tibet Through Chinese Eyes.")
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/99feb/tibet.htm
Pro-Tibetan source: http://www.globalsourcenetwork.org/tibet.htm
Pro-Tibetan film: "Compassion in Exile"
6. The Cultural Revolution in Tibet
7. The Religious Significance of Stupas
http://www.buddhanet.net/boro.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/stupa.htm
8. American Buddhism - Ram Dass and Seva Foundation; Jack Kornfield; Robert Thurman http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/to-west.htm
http://www.shambhalamountain.org/
9. Mahavira, the founder of Jainism (compare and contrast to the most famous Shramana of all, Siddhartha Gautama)
10. Kuan Yin in the Chinese tradition http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/guanyin.htm
Image of Kuan Yin http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/guanyin.htm
11. Chinese Pantheon of gods: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/chin_deities.htm
12. The life of a Buddhist monk or nun: Pick a specific country and, if possible, a particular school of Buddhism that he/she follows.
13. Buddhist art: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/buddhist-art/index.htm
Narrow to a specific interest
" Thai Buddha images http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/buddhist-art/flash/thaiart-flash.html
" interpret a Tibetan Buddhist thangka;
" explain the various mudras and their meaning in Buddhism;
" Ox-herding sequence of paintings by Japanese monk Shubun;
" Depictions of the Pure Land (see Trainor's Buddhism, p. 148-149).
" Zen Gardens
" Zen poetry (haiku)
" Stupas: http://www.shambhalamountain.org/stupa.html
" DunHuang (China) caves http://idp.bl.uk
" Borobudur: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/buddhist-art/boro.htm
" Mudras (hand gestures) in Buddhist art http://www.exoticindia.com/article/mudras http://www.askasia.org/image/photos/i000532a.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/mudras.htm
" Additional info: 8 symbols of Buddhist art http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/symbols
14. Ashoka, the great Buddhist King
15. Sri Lankan Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism or Zen Buddhism:
Buddhism in Asia: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/spread.htm
Narrow to a specific topic of interest:
Select one festival within a Buddhist tradition, explain that festival in detail and explain what it tell you about that tradition's form of Buddhism (e.g., Newari Buddhist festival of Sakya once every 12 years). http://www.buddhanet.net/ceremony.htm
16. Mahayana Cosmology: 3 bodies of the Buddha http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/dhyanibuddhas
17. Lotus Sutras in Chinese Buddhism.
18. The role of women in modern Buddhism (may want to focus on a particular country)
http://www.buddhanet.net/mag_nuns.htm
19. Engaged Buddhism - Can Buddhism contribute to this world? Buddhist Organizations committed to social work.
20. Choose your own: Brainstorm topics and websites on the NEH website with teacher implementation plans for 2002 and 2004. http://college.holycross.edu/orgs/himalayan_cultures/
21. Pilgrimage of Holy Indian Buddhist sites.
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/pilgrimage.htm

Books:
1. Siddartha by Hermann Hesse
2. Books by: 14th Dalai Lama; Thich Nhat Hahn, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk.
3. The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life by Jean-Francois Revel and Matthieu Ricard
4. The Struggle for Modern Tibet: The Autobiography of Tashi Tsering The Struggle for Modern Tibet
5. The Dharma Boys by Jack Kerouac
6. The Jew in the Lotus: Poet's Re-Discovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India by Rodger Kamenetz
7. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
8. Narrow Road to the Deep North by Basho
9. Deep River by Endo
10. Introduction to Zen Buddhism by Daisetz T. Suzuki
11. Zen Mind, Beginnr's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
12. Ultimate Journey: Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment by Richard Bernstein
13. Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
14. Dhammapada by Ecknath Easwaran
15. The Wandering Taoist by Deng Ming-Dao
16. My Friends' Beliefs by Hiley Ward
17. Lost Horizon by James Hilton and the concept of "Orientalism"
18. Ancient Futures by Helena Norberg-Hodge[a:projects]

This site was created by Marty Schmidt at the NEH Summer Institute "Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region," held at the College of the Holy Cross, Summer 2004