Religious Studies 356 - Buddhist Nirvana And Enlightenment

Institution:

Macalester College

Subject:

Description:

Nirvana, sometimes called enlightenment, is supposedly the goal of all Buddhist. But what is it In an early sutra, Sakyamuni says that it cannot be described; any words would inevitably limit it. Various schools of Buddhism, however, have sometimes explained in great detail what enlightenment consists of. For example, some schools hold that it involves "seeing" the world as it really is. Mahayana Buddhists believe that Nirvana is not differentfrom samsara (the painful cycle of rebirth). Many Zen Buddhists believe enlightenment is reached when one realizes that one already has Buddha-nature. Rather than deciding in class what Nirvana/enlightenment is or even if such a thing exists, we will examine what people have had to say on the topic over the past two thousand years, beginning with statements in the earliest sutras and continuing to modern day accounts of people who believe they have attained enlightenment. Not offered 2008 -2009. (4 credits)

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.macalester.edu

Phone Number:

(651) 696-6000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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