BSTD 406: Buddhist Ritual

This course provides a study of the various rituals found within the Buddhist traditions. Students explore ritual theory, symbol systems, historical development of ritual, and the role of ritual in religious life. They become familiar with the most important Buddhist rites and rituals and the ways they are related to other aspects of Buddhism. The course surveys the approaches that the discipline of ritual studies provides, to develop a better understanding of Buddhist rituals themselves and the theoretical issues that arise in relation to the study of Buddhist ritual.

Prerequisites

BSTD 102: Buddhist Traditions: History and Culture II or permission of the instructor.