New Buddhist studies courses this fall semester
We are excited to introduce two new Buddhist Studies courses this fall semester:
- BSTD 410 Discovering Lumbini and the fall seminar led by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche
- BSTD 209 Buddhist Ethics with focus on Animal Ethics
BSTD 410 Discovering Lumbini and the Annual Fall Seminar led by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche (On-Campus)
Course detail:
This semester-long preparatory course prepares students for the program’s core component—the 10-day Fall Seminar—by providing essential context, guiding them to ask sharper questions, and strengthening their interpretive skills.
It develops through two connected strands:
- Lumbini as a Buddhist landscape shaped by history, ritual practices, heritage-making, and contemporary institutions.
- Tibetan Buddhism as a living tradition of transmission, practice culture, and rigorous intellectual training.
The course is led by an expert scholar on Lumbini and brings together the knowledge of many faculty members, each giving a lecture in their own area of expertise. This makes it a unique RYI signature course shaped by different academic fields and regional perspectives.
BSTD 209 Buddhist Ethics with focus on Animal Ethics (Online)
Course detail:
Animals occupy a complex space in Buddhist ethics, at the intersection of several competing ethical discourses.
- This course will examine how Buddhist ethics addresses questions about how animals should be viewed and treated.
- This course will explore how animals are represented in Tibetan Buddhist advice literature, biographies, fiction, and art, all with an eye towards uncovering the complex ethical norms that surround human interactions with non-human animals.
- This course will examine how different ethical codes relate to one another particularly, the three sets of vows, as well as what happens when normative ethics are applied in real life.
- By the end of the course, students will have developed a deeper understanding of the ideals that underlie Buddhist ethics.
If you’re interested in joining them, please apply by July 1st.
Please see the attached flyers and feel free to share them with anyone who may be interested. For any questions, kindly write to us at admin@ryi.org.
