2023-2024 Courses
Fall 2023
UN1365: INTRODUCTION TO EAST ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS: TIBET
Faculty: Lauran Hartley
UNDERGRADUATE ONLY.
This course seeks to introduce the sweep of Tibetan civilization and its history from its earliest recorded origins to the present. The course examines what civilizational forces shaped Tibet, especially the contributions of Indian Buddhism, sciences and literature, but also Chinese statecraft and sciences. Alongside the chronological history of Tibet, we will explore aspects of social life and culture.
GU4575: TIBET IN EURASION CIRCULATORY HISTORY
Faculty: Gray Tuttle
NEW COURSE OFFERING.
What does a critical Buddhist studies look like; What does a critical area studies look like? Tibetan studies has long been dominated by a study of Tibetan Buddhism, a proxy for the lost nation. This class explores how Tibet entered into the circulation of knowledge across Eurasia to examine what critical Buddhist studies might look like.
GU4535: BUDDHIST CONTEMPLATIVE SCIENCES
Faculty: Thomas F Yarnall
Buddhist arts and sciences traditionally are divided into the interconnected disciplines of ethics (śīla), wisdom/philosophy (prajñā), and “meditation” or experiential cultivation (samādhi/bhāvanā). This seminar course introduces the latter discipline, thus complementing and completing Prof. Yarnall’s Columbia seminars on Buddhist Ethics (RELI UN3500) and Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy (RELI GU4630), either of which—in addition to his introductory lecture course on Indo-Tibetan Buddhism (RELI UN2205)—are encouraged as prerequisites. This course will provide a detailed presentation of key Buddhist contemplative sciences, including: stabilizing meditation (śamatha); analytic insight meditation (vipaśyanā); cultivation of the four immeasurables, and form and formless trances; mind cultivation (lo jong); mindfulness meditation; Zen meditation; great perfection (dzogchen); and the subtle body-mind states activated and transformed through advanced tantric yoga techniques. These arts and sciences will be explored both within their traditional interdisciplinary frameworks, as well as in dialog with related contemporary disciplines, including: cognitive sciences, neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, epistemology, and so forth. To be conducted in a mixed lecture/seminar format (active, prepared participation required).
UN1600: FIRST YEAR MODERN COLLOQUIAL TIBETAN I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering
This is an introductory course and no previous knowledge is required. It focuses on developing basic abilities to speak as well as to read and write in modern Tibetan, Lhasa dialect. Students are also introduced to modern Tibetan studies through selected readings and guest lectures.
UN2603: SECOND YEAR MODERN COLLOQUIAL TIBETAN I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering
Completion of UN 1600: First Year Modern Colloquial Tibetan or the equivalent required.
UN3611: THIRD YEAR MODERN COLLOQUIAL TIBETAN I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering
For those whose knowledge is equivalent to a student who’s completed the Second Year course. The course develops students’ reading comprehension skills through reading selected modern Tibetan literature. Tibetan is used as the medium of instruction and interaction to develop oral fluency and proficiency.
UN1410: FIRST YEAR CLASSICAL TIBETAN I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering Ngulphu
This course is designed to meet the needs of both first-time learners of Tibetan, as well as students with one year or less of modern colloquial Tibetan. It is intended to lay the foundation for reading classical Tibetan writings, including religious, historical, and literary texts. By focusing on basic grammatical constructions and frequently used vocabulary, this class offers an introduction to the classical Tibetan language.
UN2412: SECOND YEAR CLASSICAL TIBETAN I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering Ngulphu
This is the second year in the Classical Tibetan language progression. Students will work with faculty to read classical Tibetan texts from various genres and learn to read a variety of classical Tibetan scripts and seals. Prior completion of UN1410: First Year Classical Tibetan or the equivalent required.
UN2710: ADVANCED LITERARY TIBETAN
Faculty: Sonam Tsering Ngulphu
This course focuses on helping students gain greater proficiency in reading Tibetan Buddhist philosophical and religious historical texts. Readings are selected primarily from Tibetan Buddhist philosophical texts (sutras) such as shes rab snying po, thu’u bkan grub mtha’ and other Tibetan canonical texts.
Spring 2024:
EARL 4312GU: TIBETAN SACRED SPACE (IN COMPARATIVE CONTEXTS)
Faculty: Gray Tuttle
Through interdisciplinary theoretical approaches (mostly in the fields of religion, anthropology, literature, and history), this course engages the genre of writing about sacred space in Tibetan Buddhist culture, addressing the micro (built environment) and macro (natural environment) levels of this important sphere of Tibetan literature. Through Tibetan pilgrimage accounts, place (monasteries, temples, etc) based guidebooks, geographically focused biographies, and pictorial representations of place, the class will consider questions about how place-writing overlaps with religious practice, politics, and history. For comparative purposes, we will read place based writing from Western and other Asian authors, for instance accounts of the guidebooks to and inscriptions at Christian churches, raising questions about the cultural relativity of what makes up sacred space.
EAAS 4553GU: Survey of Tibetan Literature
Faculty: Lauran Hartley
Designed for both undergraduate and graduate students, this course introduces Tibetan belles-lettres and vernacular works (all in English translation) spanning from the imperial period to the present day. We will engage in close readings, together with discussion of the genre each text represents and its salience in current Tibetan intellectual discourse. In the final four weeks, we will read landmark works from the post-Mao period, with a view to the negotiation of traditional forms amidst the advent of new literary genres and the economics of cultural production. Questions to address include: How have Tibetan literary forms and content developed throughout history? How has the very concept of "Tibetan literature" been conceived? How have Tibetan writers and scholars—past and present—negotiated literary innovation? Each session will consist of a brief lecture followed by discussion. Lectures will incrementally provide students with a general timeline of Tibetan literary and related historical developments, as well as biographical material regarding the authors assigned for that week. Tibetan language students and heritage learners will be offered three optional sessions to read excerpts of selected texts in Tibetan.
EAAS GU4XXX: Climate Change: The Tibetan Plateau as a Case Study (approval pending)
Faculty: Konchok Gelek
This course examines the intricate interplay between climate change, human activities, and environmental policies on the vulnerable Tibetan Plateau, the source of rivers for 3 billion people downstream. Topics to be covered include ecology, historical climate shifts, glacial retreat, water resource management, rangeland degradation and restoration, socioeconomic impacts, climate adaptation, and urbanization. With a multidisciplinary approach, and through lectures, discussions and guest speakers, students will gain a holistic understanding of this critical issue and learn skills to interpret and synthesize scientific research into a broader humanities context.
TIBT UN1600: First Year Modern Colloquial Tibetan I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering
This is an introductory course and no previous knowledge is required. It focuses on developing basic abilities to speak as well as to read and write in modern Tibetan, Lhasa dialect. Students are also introduced to modern Tibetan studies through selected readings and guest lectures.
TIBT UN2603: Second Year Modern Colloquial Tibetan I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering
Completion of UN 1600: First Year Modern Colloquial Tibetan or the equivalent required.
TIBT UN3611: Third Year Modern Colloquial Tibetan I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering
For those whose knowledge is equivalent to a student who’s completed the Second Year course. The course develops students’ reading comprehension skills through reading selected modern Tibetan literature. Tibetan is used as the medium of instruction and interaction to develop oral fluency and proficiency.
TIBT UN1410: First Year Classical Tibetan I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering Ngulphu
This course is designed to meet the needs of both first-time learners of Tibetan, as well as students with one year or less of modern colloquial Tibetan. It is intended to lay the foundation for reading classical Tibetan writings, including religious, historical, and literary texts. By focusing on basic grammatical constructions and frequently used vocabulary, this class offers an introduction to the classical Tibetan language.
TIBT UN2412: Second Year Classical Tibetan I
Faculty: Sonam Tsering Ngulphu
This is the second year in the Classical Tibetan language progression. Students will work with faculty to read classical Tibetan texts from various genres and learn to read a variety of classical Tibetan scripts and seals. Prior completion of UN1410: First Year Classical Tibetan or the equivalent required.
TIBT UN2710: Advanced Literary Tibetan
Faculty: Sonam Tsering Ngulphu
This course focuses on helping students gain greater proficiency in reading Tibetan Buddhist philosophical and religious historical texts. Readings are selected primarily from Tibetan Buddhist philosophical texts (sutras) such as shes rab snying po, thu’u bkan grub mtha’ and other Tibetan canonical texts.