Assignment 3 Religion
ONE HALF PAGE to ONE FULL PAGE, for each question
1.
2. SIZE & FONT: Use the standard Times New Roman font, at size 10. Do NOT use any other font or size. Note: Rules 1, 2, 3, and 6 ensure that all student work has the same appearance in format. This allows all assessments of length to be visually accurate and comparable, and unaffected by any differences in formatting. In addition, when maximum and minimum length requirements are stated, these rules ensure that all student writing is judged by the same standards. Font size 10 is required because, although it is smaller than what some use, it allows more words on a page and is still legible by everyone. If your work varies from these instructions, especially if you consistently don’t follow them, points will be deducted from the credit earned. In addition, the length of your writing will be estimated according to these rules in order to determine if the length requirements have been fulfilled.
3. MARGINS: Use margins which are ONE INCH on ALL sides. Do NOT use larger or smaller margins.
4. SPACING: DOUBLE SPACE all the lines of your text. Do NOT use 1½ spacing or triple spacing between lines of text, and do NOT create extra spacing between paragraphs.
5. HEADING: On the FIRST LINE of page 1, type this information, with slashes: Name / Course Title / Task # / Date submitted. Start your text on the SECOND line. Do NOT use cover a page.
6. QUOTATIONS: Do NOT use QUOTATIONS. Paraphrase material instead, to show your understanding of ideas or information not your own. If you quote, there will be deductions appropriate to the amount of quoting. The instructor prohibits quotations because they tell the reader little about what you know or think, and because they consume valuable space in a short writing assignment whose purpose is to show your knowledge, not someone else’s. Any idea not yours should instead be paraphrased (expressed in your own words). The source of paraphrased material must still be cited because it is not yours.
7. SOURCES AND CITATIONS: The general rule in academic work is to properly cite the sources of the material you paraphrase or quote (although quoting is not allowed in this course). For sources used in this course, the simplest way to do so is by using parenthetical citations: stating the author’s or editor’s last name [or abbreviated title] and page[s] in parentheses). For sources outside of those used in the course, full bibliographic information should be provided, either in a footnote, or by giving both a parenthetical citation and full citation in a bibliography or works cited page. However, in this instructor’s courses, including TRS 1070 “Religions of the World,” the source/s of what you write do not need to be cited IF your only sources were the required and recommended sources for the course. The sources of your work will generally be evident to the instructor. If you want the source to be clear to the instructor, then provide a parenthetical citation. Also note: (1) Do NOT use sources outside of those provided in this course. The course materials should be adequate, and outside sources are not always accurate. (2) You MAY use knowledge gained from other sources in your own life history IF you acknowledge those sources, although their accuracy will be assessed in assigning grades. Checking with the instructor before using such information may be recommended. Regarding possible plagiarism: When you submit your work to Canvas, it is automatically checked by Turnitin.com, which is software used by Molloy and by many colleges, to see what phrases, sentences or passages match those in any published source or in any of the student work previously submitted to Turnitin.com. When Turnitin.com finds matches, it may indicate plagiarism has occurred. When concerning matches are evident, the policies stated above under “Academic Integrity” will apply. Of course, when you repeat headings in your work, as directed in the instructions for Tasks in this course, this does not count as plagiarism, and such matches are disregarded. In addition, shared use of common or key words or concepts is not considered plagiarism
Group 1: Film portraits
(of the 4 East Asian religions in Module 3)
Requirement: From the list of Topics 1, 2, 3 and 4 below, CHOOSE AND COMPLETE ANY THREE TOPICS (not all 4). In this Task 3, there are only two films (you don’t have to watch three films!), and each film includes material that can be separated into two parts, for a total of four possible Topics. Specifically:
• The film “A Question of Balance” has material about both Popular Chinese Religion (Topic 1) and about Taoism (Topic 2) in China
• The film “Land of the Disappearing Buddha” has material about both the Zen Sects (Topic 3) and the Pure Land Sects (Topic 4) of Mahayana Buddhism in Japan.
To complete the requirement, you obviously need to watch both films. Then you can choose to complete two Topics associated with one film, and only one Topic associated with the other film.
To complete the requirement, you obviously need to watch both films. Then you can choose to complete two Topics associated with one film, and only one Topic associated with the other film.
Topic 1. A Film Portrait of Popular Chinese Religion
• Apply the Generic Instructions below to the portions of the episode in The Long Search film series titled, “A Question of Balance” which deal with Chinese Popular Religion. (Do not discuss any portions that deal with Taoism.) All your references to Chinese Popular Religion can be abbreviated it as “CPR.”
• These portions include: the herbal chemist; the spirit possession/séance at the temple; the oracle bones being tossed and read; celebration of the Tu Di Gung’s birthday in the village; celebration of Ching Ming (Spring Festival); the opera performed for the Gods and the village; the rebuilding of a temple and TV prepared for the Gods; other symbols & conversations; and observations by Ronald Eyre.
Topic 2. A Film Portrait of Taoism
• Apply the Generic Instructions below to the portions of the episode in The Long Search film series titled, “A Question of Balance” which deal with Taoism. Do not discuss any portions that deal with CPR.
• These portions include: the funeral service/drama performed by the Taoist priest and his team; the performance and explanation of Tai Chi at the film’s end; other symbols & conversations; and observations by Ronald Eyre.
Topic 3. A Film Portrait of the Zen Sects of Mahayana Buddhism
• Apply the Generic Instructions below to the portions of the episode of The Long Search film series titled, “Land of the Disappearing Buddha,” which deal with the Zen Sects. Also benefit from the MB themes introduced on page 218 and from the quotations from the film transcribed on page 219. All your references to Mahayana Buddhism may be abbreviated as “MB.”
• These portions include: the interviews & meditation hall in the restaurant; the sword fighting master; the archery master; interviews with two Zen priests; the tea ceremony; the interview between the Zen priest/master and his student near the end; the meditators in the temple hall at the end; and Ronald Eyre’s exploration of what is different between, & what is shared by, the Zen form of MB & the Pure Land form of MB. (By the way, the film includes a good yet brief introduction to the Shinto religion, which was the focus of the article by my brother, Malcolm Foster, on pages 52-55, used earlier in this course.)
Topic 4. A Film Portrait of the Pure Land Sects of Mahayana Buddhism
• Apply the Generic Instructions below to the portions of the episode of The Long Search film series titled, “Land of the Disappearing Buddha,” which deal with the Pure Land Sects. Also benefit from the MB themes introduced on page 218 and from the quotations from the film transcribed on page 219. (All your references to Mahayana Buddhism may be abbreviated as “MB.”)
• These portions include: the religious service in the factory; the interview with the mother in the shoe shop; the interviews with Pure Land leaders; scene at the Soka Gakkai large service; and Ronald Eyre’s exploration of what is different between, and what is shared by, the Zen form of MB and the Pure Land form of MB. (By the way, the film includes a good yet brief introduction to the Shinto religion, which was the focus of the article by my brother, Malcolm Foster, on pages 52-55, used earlier in this course.)
Group 2: Sacred functions
(of the 4 East Asian religions in Module 3)
Requirement: From the list of Topics 5, 6, 7 and 8 below, CHOOSE AND COMPLETE ANY TWO TOPICS (not 3 or 4 Topics )
Optional extra credit: Complete three (or four) Topics, identify one (or two) of them as “Extra Credit,” and earn up to 12 points (for A work) for each Topic beyond the required two Topics, which will be added to the average point value calculated for all of the required Topics for Task 3. (A maximum of two extra credit Topics in this Task can receive credit.)
Topic 5. The Sacred Function of Chinese Popular Religion
• Follow the Generic Instructions below by applying them to what the course’s resources tell us about the sacred function of the religion which we are calling Chinese Popular Religion. (You can abbreviate this as CPR anywhere you refer to this religion.)
• Recommendations specific to this Topic:
o Sources: Make use of the anthology chapter on CPR, and portions of the film “A Question of Balance.” (Huston Smith does not separately discuss CPR, although he implicitly refers to it in his chapters of Taoism and Confucianism.) My recorded lecture on CPR aims to introduce the religion & these sources.
o As you follow the Generic Instructions, here are some key concepts whose meaning and inter-relationships are recommended for attention (others may be relevant too): T’ien / hierarchy of Gods / family and ancestors / variety of modes of sacred-profane communication & exchange / the five [human] relationships / key values & concepts such as T’ien, Li, Ho, Tao, balance, Yin & Yang
Topic 6. The Sacred Function of Taoism
• Follow the Generic Instructions below by applying them to what the course’s resources tell us about the sacred function of the religion which has been called Taoism in English
• Recommendations specific to this Topic:
o Sources: Make use of the anthology chapter on Taoism (which focuses most on the philosophical form of Taoism, as found in the Tao Te Ching), portions of the film “A Question of Balance,” and Huston Smith’s chapter on Hinduism. My recorded lecture on Taoism aims to introduce the religion & explain these resources
o ALSO NOTE: Read and use relevant portions of the text on Taoism available to you as a scanned text in a separate tab on Module 3 in Canvas. It is about Taoism, even though the long title is: “Three Ways of Ultimate Transformation: (1) Taoist Tradition.” This short chapter (from a good introduction to all of the Chinese religions) was left out of the anthology by accident, and should be regarded as part of the anthology text. This text, especially the first few pages, are helpful for understanding the religious form of Taoism (compared to the philosophical form, which is at the center of the Tao Te Ching text), which focuses on how to nourish and protect immortality by various elixirs and practices. This text can also help you understand the funeral ritual & priest in the film, “A Question of Balance.”
o As you follow the Generic Instructions, you may focus on either its philosophical form or its religious form, or on both. Here are some key concepts whose meaning and inter-relationships are recommended for attention (others may be relevant too): Tao / Te / Wu-Wei / water as analogy for Tao / the sage / relationship to Confucianism / immortality / inner elixir and outer elixir / exorcism
Topic 7. The Sacred Function of Confucianism
• Follow the Generic Instructions below by applying them to what the course’s resources tell us about the sacred function of the religion which has been called Confucianism in English
• Recommendations specific to this Topic:
o Sources: Make use of the anthology chapter on Confucianism and Huston Smith’s chapter on Confucianism. (The film “A Question of Balance” does not directly discuss Confucianism, but it highlights some CPR themes and patterns that are important to Confucianism, and briefly refers to Master Kung.) My recorded lecture on Confucianism aims to introduce the religion & these resources
o As you follow the Generic Instructions, here are some key concepts whose meaning and inter-relationships are recommended for attention (others may be relevant too): disorder & order in Chinese society & history / key values & concepts: Chun Tzu, Jen, Li, the five relationships, family & ancestors, harmony (in society and between sacred and profane) / Kung Tzu
Topic 8. The Sacred Function of Mahayana Buddhism
• Follow the Generic Instructions below by applying them to what the course’s resources tell us about the sacred function of the religion which has been called Mahayana Buddhism in English. NOTE: Your descriiption should include (a) the relationship between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism (you can abbreviate them as TB and MB, respectively), noting what they share and how they are different, and (b) attention to the sacred function of either the Pure Land Sects or the Zen Sects (the two most distinctive forms of MB).
• Recommendations specific to this Topic:
o Sources: Make use of the anthology chapter on Mahayana Buddhism, the film “Land of the Disappearing Buddha,” and Huston Smith’s chapter on Buddhism (the portion on Mahayana Buddhism in pages 119-149 is very good). My recorded lecture on Mahayana Buddhism aims to introduce this branch of Buddhism (and its two distinctive groups of Sects) & these resources
o As you follow the Generic Instructions, here are some key concepts whose meaning and inter-relationships are recommended for attention (others may be relevant too): goal of making enlightenment & liberation accessible to all / Pure Land sects: other-reliance, Bodhisattvas, compassion, faith / Zen sects: self-reliance, meditation, master-pupil relationship, koan puzzles, satori
Group 3: Sacred texts
(of the 4 East Asian religions in Module 3)
Requirement: From the list of Topics 9 – 13 below, CHOOSE AND COMPLETE ANY ONE TOPIC.
Optional extra credit: Complete one or two additional Topics from this Group, identify it or them as “Extra Credit,” and earn up to 12 points (for A work) for each, which will be added to the average point value calculated for all of the required Topics for Task 3. (A maximum of two extra credit Topics in this Task can receive credit.)
As before, you are encouraged to read as many of the texts referred to below as possible, beyond the Topic you choose to write about. They can help you understanding the viewpoint and sacred function of these religions, and thus are relevant to work you do in Group 1 and Group 2.
Topic 9. Sacred Texts of Chinese Popular Religion
There are two texts in the anthology for this Topic:
• “The Book of Changes”: 173-174: introduction (by a modern editor to help you) / 174-175: actual text (in translation)
• “The Rites of Chou”: 175-176 introduction (by a modern editor to help you) / 176-177: actual text (in translation)
Instruction: After reading both texts, select ONE of the above two texts, identify it by repeating its title, and then follow the Generic Instructions below regarding this text.
(Note: These texts can be challenging, since each actual text is only a short excerpt and does not explain its original context. So read the text and corresponding introduction carefully to reasonably infer as much from it as you can.)
Topic 10. Sacred Texts of Taoism
Pages 188-198 consists of 5 poems from the Tao Te Ching (Numbers 3, 6, 12, 29, 43; using only the top numbers) and Foster’s commentaries on each poem. (Page 188 shows the Chinese characters that make up the title, Tao Te Ching, and explains how they could be translated, both literally and in a more natural English manner.)
Instruction: After reading all 5 poems and corresponding commentaries, select THREE KEY IDEAS in these poems. The key ideas might be discussed only once in these selections, but many of them are discussed several times. The idea might be a concept, a value, a virtue, a vice, a metaphor/analogy for Tao, the character of the ideal society, the character of the ideal ruler, etc. Label the three ideas you choose as A, B, and C, name the ideas in some way, and then follow the Generic Instructions below regarding each of the three ideas. You should have three paragraphs, one about each key idea you chose.
(Note: The ideas in the Tao Te Ching and the practices of Taoist funerals as seen in the film seem very different and almost unrelated! That difference roughly corresponds to the difference between what is often called (to use Western labels) philosophical Taoism and religious Taoism, respectively. However, as explained in the opening pages of the scanned text about Taoism available to you in Module 3 in Canvas, there is evidence of shared values and themes between religious Taoism and philosophical Taoism.)
Topic 11. Sacred Texts of Confucianism
Pages 207-211 consist of a few dozen short “sayings” attributed to Confucius in the Analects, which is the most famous collection of his sayings, recorded by his students. Many of them begin with the formula: “The Master [Tzu] said…”).
Instruction: After you read all the sayings, choose FOUR SAYINGS that you consider particularly informative or significant. Label each saying as A, B, C and D, then quote the first phrase (or the whole saying if it is short), and then follow the Generic Instructions below regarding each of the three sayings. You should have four short paragraphs, one about each saying you chose.
Topic 12. Sacred Texts of the Pure Land Sects of Mahayana Buddhism
Pages 224-247 consist of 5 documents in three groups (see list of all five on 223, plus some explanation):
Group 1. Heart Sutra (224-227), which is important to all Mahayana Buddhist sects
Group 2. Two Pure Land texts (227-234).
Group 3. Two Zen texts (235-247).
(The Pure Land Text on 231-241 is actually not a classic text, but was photocopied from a modern English language brochure written to introduce the founder of a Pure Land sect, Shinran Shonin, and tell his life story.)
Instruction: Read the three texts in Group 1 (224-7: Heart Sutra) and Group 2 (227-234: two Pure Land Sect texts). Then write two paragraphs, one about each of the two texts in Group 2. For each paragraph, follow the Generic Instructions below.
Note: Your understanding of these documents, and of their meaning and location within Mahayana Buddhism, can be enriched by studying the material on page 218 (about the overall themes in MB) and on page 219 (significant statements in the film “Land of the Disappearing Buddha” which I transcribed).
Note: Do you see an intriguing parallel between (a) the Pure Land concept of putting faith in the bodhisattva (Dharmakara or Amida or other names appear) to deliver one’s soul to the Pure Land through the bodhisattva’s accumulated merit, and(b) the Christian concept of putting faith in God to deliver one’s soul to Heaven through the sacrifice of Jesus’ death? Both exhibit the idea that we cannot save ourselves, but there is a being whose goodness and power can save us. There is no known connection or causal relationship between these two religious behaviors, and yet the parallel is striking, and has been noticed by many scholars.
Topic 13. Sacred Texts of the Zen Sects of Mahayana Buddhism
Pages 224-247 consist of 5 documents in three groups (see list of all five on 223, plus some explanation):
Group 1. Heart Sutra (224-227), which is relevant to all Mahayana Buddhist sects
Group 2. Two Pure Land texts (227-234).
Group 3. Two Zen texts (235-247).
(The Zen text on pages 235-40 is not actually a Zen text, but is about Zen – written by an American scholar to help the reader understand Zen. The Zen text on pages 235-247 consists of several short stories (or puzzles, or parables), preserved and transmitted over time by Zen leaders. The ideas embodied here are often not verbal or even rational! Taoist philosophy had a role in shaping these ideas.)
Instruction: Read the three texts in group 1 (224-7: Heart Sutra) and group 3 (235-247: two Zen texts). Then write two paragraphs, one about each of the two texts in Group 3. For each paragraph, follow the Generic Instructions below. For the Zen stories in pages 235-247, focus your paragraph on one or two themes evident in these stories, and explain their significance for understanding Zen.
Note: Your understanding of these documents, and of their meaning and location within Mahayana Buddhism, can be enriched by studying the material on page 218 (about the overall themes in MB) and on page 219 (significant statements in the film “Land of the Disappearing Buddha” which I transcribed).
