Introduction to Buddhism in the Modern World

This course aims to provide basic information about buddhism, its history, development of traditions, and schools. It explains its global expansion and discusses the influence of dharma in contemporary science and art. What is more, it deliberates on contemporary phenomena related to Buddhas' teachings, such as “socially engaged buddhism” and “buddhist modernism”.

Subjects presented and discussed during this seminar will refer to:

- history of Buddhism

- introduction to dharma

- migration of buddhism to western world

- modernization of Buddhism

- buddhism and science

- concept of socially engaged Buddhism

- buddhist practices in the West

- buddhism in Poland

Baumann Martin, 2001, Global Buddhism: Developmental Periods,

Regional Histories, and a New Analytical Perspective, [in:] Journal of Global Buddhism 2, pp. 1-43.

Coleman James William, 2002, The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition, Oxford University Press

McMahan David, 2008, The making of Buddhist modernism, Oxford University Press.

Powers John, 1995, Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion Publication.

Prebish Charles, 2002, Studying the Spread and Histories of Buddhism in the West, [in:] Westward Dharma – Buddhism Beyond Asia, Prebish Charles, Baumann Martin (edit.) Berkeley, University of California Press.

Wallece Alan, 2002, The Spectrum of Buddhist Practice in the West, [in:] Westward Dharma – Buddhism Beyond Asia, Premish Charles, Baumann Martin (edit.) Berkeley, University of California Press, pp. 34-50.

The final grade will depend on: the activity of the student during seminars, his/hers knowledge of literature (50%) and oral presentation with the use of PowerPoint (50%) [which will be graded with the use of standard scale (2-5)].