RELS 168 Buddhisms of the Silk Road

This course focuses on the variability and plurality of Buddhism by tracing the development of the tradition across the Silk Road. From the 1st c. CE, Buddhism traveled from India into several other regions and cultures by way of this network of overland routes stretching from North Africa to East Asia. As such this roadway became the channel through which regionally and culturally diverse systems of Buddhist thought, ethics, practices, and concerns were transmitted, adapted, and enculturated. The ultimate goal of this course is to introduce students to the Buddhist tradition in a way that widens the scope of represented practices and doctrines, and to emphasize the critical role that diverse representations must play in the study of non-Western religions generally.