ARTH 403(F) Capturing the Buddha: Stupas in Theory and Practice*

Stupas, pagodas, chedis, and chortens,; earthen mounds, masonry towers, golden spires, and mountainous monuments-these structures are perhaps the most ubiquitous forms of Buddhist architecture. This seminar will examine not only the multifarious manifestations of stupas, but also the sources of their enduring power and popularity. From the stupas of ancient India, built to shelter the corporeal remains the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, to the concrete "pagodas" fashioned by modern American Buddhists, how are these structures imbued with sacred authority? We will investigate not only how stupas functioned within early South Asian relics cults to capture and communicate the presence of the Buddha and other eminent monks, but also how relics and stupas are tools in the propagation of Buddhism throughout the world. We thus examine how worshippers across many countries have shaped the form of the stupa to suit local aesthetic, devotional and political concerns. Through interdisciplinary readings and fieldwork projects at local stupa sites, this course will also introduce students to several methodological approaches to the study of objects and visual culture.
Format: seminar. Requirements: This seminar will include lively student discussion. Throughout the semester, students will be expected to complete a series of short response papers, an annotated bibliography and a 10- to 15-page research paper.
No prerequisites. Preference: permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 15 (expected: 15).
Satisfies the non-western requirement.

Hour: BECKER