RELS 327

This course presents the Buddhist ideal of the Way of the Bodhisattva, one who vows to continue to re-incarnate, lifetime after lifetime, in order to serve all beings until such time as all beings are freed from suffering. It examines early Buddhist teachings that anticipate the development of this ideal, including the Theravada Buddhist focus on the strength of discipline of the mind and body, before detailing the Mahayana Buddhist development of this ideal and its expansion in the narrative and practice of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It will include study of Buddhist philosophy regarding the gradual states of realisation of enlightenment. Three credits. Offered 2026-2027.