General Requirements:
The research essay for this course . Students must select a minimum of five academic sources that pertain to their selected essay topic and students must also set out a clear thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The best place to search for academic source materials is through the UPEI library webpage. Academic books and journal articles are needed in order to meet the criteria (avoid: webpages, blogs, Wikipedia, non-academic journals or books). A thesis statement is an argument that makes a particular claim backed by supporting evidence. Your thesis should always address the “how” or “why” of your research topic. Examples of thesis statements will be posted on Moodle as we approach the due date.
The essay should be 5-6 pages in length and include an introduction with thesis statement, several sections appropriately organized containing evidence for your argument and clear integration of your source materials, as well as a concluding paragraph that sums up your main point.
The essay must conform to standard academic stylistic practices (1” margins, 12-point Times New Roman, title page, page numbers, footnotes, bibliography, in-text citations, etc.). Students can use any citation format (APA, MLA, or Chicago) but citation style must be consistent throughout the essay and there should be both in-text citations and a bibliography. If you are unsure how to use these citation formats, please ask and I will provide further explanation or clarification.
Potential Topics:
#1 – Ritual Analysis: Select a specific time period and describe what happens in a particular Buddhist ritual/ceremony. Description will answer questions like: Who is involved? What actions occur? What materials are used? What is happening during the ritual? Once you have described the ritual/ceremony, explain its religious significance within Buddhism. Here you now provide the terminology used in academic discussion about the tradition, explain how the ritual/ceremony is interpreted in the tradition, connect it with philosophy, text, and historical development of Buddhism. In particular, identify what religious narrative the ritual/ceremony connects to, and how. The explanatory component will include your own analysis, demonstration of critical thinking, and investigations of issues raised by your sources. Students may select a ritual of their choosing but some suggestions include: Dana, Meditation, Koans/Mandalas, Tantric Visualization, any Buddhist Festival, etc.
#2 – Buddhism in Contemporary Popular Culture: Select a specific film (some suggested films can be found on page 424 of the Harvey textbook) and present an analysis of how Buddhism is depicted in the film. Consider the following questions in your analysis: What type of Buddhism is presented in the film? How does the film incorporate Buddhist philosophy or ritual? Does this presentation align with the information in the textbook or other academic sources about Buddhism?
#3 – Politics & Buddhism: Select a particular historical event and explain how politics and Buddhism intersect within that event. Describe the historical context of the event and explain the significance of that event within the historical development of Buddhism. Be sure to link religious and political change in your essay. Questions to consider include: How does political change lead to religious/philosophical development? Or vice versa? How are politics and religious related in the event that you are describing and analyzing?
Possible historical events to analyze include: The reign of King Ashoka; The split between Therevada and Mayahana schools; Political support or persecution of Buddhist monastics (choose a particular geographic location and time period to narrow the focus); Introduction of Buddhism to China.
*Since this is a second-year course, students may choose to write on a different topic than the suggested topics listed above. This is permissible BUT you must seek approval from the instructor for your topic prior to submission.
