Topics in Indian Buddhist Texts: Daily Life in India from around the Turn of the Common Era Onwards

This seminar is designed to provide an overview of the sources available for the study of daily life in Indian Buddhist monasteries. Students will be introduced to a wide range of research tools and approaches (including archaeological, art-historical, epigraphical, literary, and textual/philological) in the study of Indian Buddhism. Students will be expected to become familiar with a variety of sources: from Buddhist texts such as the Pāli canon, early Mahāyāna sūtras and monastic law codes to travel records, Sanskrit drama, archaeological reports, and early graffiti. In addition to a research essay, students may be required to submit short, critical response papers on a regular basis, and occasional assignments relating to the use of specialised research tools.