We are pleased to announce the opening of registrations for the course “Mahāyāna Buddhism and its expansion in East Asia”. This course is the result of a successful collaboration between the Fundació Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation, and has been created in response to the exceptional reception of previous courses and the growing interest in the academic study of Buddhism. Conceived as an innovative online program, it will be offered in the last quarter of 2024 and is specially designed for the Spanish-speaking community around the world.
It offers participants an extremely flexible learning modality: the possibility of joining sessions in real time or accessing recordings of these sessions throughout the course. This feature ensures that each student can adapt their learning to their own schedules and needs, no matter what time zone they are in.
We invite those interested to discover more about this educational program, distinguished by its exceptional quality content and innovative design.
Buddhist teachings have transcended borders and millennia, becoming an imperishable legacy that has influenced the philosophy, psychology and art of the modern era. Despite its imprint on contemporary culture and having guided countless practitioners to the most remote corners of the planet, Buddhism remains a great unknown in Spanish-speaking countries and in Ibero-American university classrooms. Aware of this lack, the Rovira i Virgili University Foundation and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation have joined forces to further open the doors to the rigorous academic study of Buddhism in the Spanish language. In 2021, both institutions forged an ambitious collaboration agreement that has given life to an unprecedented program of Buddhist studies, consisting of academic courses, specialized publications, conferences and a range of educational activities.
The result of this alliance is the recent publication of Buddhist studies in Latin America and Spain, a collective work of academic research in two volumes that opens horizons to the knowledge of this ancient tradition in the Spanish-speaking world. Published by Universitat Rovira i Virgili Publications and the Dharma-Gaia Foundation, some of the leading scholars of Buddhism in Spanish have participated in it. The first volume of this work is now available and can be downloaded at the following link: https://llibres.urv.cat/index.php/purv/catalog/book/563
After the success of the inaugural cycle “Studies on the traditions of Buddhism and meditation”, which took place between September 2022 and December 2023, the FURV and the FDG have launched a new, more extensive cycle of four independent courses entitled “Mahāyāna Buddhism and its expansion in East Asia” taught between April 2024 and December 2025, with the intention of offering as complete and exhaustive an overview as possible of Buddhism and the traditions that compose it. Specifically, this new program will cover: 1) Early Buddhism and the Theravāda tradition; 2) Mahāyāna Buddhism and its spread across East Asia; 3) Tantric Buddhism and Vajrayāna Buddhism; and 4) Modern and contemporary Buddhism. An ambitious project that opens the door to a deep and rigorous knowledge of Buddhism in the Spanish-speaking academic environment, combining ancient tradition and intellectual avant-garde.
After the extraordinary reception of the first course of this new series entitled “Early Buddhism and the Theravāda Tradition: Teachings and Practices”, which has had more than 60 students and a very positive evaluation from the participants, the FURV and the FDG announce this second course, which is entitled ”Mahāyāna Buddhism and its expansion into East Asia”, co-directed by Professor Jaume Vallverdú, doctor in Social and Cultural Anthropology and professor in the Department of Anthropology, Philosophy and Social Work at the URV, and by Dr. Daniel Millet, president and founder of the Dharma-Gaia Foundation. This new academic proposal will be taught between the beginning of October and the end of December 2024 and, like previous courses, will include the participation of renowned teachers in the field.
Course Description “Mahāyāna Buddhism and its expansion in East Asia”
This theoretical-practical course offers a comprehensive and exhaustive view of Mahāyāna Buddhism and its irradiation in East Asia. It begins with the historical and philosophical development of Buddhism in India after the death of the Buddha, delving into evolution, and the teachings, practices and characteristics of the Mahāyāna tradition. Crucial issues are explored, such as the controversies surrounding their origins, the ideal of Bodhisattva and his path, Buddhahood, the Buddhadic nature, the doctrines of the three bodies of the Buddha (Trikāya) and of the Tathagatagarbha. And it is considered Pure Land Buddhism and the Madhyamaka and Yogācāra schools. Emphasis is placed on the concept of the Prajñāpāramitā and the devotional and artistic manifestations of Mahayana, together with its expansion to Central Asia and China, evaluating its adaptation in these regions.
The second part focuses on Chinese Buddhism, examining its interaction with local culture and spirituality, and analyzing essential texts and main doctrinal currents. The Tiantai, Huayan, Pure Land and Chan schools are studied, highlighting their contribution to Buddhist thought, even beyond Chinese borders. This segment includes a practical chan meditation workshop, providing an experiential experience of this ancient tradition taught by an authorized meditation guide of this lineage. It concludes with an analysis of the contemporary evolution of Buddhism in China, from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the birth of humanist Buddhism, providing a comprehensive view of its transformation and current relevance.
The third section outlines the trajectory of Buddhism in Japan since its introduction, highlighting its interaction with Confucianism and Shinto, and its development from the Nara era to the post-war period. It reviews the formation of the six schools of Nara and the influence of the Tendai and Shingon schools during the Heian era, as well as the emergence of new forms of popular Buddhism in the Kamakura era with the creation of the jōdoshinshū, sōtōshū, rinzaishū, nichirenshū and jishū schools. The strengthening of Zen in the Muromachi era stands out. The Edo era focuses on the division of the Jōdoshinshū school and the influence of figures such as Hakuin Ekaku. The Meiji era reflects the destruction of Buddhist culture under the Haibutsu Kishaku, while the period of the Pacific War and the post-war period saw the formation of new schools. The course concludes with a look at the expansion of Buddhism to Korea and East Asia.
Language and scope:
It is taught in Spanish and is aimed at students and the general public who are highly interested in the subject.
Duration:
The course will last 60 teaching hours, equivalent to 6 ECTS credits. There will be 5 hours of class per week through the virtual campus (Moodle) of the URV spread over two days.
Dates and times:
The course will be held from October 1 to December 19, 2024. The afternoon schedule, from 16:00 to 18:30 (Spanish time), depending on the calendar, allows students from Latin America to follow it.
Location: virtual campus (Moodle)
The course format is virtual and consists of two videoconference sessions per week. All teaching sessions will be recorded so that students can view them during the course.
Enrollment:
The course offers a maximum limited number of 50 places, to be filled in strict order of enrollment.
The tuition fee is 180€.
Admission requirement:
The only requirement for admission to the course is to have passed the secondary education level.
Requirements necessary to meet the completion requirements:
- A minimum of 70% online support.
- Delivery of an essay-like final work of approximately 2000 words.
Certifications
A certificate of achievement will be awarded to participants who successfully complete the course. A certificate will be issued to students who have completed the four independent programs that make up the program “Buddhism and its Traditions: From Its Origins to Its Modern Interpretations”, taught between April 2024 and December 2025.
Find here the link to registration form
Objectives:
Learn about the history and cultural context of the Buddhist tradition.
Learn the philosophical, doctrinal and practical foundations of Mahāyāna Buddhism in East Asia
Learn and experience the basics of Mahāyāna meditation
Academic direction:
Jaume Vallverdú Vallverdú
Daniel Millet Gil
Teaching Staff:
The course has specialized and highly qualified teachers in Buddhist teaching.
Teaching staff:
Agustí Pàniker Vilaplana
María Elvira Ríos Peñafiel
Gustavo Pita Céspedes
Agustí Pàniker Vilaplana (Barcelona, 1959) is the director of the publishing house Kairós, an essayist, lecturer, and a great scholar of India and world religions. He teaches several university master's degrees, including the Master's Degree in Religions and Societies at the Pablo Olavide University (Seville). He has also been a professor in the Master in History of Religions at the UAB-UB, in the Master in Asia-Pacific Studies at the UB and in the Master in Immigration and Intercultural Education at the UB. He is the author, among others, of the books: Jainism. History, Society, Philosophy and Practice(Kairos, 2001); India. An Intellectual Decolonization: Reflections on History, Ethnology, Politics and Religion in South Asia (Kairos, 2005); The Sikhs (Kairos, 2007); Shitala's dream. Journey to the World of Religions (Kairos, 2011); Caste Society: Religion and Politics in India (Kairós, 2014) and The three jewels. The Buddha, His Teaching and the Community (Kairos, 2018). He has written numerous articles in university publications and in popular journals on different aspects of world societies, traditions, religions and cultures.
María Elvira Ríos Peñafiel (Santiago, Chile 1980) holds a master's degree and doctorate in Asian and African studies, specializing in China, from the Center for Asian and African Studies of El Colegio de México (2015). She was a doctoral student of renowned professor Luis Óscar Gómez. He has published his research on Buddhism and Chinese culture in multiple academic journals. She is the coordinator of New dialogues: Asia and Africa from a Latin American perspective, The College of Mexico (2019). She has been an advisor to the Chinese Language Project of the Chilean Ministry of Education (2015-2018), researcher and coordinator of the Degree in Chinese Studies project, Universidad Santo Tomás (2018). She has taught courses in Buddhism at various Latin American academic institutions and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Aesthetics of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, with the research “The ecological reflection of Chinese Buddhism”. She is currently an adjunct researcher at the ICLAC Millennium Center, Catholic University of Chile, professor at the Dharma Gaia Foundation and member of RIEB, ALADAA Chile and LEB.
Gustavo Pita Céspedes (Havana, Cuba, 1959) obtained a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Leningrad State University in 1983. He was professor of History of Philosophy at the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba from 1987 to 2004. In 2006, he obtained a master's degree in Asian and African Studies from El Colegio de México, and in 2013, a doctorate in Translation and Intercultural Studies from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). He has spent research stays in Japan at Hanazono University (1993-1994) and at the University of Tsukuba (2007-2008) as a fellow of the Japan Foundation. He is currently a professor in the Department of East Asian Studies at the UAB. He is the author of the book Genealogy and transformation of the Bushi culture in Japan (2014), of several articles on Japanese philosophy and culture and of translations of literature from Japanese into Spanish.
FURV information and contact person:
For more information, visit the URV Foundation website or contact the FURV contact person: Cristina Jacas — cristina.jacas@fundacio.urv.cat
Useful links:
Video presentation of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili 2020
Articles published on Buddhistdoor in Spanish
”The situation of Buddhist studies in Spain: educational programs” by Juan Arnau Navarro, Montse Castellà Olivé, Francisco Díez de Velasco, Ricardo Guerrero Diáñez, Basili Llorca Martínez, Daniel Millet, Agustín Pániker Vilaplana, Aleix Ruiz Falqués, Jaume Vallverdú Vallverdú, Abraham Vélez de Cea.
”An Ecosophical Interpretation of the Buddhist Experience of Ganying” by María Elvira Ríos.
”The God of Stranger: Buddha in Chilean Magazines of the Early 20th Century” by María Elvira Ríos.
”Fascinating and auspicious Buddhist devices: the NIANFOJI” by María Elvira Ríos.
Other related articles published on Buddhistdoor in Spanish
”Interview with Agustín Pániker, director of Editorial Kairós” by Daniel Millet.
“The Dreams of Perfection. Buddhism and Transhumanism. Interview with Jaume Vallverdú” Daniel Millet
