| SIS 315 Contemplation and Political Change |
Course Description Does socio-political change start with the self or society? What is the relationship between the landscape of internal experience and the political terrain of the external world? This course explores the connection between contemplative practice and socio-political engagement. It is structured around weekly yoga and meditation sessions; readings from political activists, philosophers, and survivors; guest lectures and field trips; and discussion of student experiences. Core topics include suffering and response, social “activism,” environmental protection, and the development of tools and techniques for the practice of mindfulness. The first section of the course lays out the fundamental problem. The second section reflects on the relationship between the practice of mindfulness and socio-political action as exemplified in the work and lives of remarkable individuals. The third section explores the relationship between the self and the natural world in light of global and regional environmental degradation. The final section examines public engagement as a form of spiritually necessary practice. Practical Matters Each session includes some practice of yoga, meditation, or other tool of internal exploration and mindfulness. Students should dress in loose, comfortable clothing (no jeans or belts), prepared to move freely. Classes will begin promptly at 11:20; it is essential that you arrive on time. Since we are using a space that also serves other purposes, it would be greatly appreciated if you could arrive early sometimes to help arrange chairs and clear the floor. The practice will be physically demanding at times and is not appropriate for students with chronic medical conditions or certain kinds of injuries. Please consult the instructor if you have any doubts about the suitability of this class for you. Requirements Students are expected to attend all classes, participate actively, and do the readings. In addition, students are expected to develop their own daily ““practice”” –– whether of meditation or yoga –– lasting at least 15 minutes per day. Your experience with this practice, and reflections on the readings and course themes, is also required. The instructor will examine the journal in confidence once during the semester and again towards the end – the journal should reflect your commitment to the course and will be taken into account in assigning final grades Three short papers (4 to 7 pages) are also required. Finally, students are encouraged to engage in some sort of social activism (broadly defined) during the semester as a way of testing course themes through practice. Course grade rests 40% on attendance, in-class participation, journal consistency, and overall involvement with the class; 60% on papers. Texts: The following required books are available for purchase at the bookstore: Viktor Frankl. Man’s Search for Meaning. (Rev.) New York: Washington Square Press, 1997. Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi: An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Boston: Beacon Press, 1957. Other readings will be distributed in class (so DON’T miss class!!) or made available on e-reserve and/or hard reserve. PART ONE: THE PROBLEM * January 18 Organizational meeting * January 25 The Commissar George Orwell, Animal Farm. Bookstore or on line: www.online_literature.com/orwell/animalfarm. * February 1 The Yogi Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart, Chapters 1 - 3 Supplements about the practice of yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar, “Introduction” (selections) from Light on Yoga (New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2000), pp. 31-62 (e-reserves). Michael Lerner to speak on campus February 7, Butler Board Room, 7:30 (REQUIRED). Read: http://www.tikkun.org/magazine/050111a.html * February 8 Suffering and Meaning Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Chapter One, pp 1-30 (e-reserves) FIRST JOURNAL SUBMISSION
* February 15 Suffering and Indifference Kitty Genovese case (on-line research – find out what happened and how people explain it)! * February 22 Activism as Spiritual Necessity, Spirituality as Necessity for Activism Archbishop Oscar Romero in Spirituality Today, web research on Liberation Theology. http://www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/884022brockman.html Martin Luther King, “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” on line at: http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/popular_requests/frequentdocs/birmingham.pdf “Generosity, Codependence and Fearless Compassion,” Chapter 15 in Kornfield, pp. 215-227. Roger Gottlieb, ““Spirituality and Resistance: A Beginning,”” in A Spirituality of Resistance: Finding a Peaceful Heart and Protecting the Earth (Crossroad, 1999), pp. 9-32 (e-reserves). FIRST PAPER DUE/ DISCUSSION OF FIRST PAPERS PART TWO: INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES SUPPLEMENT: Film, “Gandhi” in Library (non-print media center). * March 8 SPRING BREAK NO CLASS * March 15: Burma * March 22 Tibet. Dalai Lama, “Ethics and Suffering,” from Ethics for the New Millennium (Boston: Little, Brown, 1999), pp.137-148 (e-reserves). SECOND JOURNAL SUBMISSION PART THREE: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LANDSCAPES *March 29 Environmental Degradation: Internal and External Landscapes Terry Tempest Williams, Refuge * April 5 Nature as Meditation. Selections from Stephanie Kaza and Kenneth Kraft, eds. Dharma Rain: Sources of Buddhist Environmentalism (Boston: Shambhala, 2000): “Environmental Activism as Buddhist Practice,” and “Home Practice, Wild Practice,” pp. 237-339 (e-reserves). SKIM. Web research: Harvard Forum on Religion and Ecology (http://environment.harvard.edu/religion) Class hike to Billy Goat Trail. Wear good shoes, hands free, carry water! BE VERY PROMPT. SECOND PAPER DUE PART FOUR: SOLUTIONS * April 12 Environmental Degradation: Problems and Solutions * April 19 Grassroots organizations * April 26 Socio-political Engagement as Practice FINAL PAPERS on your activism experience DUE the Monday after the last class. |