Diploma in Chinese Buddhism

Diploma in Chinese Buddhism

Programme details for Academic year 2025-2026

Date of Commencement: 14th July 2025

This programme takes a primarily historical approach to the study of Chinese Buddhism. Students will study how nomadic pastoralists, who were also fierce warriors, were the first to connect China to the West; how conduits that were developed for commerce also facilitated transmission of religion and culture; how the quest for knowledge and understanding of a religious tradition from a foreign land inspired people to travel across treacherous terrain for over a thousand years; the resultant impact on Chinese culture and in turn, of the sinicisation of Buddhism. An important element of each lecture will be to engage students in reflections on cross-cultural contact and response to new ideas; human behavior and the development of society, religion and philosophy.

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Key Information

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Eligibility

 HSC or equivalent.

Pedagogy

Teaching-learning occurs in lecture and seminar format. Films are also used as mediums of instruction. Students are encouraged to read, present and participate in each session.

Programme Outcomes

At the end of successful completion of the course the student will have:

  • Would have gained an understanding of the multiple influencers at work in the transmission of ideas across geographies.
  • Will have an appreciation of the unique ways in which Buddhism was assimilated in China, frequently in the face of opposition and persecution; and the efforts of monks from both India and China that led to the widespread dissemination
  • The singular features of Chinese Buddhism, the unique schools and the transformation of an Indic tradition into a form that bore the mark of Chinese culture
  • An insight into the rich heritage of Buddhist art in China

Differentiators

The Centre for Buddhist Studies has led the field in innovative curriculum design that addresses the learning needs of students who can engage full time, as well as those who pursue their passion part-time, at their own pace. The faculty have diverse specialisations, which is reflected in the syllabus.

Efforts are made each year to facilitate participation in study-abroad or exchange programmes, so that students can have an international exposure.

The most unique aspect of our Centre is community engagement at our outreach project, Jetavan, in rural Maharashtra, which is available for students to visit and volunteer for engagement. The centre has been set up in collaboration with Godavari Biorefineries and Ven. Dhammadipa.

The K J Somaiya Institute of Dharma Studies has a library with over 30,000 books, which is an important resource.

In addition to the workshops that are an integral part of this programme, students can attend seminars, workshops and field trips that are offered by the institution across the various disciplines. This creates opportunities of learning beyond the classroom and permits interaction with students pursuing different interests: this is a key feature of the learning experience on our campus.

Curriculum

 
 
Semester I Semester II
Chinese Context of Buddhism Buddhism on the Silk Route: China, Persia, Tibet and Kashmir
Workshop Archaeology: Theories and Practices
Semester III Semester IV
Chinese Buddhism Thesis
Workshop  

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