University of the West Online

This class is a survey of the doctrinal contexts, theoretical frameworks, and the practice of and approaches to early Buddhist meditation. The course will contain both the emic/practitioner’s perspective as well as the study of meditation as an academic discipline.

Topics to be covered and discussed in this course include (primarily presented in this order): The etymology of meditation; the soteriology of Buddhist meditation; The dynamics of Calm and Insight (śamatha-vipaśyanā); the role of concentration and the nature of attention; mindfulness, clear comprehension, ardency, and other requisites in the culture of Buddhist mental development; meditative absorption/immersion/composure (jhāna); the controversies over jhāna and other aspects of meditation; stages of insight and the supramundane fruitions; eidetic and “antidotal” meditations; and new horizons in the study of meditation and consciousness.

This course investigates the essentials of bhāvanā (mental cultivation) as originally defined, conceived, and systematized by the Buddha within the scheme of gradual training toward liberation. Grounded primarily in Early Buddhist Texts, the Abhidhamma, and the Pāli literature of the Theravāda tradition, the course examines how meditation — more precisely, the cultivation of samādhi (concentration) and paññā (wisdom) — functions as the irreplaceable engine of the soteriological path leading to the end of dukkha.

Students engage primary sources in English translation alongside leading secondary scholarship, tracing meditation theory from the Pāli Nikāyas through the great commentarial meditation manual, Visuddhimagga, and into the Abhidhamma literature that underpins classical meditation analysis. The course then examines the major Theravāda practice traditions (Mahāsi, Pa-Auk, Goenka) branched out from the 20^th-century vipassanā movement, which later catalyzed the contemporary mindfulness movement and the growing field of scientific and evidence-based research in meditation. A brief survey of non-Theravāda meditation traditions and students’ sharing their research findings on specific topics in Buddhist meditation round out this course. Along the theoretical expedition into ancient Buddhist texts and living meditation traditions, short, guided practice sessions on various meditation themes as per the Pāli texts will be intercepted in lectures. By the end of the semester, students will possess both textual fluency and critical analytical tools to situate any Buddhist meditation tradition within its doctrinal, historical, and contemporary contexts.

This course explores unique issues in Buddhist chaplaincy. Attention is given to an overview of scriptures across Buddhist traditions that have informed ministry, spiritual care and counseling techniques, and the chaplain’s personal spiritual practice.

This course examines the ways influential thinkers have understood stages of transformation in spiritual development. Students explore the ways in which significant works may deepen their own personal practice as well as their approach to chaplaincy.

This course will focus on the professional organizations (especially AAMFT and CAMFT) that have evolved to oversee the field of counseling.  In particular, we will review the ethical codes put forth by these organizations, and the California laws and regulations relevant to counselors.  Ethical decision-making skills using these standards, as guidelines are applied, and professional counseling identities are developed. Students will also be introduced to the evolution of the field of counseling and the roles and functions counselors play.

Classroom: ED307

This course introduces the Buddhist teachings on aging, illness, and death. It also explores the practices of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity along with gratitude for self-care as well as counseling clients who experience grief and losses. 

How do people come to see and describe a world? Religion and science both answer, and not always in the same way. Moving across history, literature, and technology, this course asks how knowledge claims get built, tested, and contested, and what we owe one another when we make them.

Introduces fundamentals of algebra with emphasis on quantitative thinking. Reasoning quantitatively using tables & graphs, & application of linear functions, quadratic functions & linear systems to problems is emphasized.

Introduction to the basics of Japanese including pronunciation, grammar, & basic reading & writing of Hiragana & Katakana with an emphasis on speaking & listening to standard conversational Japanese.

Cross-cultural study of ethnicity and nationalism. Examines concepts of social identity and how gender, language, religion, and national identity interact. Also, explores the historical and societal macro process of ethnic identities.

Reviews relevant philosophies; discusses ethics from different religious perspectives, particularly humanistic Buddhism, & emphasizes how such philosophy & ethics can be effectively used in modern organizations & management.

Why This is Important?

How can you be an ethical corporate citizen in an increasingly complex, multiple-stakeholder world?

This is the most pressing question facing businesses today, small and large, local and global. Business Ethics is a thorough yet accessible exploration of the main ethical theories and how these apply to the major stakeholders facing this question.

Introduces the environment and tools of international financial management, covering financial, tax, economic, political, and legal issues that an international financial manager faces. Also covers foreign exchange rates, risk assessment, balance of payment, and financial alternatives and tradeoffs.

Course Objectives:
Able to describe different types of int’l financial markets and its functions and roles;
Able to explain how the hedge and arbitrage can be used to diversify the risk and make profits;
Able to explain how to manage the currency risks.