Introduction: What Is Religion? & A Brief History of Buddhism

• Course text: Rethinking Karma: The Dharma of Social Justice. Ed. Jonathan S. Watts (Bangkok, Thailand: International Network of Engaged Buddhists, 2014, 2nd edition) (hardcopy for ¥500 from Prof. Watts)
• Kosambi, D. D. 1969. Ancient India: A History of Its Culture and Civilization. Cleveland: Meridian Books. especially chapters 5-7
• Swaris, Nalin. 2008. The Buddha’s Way to Human Liberation, A Socio-historical Approach Nugegoda, Sri Lanka: Sarasavi Publishers.
• Osamu, Tezuka. 1972-83. The Buddha (the manga). (Vertical: 2006) from the godfather of the Japanese manga genre. An enjoyable and quite accurate portrayal of the Buddha and his times. Read the original in Japanese too!

Buddhist Sociology: A Community of Liberation, A Culture of Diversity, An Institution of Power

• “The ‘Positive Disintegration’ of Buddhism: Reformation and Deformation in the Sri Lankan Sangha” first part pp. 91-107 in Rethinking Karma.