Director, Environmental Studies
Professor of English

SUMMARY OF THE BUDDHIST VIEW OF NATURE

 

Usually, students are assigned to write papers after they have studied the subject a while and achieved a level of expertise. This paper is different. It is intended as a way for you to try to summarize the reading as a preparation for class discussion. I only expect you to have read and thought about what is in the reading. The paper will be a second step (the reading is the first step) in your learning about Buddhism. Class discussion will be the next step, and then you will learn more about Buddhism as the course continues.

 

In this paper you should summarize your understanding of the most important aspects of Buddhism's view of nature. That view includes:

* The basic characteristics of nature: its qualities and how it operates.
* How we normally misunderstand nature -- the delusions that Buddhism is trying to overcome.
* The value of nature.
* The relationship between humans and nature.

 

Assume your reader is someone who knows nothing about Buddhism and is curious about it's view(s) of nature.

 

In order to illustrate and support your interpretations, you need to quote from the readings. This is an important skill in communication and persuasion.

Be sure to cite your sources, both direct quotes and information you learned from the reading. Proper citation style (MLA) is not difficult to learn, and it is expected, so this paper should have in-the-text citations and a works cited list at the end (you don't need to put it on a separate page). For a summary of MLA citation, click here.

 

The paper is also an opportunity for me to give you feedback on your writing skills, which we will work on the entire semester. So the paper should have all the qualities of good expository prose: unity of the paper as a whole and of each paragraph, good style, clear thinking, correct grammar and spelling, proper citation, etc.

 

Because this is such a short paper, it needs to be very efficient. Don't spend any time talking in general terms about Buddhism. Get right to the main points. Although it is short, it should consist of several unified paragraphs; don't write one long paragraph.

 

The paper should be approximately one to one-and-a-half pages, typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 point, with works cited list at the end.