Buddhism in America is sweeping across the nation, like the swine flu. Celebrities like Goldie Hawn, Richard Gere, and Tina Turner have converted and brought it to the public attention. The Dali Lama is also a Buddhist figure that is widely recognized around the world.

Buddhism was first brought to America by immigrants from Asian countries and gained popularity for its belief system.

“Early Japanese came here in 1898 or so, they sent a letter back to Japan saying we’re missing the dharma can you send someone out here. So the first church was founded in San Francisco in response to that around 1898,” said Rev. Joe of the Seattle Buddhist Temple.

The Seattle Buddhist Temple and garden.

Two students at Pacific Lutheran University, senior Roxanne Faiva and senior Kalessa Hamilton found Buddhism to be interesting while taking a religion and culture course with Michael Zbaraschuk. They decided to participate in a traditional Buddhist service.

“I was raised and still am Catholic. I came wanting to experience something different that I not use to and open myself up to different cultural perspectives,” said Roxanne.

The two of them visited a Buddhist temple located in Seattle. The temples name is the Seattle Buddhist Temple. They both attended a regular Sunday service on November 22, at 10am.

“The service was nothing like I would have expected it to have been. Its format was like that of any Christian church I have been too, except the concepts and sermons were completely different,” said Kalessa.

The Seattle Buddhist Temple is part of the Jodo Shinshu tradition under the mother temple the Nishi Hongwanji in Japan. It is also affiliated with the Buddhist Churches of America.

One of the Reverands at the temple delivers his dharma talk.

“Buddhism has been a presence here in Seattle since 1900, so they have been here over 100 years at first it was in somebody’s apartment and this church itself was completed in 1941 and right shortly after it had been completed the attack on Pearl Harbor had taken place. So the us government took over this building and fortunately took good care of it. After the war it was returned to the community,” said Rev. Joe.

The building is out of place, located in an urban neighborhood in Seattle, but has stunning Japanese architecture and across the road they own a small garden. In the garden there is the large statue of Shinran Shonin and a Bonsho which is the large bell used to signify the opening service. Inside the temple where their services are held striking and very clean. The shrine to Ahmida Buddah a separate room in the service are where the reverends sit and it glitters of gold.

The statue of Shinran Shonin located ouside in the garden.

“I was over come by the beauty of the place inside and out. It was like entering a small Asian art museum,” said Kalessa.

The shrine dedicated to Ahmida Buddah, located in the temple.

The Seattle Buddhist Temple is very beautiful and captivating, but that isn’t the only thing that captured the attention of the two students.

“The fact that most of the reverends were white shocked me. I was expecting to see old Asian men in colored robes talking to us,” said Kalessa.

One of the reverend that Kalessa spoke of was Rev. Jim Warrick and another is Rev. Joe.

“I was raised as a Catholic in Spokane I actually went to Gonzaga prep which was a catholic school it was my junior religion class that convinced me that there was something wrong with what I was being taught. So I spent many years wondering around doing nothing and finally about age 45 or so I thought this is kind of an empty existence and I was looking for something and I just happened to go to a seminar at the University of Washington where I met Rev. Don Castro and became a Buddhist after that. So I have been around this temple a while but I wasn’t raised Buddhist at all. My mother is kind of embarrassed still when she talks about me, but that would have happened any way,” said Rev. Joe.

“I got asked that question around 20 years ago, what are you doing here. What’s a guy with a heavy southern accent grew up as a southern Baptist doing in a Buddhist church. Like you, like everyone else I was searching… the best way I can describe it is something that feels good and that fits me and I started out in Zen Buddhism. That’s a lot of work, it is rough on the knees, I can’t sit still very long,” said Rev. Jim.

What draws people to Buddhism is different for everyone. Some people have been born into it and that is the religion they know and others are searching for something different, some sort of meaning and inner peace. Buddhism is not easy and can be complex but it is a path, one that can be followed. The four noble truths are the pillars every form of Buddhism is born on. The four noble truths are:

1) Life is suffering

2) Suffering is caused by desire

3) There is an end to suffering

4) The way is the noble 8 fold path

“That’s what life really is because every time something good happens there is kind something bad is lurking or just happened. The best example of this is when the Buddha was out during a ceremony for planting the crops in the spring when he was a young child or teenager they were plowing out the fields and this was important to the village, because this provided crops for the rest of the year. They were plowing the fields and the Buddah noticed you know were getting all this good stuff but there is also bugs and plants and animals dying out there because all the sudden they were exposed. The birds come down and eat the bugs, the lizards jump on the birds and it goes on. So even during this great time and celebration there is this stuff going on that isn’t so good and that’s was it really is. Things aren’t going to be perfect, and the more we want them to be perfect the more frustrated we are going to become. If we just accept things as they are then life kind of makes sense,” said Rev. Joe.

Buddhism is a religion open to everyone. Some people like to see it as a way of life more then a following. The temple in Seattle is dedicated to Jodo Shinshu, the pure land teachings of Buddhism which is derived from the Mahayana Buddhism. Jodo Shinshu is the largest group in Japan, somewhere between 12 and 20 million. There are about 10 thousand Jodo Shinshu temples in Japan.

“It’s a laid back Buddhist. That’s the way I like to say it, laid back Buddhist, because traditional Buddhist you are really trying to improve yourself and you’re working towards your enlightenment. Then as you move in that direction you find out how difficult it is to obtain enlightenment on your own. As you find that out Judo Shinshu Buddhism then you realize that we all are enlightened. We are all working in that direction. But we do it with the help of the other power which is known as Ahmida Buddha, which is what our whole shrine is dedicated to. Ahmida Buddha is not really a person per say, it’s a personification of an ideal or concept which is love, wisdom and passion all rolled into one,” said Rev. Jim.

Roxanne and Kalessa have not converted to Buddhism, but they do remember teachings of the Buddha. One in particular from the dharma, which is that from the mud grows the lotus. This teaching is presented to every Buddhist and it is the Buddhist job to interpret it into what they think it means to them. The lotus can be a representation of ones self or enlightenment and the mud can signify the ugliness of life. Their understanding of the concept brings enlightenment one step closer.

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Pictures of the beautiful Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn adorn her bedroom wall. On the same wall, a pair of old, worn-down ballet slippers hopelessly hang. That is where this story begins. *Jane Smith a student here at PLU does not mind sharing her story of a battle many girls fight.

            The summer after eighth grade Jane developed a disorder that put her life in danger. It started with her dance instructor encouraging her to lose some weight.

            “She would say things to us like; be light on your feet you sound like elephants, and I wasn’t the only girl she drove to lose weight, there were others” Jane said.

            Jane began unhealthy eating habits. Starting at only one hundred and nine pounds, Smith was convinced she should lose weight. She dropped to a low weight by that spring, ninety five pounds.

            She went through everyday not eating breakfast, hardly ever eating lunch, and barely touching her dinner. All while lying to her mother about what she ate.

            “I would pick something off of the school menu like chicken nuggets and just tell my mother that’s what I ate, so she wouldn’t find out,” said Jane.

            Jane went to have a routine physical after these events took place and her doctor informed her that she was anorexic. She explains that the disorder was something like a contest for her and other girls she knew.

             “Another girl I knew told me she was one hundred and three pounds and I thought to myself well I’m one hundred and five pounds and she is taller then me so I have to weigh less than she does. I had to be less than one hundred pounds in my mind and once I got there I thought well if I have gotten to here I can get to ninety five pounds and I did,” said Jane.

She continued to try and keep it from her mother, but soon her secret was out when a friend let it slip to her mother that Jane didn’t eat lunch ever.

            Jane’s mother had a discussion with her dance instructor. She was then informed that if she didn’t gain weight she would be asked to leave the company. The problem now was that she did not want to gain any weight. Jane moved to a different company, but the new instructor was not happy with her weight and wanted her to lose more weight. This was not good for her and she ended up quitting dance and moved on with her life.

            Jane’s battle with anorexia caused her to be at risk for hypoglycemia which resulted in multiple tests.

            Now she is healthy, but it was a long road for her. She beat the disease by eating healthy and studying websites targeted for people with eating disorder. The websites offered confidence boosting by telling people they are beautiful just the way they are.

            “I think I was very fortunate to have overcome this and I think it helped that they caught it early on,” says Jane.

            Today she is at a healthy weight and looks as beautiful as the women hanging on her walls. Jane offers these words of encouragement that helped her beat her disorder, to those struggling with an eating disorder.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” Eleanor Roosevelt.

            Everyone out there is as beautiful as Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, it is important to just believe it and don’t let anyone tell you any different.

PLU students walk by the Trinidad and Tobago kiosk, one students signs up for more information on the program.

When visiting another country, beware of ATM machines eating your debit cards. That is what happened to senior Beth Johannsen two years ago when she took German Language and Culture during the New Germany J-Term trip.

            “I didn’t have money for two weeks, because an ATM machine ate my debit card,” Beth said.

            But Johannsen did not let that incident stop her from getting the most out of her J-term trip, or stop her from studying away again in the Caribbean.

            Study abroad is not the correct term as I was quickly corrected by one of the Wang Center staff at the annual study away fair; the correct term is study away. This year the study away fair was on Sept. 23. As the sound of African drums blare through the speakers at the fair, many students arrived hoping to find a course of interest in a country of interest.

            Students who have never studied away before had their arms filled with booklets and fliers full of information on courses offered around the world. Freshman Hannah Raszka was one of those students excited about seeing different cultures and experiencing something she is not use to. For others like Johannsen and sophomore Jessica Wilson it gives them a larger global perspective.

            Ask any student who has studied away if they would do it again, and you are most likely to get a response somewhere along the lines of an enthusiastic yes.

            Seasoned study away professor, Professor Kirsten Christensen, who teaches the German Language and Culture in New Germany lent helpful advice about study away. “First be prepared to be exhausted mentally and physically.”

            “Be as absorbent as possible, don’t try to find meaning for everything right away, and ask a lot of questions,” Christensen said.

            Besides staying away from debit card eating ATM machines Johannsen advises, “Make sure you are interested and know a little bit about the place you are going.”

            As a seasoned study away student myself, traveling to London and Australia, my advice is to have fun. Studying abroad is a life experience, other than learning the course context, you learn more about yourself.

courtesy of www.hereforthekids.org

The Pierce County Big Brothers and Big Sisters program needs our help. 180 kids are waiting for a mentor. These kids just need whatever time you have available to volunteer.

School and community based mentoring are available. School-Based Mentoring includes dedicating a few hours a month working with children at local elementary schools. Community-Based Mentoring includes taking as little as two to four times a month to mentor a local youth and enjoy fun activities.

This is a great program to get involved with and allows you to change the life of a child. To join one of the programs contact Pierce Big Brothers and Big Sisters at 253-396-9630 or go to www.bbbsps.org search for the region and fill out a short application.

courtesy of www.plu.edu Lutes Basketball

This Thanksgiving weekend be prepared for a weekend of basketball here at PLU. PLU is set to host the second annual Pacific Northwest Lutheran Invitational basketball tournament. The tournament is sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, but it’s not just about playing basketball this tournament is helping a non-profit children’s organization.

The teams will work together with Children of the Nations, a non-profit organization that ministers in multiple countries to rescue and raise children. Supplying these children with nutritious and adequate food supply.  Team members from all eight teams will work 30-minute shifts on Saturday morning packaging meals consisting of for Children of the Nations to ship to children overseas.

If you yourself are interested in helping packaging the meals for Children of the Nations you are more than welcome. For more information on how to participate please call (253) 535-7367.

Four games will be played consecutively both November 28th and November 29th in Olson Auditorium. The weekend’s men’s and women’s tournament will consist of a multiple amount of Lutheran college teams from the Midwest, including the Lutes. The women’s field consists of Pacific Lutheran, Concordia (Ore.), Wartburg (Iowa) and Finlandia (Mich.), and the men’s field is made up of Pacific Lutheran, Concordia (Ore.), Wittenberg (Ohio) and Concordia (Minn.).

courtesy of www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com

Still wanting to make your voice heard and count, even though the Presidential election is over? Well here is your chance. The People’s Choice Awards allows everyone to cast their votes for their favorite choices in the television, music and film categories.

It is the 35th annual People’s Choice Awards hosted by Queen Latifah January 7th on CBS. Log on to PCAvote.com to make your voice heard in the entertainment world. “The Dark Knight,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Iron Man” are up against each other for movie of the year. There are a total of 37 categories to vote: 16 for Film, 14 in television, and 10 for music.

Make sure to cast your vote and watch the results January 7th on CBS.

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270. That’s the magic number for today’s historic election. Networks are not holding back calling the election for John McCain or Barack Obama if one of them collects 270 electoral votes. This creates the possibility that the presidential election could be called before polls close in the west. It happened once before in 1980. All the networks promise to take the time to project the race accurately. Network executives say they won’t make any predictions before their time, but they won’t be foolish to wait on a projection if they’re sure. So it is possible that Washington may be irrelevant.

“If you project a state and (the candidate) reaches the electoral vote, what are you going to do? Lie?” Phil Alongi, who runs special events programming at NBC News said. “We will project a state when we’re comfortable with the projection. If one of them hits the required 270, you have to report that, and you can’t hold back.”

Don’t forget that every vote still counts and make sure to vote today.

courtesy of www.kdka.com

There is no doubt that Hollywood has a certain fascination with Barack Obama. If he wins the presidential election, a major motion picture about his life and time in office can’t be far behind. But who would be talented enough to portray Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, John McCain, Cindy McCain, Joe Biden, and Sarah Palin?

In a perfect world Steven Speilberg would direct this epic film starring Will Smith as Barack Obama, Gabrielle Union as Michelle Obama, Richard Dreyfuss as John McCain, Nicole Kidman as Cindy McCain, Warren Beatty as Joe Biden, and I don’t think anyone can give a Sarah Palin performance better than Tina Fey.

If you take my suggestions Hollywood, just make it tasteful.

courtesy of www.allposters.com

It looks like the Three Stooges are back. MGM is in the process of acquiring the film rights to the Stooges. The Three Stooges were showcased in shorts and features as early as 1933. Warner Brothers currently holds the rights to the Stooges and has had a project in development for years.

The most recent screenplay written by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly is in current works and the Farrelly’s are also attached to direct. The story  provides an orgin for Larry, Moe and Curly. The targeted release date is Nov. 20, 2009.

The real mystery is with the cast. Who could they possibly find to portray these iconic characters? Maybe Will Ferrel as curly, Jack Black as Larry or possibly even Steve Carrel as Moe? I’m just throwing a few suggestions out there for you Hollywood.

courtesy of www.rottentomatoes.com

At a benefit Monday for the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoeniz (Walk the Line, We Own the Night) announced that his latest film would be his last. Instead of continuing with his extremely successful acting career, Pheonix wants to focus on his music career.

“No, I’m not kidding,” he added, presumably not kidding.

Phoenix recently finished shooting the romantic drama Two Lovers also starring Gwyneth Paltrow(Iron Man), Vinessa Shaw(3:10 to Yuma, The Hills Have Eyes) and Isabella Rossellini (The Accidental Husband, Infamous). 

Themove may prove risky for the talented actor, but it will only take time to see if he is as successful with his music career as he has been in film. If it doesn’t work out, Pheonix is always welcome back to Hollywood. But until then, we will miss his face on the silver screen.