On a damp night at Portland State, students remaining on campus face the challenge of finding some comfort within the university after a long day. Some seek refuge in the quiet rooms of the library, others in the upper floors of the student union.
Heather Cleveland, a full-time accounting major, seeks nirvana.
Cleveland, a student at PSU, is also the student leader of Diamond Way Buddhist Group, a student group on campus dedicated to the study and practice of Buddhism.
Buddhism teaches that individual enlightenment, or inner peace, can obtained through just action, meditation and wisdom. Nirvana, the highest state of enlightenment, is achieved when an individual rejects such traits as selfishness, desire and suffering.
The group, a branch the national organization of the same name, meets for weekly meditation in the Smith Memorial Student Union. Although the room number often changes, the group has been a staple on campus since last spring.
“I was interested in bringing Diamond Way to PSU to get more young people involved,” Cleveland said. “They are the ones who will move Buddhism forward and continue the practices and traditions.”
Every Thursday, the meetings begin with introductions–students, non-students and faculty members, old and young alike are in attendance. They all have different reasons for getting involved–everything from learning about Buddhism to personal experience of meditation.
Mark Blackstein, a member of the group’s Portland branch, speaks about the “four thoughts” of Buddhism–People have a rare opportunity on earth; everything on earth is impermanent; people’s actions affect their lives ahead; until they accept and understand the first three thoughts, nirvana cannot be reached.
Little is said during meditation, with Blackstein asking for a chorus of meditative chants or occasionally reading from pamphlets. The session is short but nonetheless relaxing.
Overall, the group hopes to get more people involved this year. They will be hosting a lecture on meditation and its importance to the practice of Buddhism, tonight at the Smith Memorial Student Union. The group hopes to put on other events in the future, as well.
The meditation sessions are held Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union and are open to students, faculty and anyone interested.
For more information on the group, visit http://www.diamondway.org/portland/.