My name is Tsültrim Davis and I wanted to write somewhat of an addendum to Evan Butler’s “Invitation to Practice” wespeak, printed Tuesday February 15th. The Small Forrest Temple is an amazing resource for Middletown, they are lucky to have it. In addition to this Chan (Chinese) Buddhist temple, there is a Tibetan temple on Main Street that is open to everyone, as well as a Shambhala Center in Hartford and a Zen center in New Haven. So, there are many chances for students and Middletown residents to explore Buddhism.
I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention another Buddhist opportunity on campus. I run the Wesleyan Dharma Study group, a group that has been around for over 4 years that encourages the exploration of Buddhism through study and practice. In addition, I am the House Manager of the Buddhist House, one of Wesleyan’s program-housing options, and this is our second year in existence. Together, the Dharma Study Group and Buddhist House hold guided meditation sessions three times a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at Buddhist House (356 Washington Street) and on Sundays at 3 p.m. in the meditation room on the basement level of the Memorial Chapel. We are an ecumenical Buddhist group that has no affiliation with a lineage, though its members come from all different traditions. After each meditation we do a Dharma reading and discussion, and enjoy tea with everyone who came to sit. We encourage everyone to come meditate with us, regardless of whether you have been sitting your entire life or have never sat before. We also maintain a diverse library of Dharma books, from all different lineages, which are available to be borrowed at any time. In addition, we bring a lot of guests and teachers to campus for Dharma talks and retreats, which are always free for Wesleyan students. We have a Shambhala Level II retreat happening in early April, as well as other speakers and guests coming to visit before and after that date, but it is one example of the things we offer to the students.
I could write pages upon pages of what meditation is and why everyone should give it a try. Lots of authors and teachers have already written many pages about it! But Evan did a good job of explaining some of the benefits of meditation, so I don’t think that I need to say much. Wesleyan can be a very difficult place, and, in reality, life everywhere is difficult. Meditation is a means to engage and train the mind in ways to navigate the struggles and complexities of everyday life, on and off the Wesleyan campus. I just wanted to make sure the whole campus realized that we do have a legitimate, strong, active group on campus for students to engage in spiritual practice; you do not have to be a “lone spiritual hopeful” on campus, because there is indeed a thriving Buddhist community that lives right next to you and takes classes with you. While I fully endorse the plethora of opportunities to engage in Buddhism in the greater Middletown area, I want to make sure everyone knows that you do not have to leave campus or affiliate with any specific lineage to practice Buddhism. Heck, you don’t even have to consider yourself Buddhist. But if you are interested in practicing and learning more, our doors are always open, and I personally invite the entire campus, students and faculty alike, to come join us at our events or at our guided meditation sessions.
If anyone would like any more information, or if you would like to sign up for the Dharma Study Group listserv to keep informed of all the Buddhist activities happening on campus, please feel free to email me at smdavis@wesleyan.edu. I hope to see you there.
In Peace and Dharma,
Tsültrim Davis.
Leave a Reply