Life
by BART BECKER
Staff Writer
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
That's a Buddhist chant. As
Trudy Tomek, a Lincoln
Buddhist leader says, ""It brings
out the Buddha, the life force,
within ourselves. It's the main
thing we do."
Twenty-year-old Tomek is
one of about 1 00 members of
the Buddhist faith in Lincoln.
When she joined, about a year
ago, there were only four
members.
NOW THE CHAPTER
includes old people, young
people, little babies," she said.
Many of the members are from
Buddhist backgrounds, having
come to the United States
from countries where
Buddhism is the prevailing
religion.
But a large number of the
members are students and
other young people who have
dropped out of conventional
western religions and have
turned to Buddhism.
Buddhism is a religion and
philosophy usually associated
with central and eastern Asia.
Founded in the 6th century
B.C. by Buddha, it teaches that
right living, right thinking, and
self denial will enable the soul
to reach Nirvana-a divine state
of Telease from earthly .and
bodily pain, sorrow and desire.
BUDDHISM in the United
States enjoyed an upswing in
the mid-sixties bolstered by
young people who were
dropping out of Christian
religions and looking for
answers which their former
religious affiliations had failed
to provide.
Tomek and her roommate,
Terri Baker, were both in the
position of "wanting to believe
in something but not finding
anything believable" in western
religions. Buddhism has
provided the answer for them
and they have entered into the
Buddhist rout i n e
wholeheartedly.
"I was really skeptical about
religions." Baker said. "But
Buddhism has provided me
with something to believe in.
It's really hard to believe but
it's true."
They chant from the
Liturgy of Niehiren Shoshu
daily. In the morning the
Daimoku is chanted, facing the
Gohonzan, a sort of altar.
"THE GOHONZAN isn't
really an altar or anything,"
said Trudy. "We don't worship
it but we use it because we
need something concrete
towards which we can direct
our chants. It's really a symbol
of myself. It is me." Their
Gohonzan included a box of
Jello and can of tomatoes.
After the Daimoku the
chanter turns eastward to
recite the sho-za (first prayer).
The Gohonzan is again faced to
recite Ni-za, after which
San-za, Yo-za, and Go-za
(second, third, fourth and fifth
prayers) are recited.
The same procedure is
followed every evening, with
the exception that Sho-zu and
graduating senior girls in
music or dancing, for ligrr
choreography & for light
harmony in a Las Vegas
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CdU39-1039 cr
with Buddha
. - ;
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Gohonzan altar .. , something to direct thoughts to.
Uo-zo should be omitted.
The Lincoln Buddhists hold
meetings 'three or four times a
week, both Teligious services
and Min-ons, or cultural
get-togethers. They also go to
Omaha weekly on Sunday for a
large meeting with members
from Lincoln, Omaha and the
Western Iowa Buddhists.
THREE WEEKS ago a
convention was held in Lincoln
attended by Buddhists from
Nebraska and western Iowa.
There have been two seminars
in Lincoln at the University.
Tomek also plans a trip to
Japan next fall to attend the
official dedication of the
Sho-Hondo, the formal
sanctuary of true Buddhism.
BUT JUST what is it about
the Buddhist faith that it can
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tiave so many followers in the
countries where it is the
conventional Teligion and also
attract so many young people
in Western countries, where it
is out of the ordinary?
The January, 1971 edition
of the Seikyo Times, a
Buddhist magazine put it this
way: ""In an organization, the
individuality of each member is
fully respected and developed.
Yet, all the members unite
under the same faith, the same
goal. In Buddhism this unity is
called Itai Doshin; different
persons with the same
thought."
ET
ATEVeRTdd LTe
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Blacks. . .
Continued from page 1
goes to minority young people.
He said that of the 1,200
low-income students receiving
financial aid in 1970-71, "only
slightly more than three per
cent" were blacks.
A study ofNLTs minority
program, compiled by Haze
Pope, director of Special
Programs for Minority"
Students, supports this
allegation. The report was
compiled for students of
special programs, the
presidents of UNL and UNO,
Chancellor D. B. Vainer and
the Board of Regents.
"CAREFUL investigations
of financial aids records," Pope
said in the report, will show
injustices and inequities in the
distribution of financial aids.
Of 1,200 low-income students
receiving aid for 1970-71.
"only 61 were minority
students (five per cent).
The report was not released
at the news conference, but
was given to the Daily
Nebraskan late Monday.
""So far, only token efforts
have been made toward
correcting problems of higher
education for minority
students," Pope said.
NU lags behind other Big
Eight schools in minority
programs, he said. The
University of Kansas, according
to his report, had 3 40 minority
students in 1 969, but through
an effective minority program
there are now 650 students, 20
faculty, and ten administrators
from minority groups. He said
87 blacks, 25 Chicanos, and 1 8
American Indians are enrolled
at UNL this semester.
According to Pope's report,
minority enrollment at UNL
3 UNO falls far short of the
non-minority rate. Of the
3 9,000 middle and upper
lfTTcome gear's high school
graduates in Nebraska, he said,
about 60 percent go to college
in Nebraska. About 625-700
minority students, mostly from
low-income families, graduate
yearly from Nebraska high
schools, he continued.
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entered Nebraska colleges at
the 60 per cent rate of
non-minority students, the
report said, "about 375-420
would be enrolling at the
University of Nebraska's
Lincoln and Omaha campuses
each year."
Pope attributes this lack of
minority representation to
"unequal and unfair
distribution of financial aids
. and the need for additional
financial resources, both from
state and federal sources."
"Minority students and
their parents alike realize that
education is a means of gaining
both social and economic
status in this society." He said
that last semester. Special
Services recruiters identified
110 minority students who
. wanted to come to the Lincoln
campus, but because of the
lack of financial help, only 61
finally enrolled.
POPE'S REPORT
concludeswith recommenda
tions which, he said, "must be
accomplished if the
University's minority affairs
program is to be viable in the
coming years."
Pope's recommendations
included
Establishment of financial
adis guidelines for minority
students, determined by the
percentage of low-income
students who graduate from
high school or the percentage
entering the University,
Elevation of minority affairs
to the systems level by
appointing a minority staff at
the systems level to coordinate
and direct minority programs
at UNL and UNO.
Transferal of programs,
including staff, salaries, and
recruiting, to the University
budget.
- Scheduling of meetings
between Chancellor Varner and
minority organizations which
have expressed an interest in
talking with him.
The presentation of these
concerns by minority staff
members at the June meeting
of the Board of Regents.
for President
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 1971
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
PAGE 3