… in conversation … Interview by Tina Owen
On a research trip to China, politics major Luther Caulkins ’16 meditated with Buddhist monks, explored remote regions and realized some hard truths.
> Why did you go to China? I received a Carson Grant to spend two months in China last summer, studying the education that monks receive in Buddhist monasteries and what that says more broadly about the values and goals of Buddhism in China. > You actually stayed in some monasteries. What was that like? I stayed in the Hangzhou Buddhist Academy, the Jiangxi Buddhist Academy and the Donglin Temple in northwest China. For my research, I observed the curriculum and methods of instruction. But I also participated in the daily life of the monastery, including getting up at 4:30 a.m. to chant and meditate. Although I’m not a Buddhist, I practice mindfulness meditation at home — but it was challenging to sit cross-legged for 90 minutes at a time at the monastery, especially in the heat and humidity. It was a very dramatic experience. We’d file into the meditation hall, and a monk would strike a large gong. After a walking meditation around the altar with its Buddha statue, we’d go to our mats for sitting meditation. Even though I didn’t understand everything that was going on, it was a thrill — and somewhat surreal — to participate in these ancient rituals and cultural traditions. > How well is Buddhism accepted by the Chinese authorities? Even before the Communists took over, Buddhism was the subject of government
scrutiny and persecution, as it was seen as a remnant of ancient times that was holding China back from modernization. The 1980s saw an official shift in government policy, with a number of religions, including Buddhism, recategorized as patriotic. Since then, there’s been a growing appreciation of Buddhism as culturally important and an enhancement to national pride and unity. In the shops, I saw statues of Chairman Mao next to statues of the Buddha. > You’re minoring in Chinese studies at Willamette. What prompted that choice? It started as a practical decision, because of China’s growing power and importance in the global community. Also, I wanted to get away from a myopic Western understanding of the world. But then it grew into a bigger appreciation of China’s rich culture and history. > What are some of the enduring memories you have of your trip? Traveling in some of the remote rural areas, I realized that I was probably the first American — at least, a Chinesespeaking American — that these people had seen. Many of these places had scarce electricity, running water or basic infrastructure like good roads. There was no Internet, but there was a lot of poverty. I recognized what inequality looks like. And I was absolutely struck by the fact that the 21st century as the U.S. thinks about it isn’t being experienced by the majority of humans.
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
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