Ryan ChartrandRemember back in 1996 when Gwen Stefani was crying out “Don’t Speak” with a bindi bead on her forehead and all of a sudden everyone wanted to be Hindu or Buddhist? Unfortunately, since the Hollywood Buddhists forgot about the religion, the popularity of Buddhism has dwindled (while Kabbalah has had unprecedented gains) and many young Buddhists feel isolated because of their faith.
In reaction to this, seven students founded the Soka Club last year to provide themselves and other Buddhists a place to go to share their beliefs.
“There’s only a few of us that practice (Buddhism) at school,” said Jen Klein, an accounting sophomore who grew up in a Buddhist family. “It’s nice to have somewhere to share our beliefs and views and it’s nice to talk to people with similar views.”
Soka is short for Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, which in Japanese means Value-Creation, Education and Society. Soka is a branch of Buddhism that engages in community-based programs to promote cultural exchange and understanding among people to improve the world around them.
Soka Gakkai International is the umbrella organization of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai-affiliated groups that works as a support network.
“We focus on the laws of cause and effect and we really devote ourselves to becoming one with the universe,” said Kevin Sewell, the Soka Club’s vice president.
Although the Soka Club is based around a religion, the members insist that Buddhism isn’t about who you worship despite what people may think.
In fact, Sewell says the club is meant to bridge gaps in society and that the purpose of the club is not to exclude members of other faiths.
“Everyone has their own faith and we don’t have a monopoly on what someone should believe,” Sewell said. “I think Buddhist ideals are common throughout lots of other religions.”
Right now, the group of five is trying to increase their membership but has been struggling to find more members. They also fear that so little is known about Buddhism that people are often hesitant to check it out, even out of curiosity.
“There’s a lack of education on Buddhism and it spawns ignorance . I think a lot of people think, ‘They don’t believe in God, thus they’re blasphemous,'” Sewell said. “We just want to let people know that, hey we’re out there in the real world, and (to) start a dialog.”
The club hopes to eventually have a solid population of students in order to become more connected with the campus and host a variety of events.
Members agree that the group is more about education than religion, and even with just five members, they are trying to arrange activities that include bringing a Victory Over Violence event to campus.
Soka Club meetings are at 7:10 p.m. every Wednesday in building 10 room 115, and there is a special meeting tonight in building 22, room 315.