All students are asked to make a serious attempt to arrange their schedules to participate in the optional all-day 1999 Field Trip to Portland, OR, for Monday, January 25, 1999.
Transportation cost is $8.00 which must have been paid in advance. Lunch, if you care to purchase it at Metro's on Broadway, will be from $3.00 to $7.00. Persons riding in transportation other than college provided must pay $1.00 to cover arrangements and printing of this itinerary and background reading handout. Such persons must inform me (Dale Cannon) in writing during the trip of how much of the field trip they are participating in.
Do not wear over casual clothing; remember that we will be visiting places which people regard as having great sacredness and which they expect others to respect accordingly. On the other hand, as we will be sitting in a meditation hall, slacks or jeans will be fine.
Read through the attached background readings for the field trip attached
to this itinerary. There will be opportunity for you to ask and have answered
most any question you have. Avoid questions or remarks that might
be offensive, however. In any case, remember to practice the virtues
of empathetic objectivity. You will find that when you do, people
will be more than happy to share their tradition in depth. Note:
We will be leaving promptly at 7:30 AM. If you are late, you will
miss the bus.
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7:20 AM Assemble not later than this time near the entrance to the parking lot behind the Administration building (the corner of Powell and N Warren Sts.) I will have the College vans (as needed) available for boarding by that time. We will leave not later than 7:30 AM.
9:00 AM Arrive at Sokka Gakai International (SGI USA) Community Center (1805 S E Ankeny, Portland, OR 97214; tel. 503-230-1038). We will be greeted, given a tour of the facilities, and introduced to the beliefs and practices of followers of this form of Buddhism, Sokka Gakkai International, by a small group of members of the center. Sokka Gakkai International is a modern form of Buddhism deriving from the teachings of 13th century Japanese Buddhist teacher Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra. {To get there from Monmouth, head to Portland on I-5 (first taking 99W to Rickreall, right on Highway 22 to Salem, left off of the Center Street Bridge following the signs toward Portland which will eventually get you to I-5 heading North). In Portland, stay on I-5 until you cross the Willamette River in Portland, the be in the right lane to turn off at Yamhill (first exit on the E. side of the river). Continue on Yamhill until you get to Grand Ave., and turn left. Turn right on Burnside (10 blocks later). Turn right off of Burnside on SE 18th. SGI USA will be on the next left corner, 18th and Ankeny.} Plan to leave by 10:00 AM.
10:30 AM Arrive at Kwan Yin Temple, an American expression of the of Pure Land Chinese Buddhist tradition in Portland (16525 NE Glisan, Gresham; phone 253-3752). We will be greeted, given a tour and a talk by Ms. Yun Ran. {To get there from SGI USA, get back on Glisan heading East (one block North of Ankeny). Turn left on NE 39th. Continue on 39th until you get to Senate St., just before the Banfield Freeway (I-80), and turn right to get on the entrance to I-80 Heading East. Stay on I-80 until you get to the exit for NE 181st. Head South on 181st until you reach Glisan, then turn right or West. Watch for the Kwan Yin Temple at 16525 Glisan (probably at the corner of 165th and Glisan).} Plan to leave by about 11:30 AM.
11:50 AM Arrive at Pioneer Place Food Court (lower level of Pioneer Place Shopping Center, between 4th and 5th and between Morrison and Yamhill). (Independent drivers, of course, may eat wherever they like.) {To get there from Kwan Yin Temple, go back to I-80 (the Banfield Freeway) and head West back to downtown Portland. When you come to the intersection with I-5, stay to the right and watch for the signs to the Morrison Bridge and downtown Portland. Once you cross Morrison Bridge, you will be on SW Washington St. Turn left (South) on either 3rd or 5th. Morrison will be in 2 blocks, Yamhill in 3 blocks. Find a place to park. Parking is at a premium at this time of day. The vans won't make it into one of the parking garages, so don't try.} Plan to leave on the vans at 12:50 PM sharp. Be ready to board the vans at 12:45 PM.
1:15 PM Arrive at the Nityananda Institute, a meditation center and center of worship in the Kashmir Shaivite Hindu tradition. (1025 NE 33rd, Portland, OR; 231-0383). We will be greeted there by Ms. Sharon Ward, given a tour and a talk about the Nityananda Institute and Kashmir Shaivism. {To get there from Pioneer Place Food Court, go back across the Morrison Bridge (turn east on SW Alder this time, which will put you on the Bridge heading East), keep to the left and watch for signs to I-80 heading East. Once on I-80, take the first major exit at NE 33rd. Turn South on 33rd and watch immediately for the Nityananda Institute, 1025 NE 33rd.} Plan to leave by 2:30 PM.
3:00 PM Arrive at Dharma Rain Zen Center, a meditation center of the Soto Zen tradition (2539 Madison Street, SE, Portland, OR 97214; phone 239-4846). We will be greeted there by Juko, one of the persons in charge (female), who will lead us on a tour of the center and tell us about Soto Zen theory and practice, including giving us a brief taste of Zen meditation. Special instructions: I believe we will be required to remove our shoes at or near the door. At about 2:30 to 2:45, a person representing a Tibetan Buddhist community, Ani Paldron (also known as Guilda, again a female), which meets at a shrine on the lower level of the Dharma Rain Center will meet with us, show us the Tibetan shrine, and introduce us briefly to a form of Tibetan Buddhist practice carried on at the center. {To get there from the Nityananda Institute, Head South on NE 33rd, which will soon become NE 32nd. Turn left on Burnside, then right (or South) on SE 39th. At SE Hawthorne, turn right again (or West). At SE 25th, turn right, then immediately right on Madison, and find a place to park. The Dharma Rain Zen Center will be on the right on Madison as you head East, between 25th and 26th.} Plan to leave by 4:15 PM.
5:30+ PM Hopefully we will arrive back at WOSC by this time, at the place where we left 10 hours before. {To get there, head West on Madison, which will soon become a one way street. Turn left on SE 11th. When you get to SE Powell, about 15 blocks later, turn right. This will take you across the Ross Island Bridge. Immediately on the far side, watch for the exit to take you to I-5 heading South. Stay on I-5 until just North of Salem and take exit 260 and the Salem bypass to Highway 22 and points West. In Salem, turn right at the Marion Street Bridge and Highway 22 and, once on the bridge, take the left lanes to connect with the bypass around West Salem. Head West on 22. At the one stoplight you will come to (10 miles later), turn left at Rickreall and head South to Monmouth.}
FIELD TRIP QUESTIONS
Remember you are encountering other worlds to live in, with vast and rich meanings you will hardly begin to explore. The proper attitude is one of humble curiousity, a readiness to empathize, and a willingness to give the benefit of doubt to representatives of the tradition when things seem strange and uncertain. Keep in mind that the people we will meet will likely not be trained in the discipline of empathetic objectivity, may not have experienced empathizing with traditions very different than their own, and may not have learned how to speak neutrally about their own tradition to outsiders like yourself.
1. Observe carefully the places we visit, and try to describe them. What do you see? What do they look like outside? What do they look like inside? How is the interior architectural space arranged and organized? What is your visual focus drawn to? What seems most important and what not? Are there areas which are "off limits" or specially sacred? How are these features communicated and made clear? How formal/informal is the decor? How spare or busy? Is it conducive to quiet contemplation and awe, or something else? How much is the overall spacial effect controlled by aesthetic considerations (i.e., carefully planned considerations of beauty, form, and effect on those who worship there)? What do people do here? How is worship bodily expressed? To what extent does the visual effect of the interior space connect with (or express) the religious teaching and the nature of their worship? How different is this place from houses of worship that you are more familiar with? To what extent are works of religious art present or not present, dominant or not dominant? How do the works of art which are present enhance the worshipful atmosphere of the place (or not)? What things do you notice that you don't understand?
2. What are the people like? How are they dressed? Does their clothing convey anything special? What if anything do they hold in their hand(s)? Do they make any special gestures or say certain things that convey symbolic meaning within the worship space? Do they come across as thoughtful and considerate people? Do they leave you with the impression that thoughtful and considerate people find deep meaning in this tradition? Can you now imagine what it would be to be a member of this tradition? How are they different from religious people you are more familiar with? How cordial and hospitable are they? Do you find them defensive? Why do you suppose that is so? On the other hand, do you find them somewhat offensive and putting down to other views? Why do you suppose that that is so? What things did they say or do that you didn't understand?
3. What sort of challenge does this visit to this tradition present to your capacity to empathize? To what extent does what you see and hear seem strange, off-putting, or even offensive to your religious sensibility? Could this be due to the "threshold effect" in reverse (i.e., things as they appear from the outside or from the religious perspective with which you identify which will likely appear very different on the inside), or could it be due to something else? What sort of change would it require of you to find yourself at home in this environment?
4. What new things are you learning about this tradition, about its perspective on the world, and about the people who identify with it as a result of this visit? What things do you find attractive and worthy of respect, if not admiration? What things do you find not the least bit attractive? What things do you find interesting that you would like to learn more about if you had the opportunity, at least to understand more fully?
