A sanctuary opens for Buddhist cadets

Upstairs, the hymn echoed amid the aluminum spires of the Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel.

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations,” mourners sang at a Protestant funeral.

Downstairs, the monotone chant sped up to the beat of a drum as two dozen people sought to empty their minds.

“Remember that all manifested forms are no other than this emptiness,” the Buddhists repeated. “Emptiness is no other than these manifested forms.”

With incense and celebration Monday, the academy, once criticized as a place where only evangelical Christians got their way, opened the 300-square-foot Vast Refuge Dharma Hall. Officials say it’s the first place on any American military base dedicated solely to Buddhist meditation.

The $85,000 room in the chapel’s basement was paid for through donations. Other gifts of $10,000 per year will pay for its operation.

The chapel will serve the academy’s growing number of cadets who practice Buddhism, 26 at last count, up from 16 earlier this year.

One of the donors, Norman Oberstein of the Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism, said the chapel shows how the military has come to accept all manner of faiths after struggling with religious tolerance.

“It has reached out to overcome those challenges,” Oberstein said.

The academy’s famous chapel now houses Protestant, Catholic and Jewish services in addition to the Buddhist gatherings. Dozens of other religious and nonreligious groups also meet at the academy through its Special Programs in Religious Education regimen.

An academy chaplain, Maj. Trip Ziegler, said having the Buddhists represented teaches cadets an important lesson.

“One of the reasons we wear the uniform is to ensure religious freedom,” he said.

While many consider Buddhists to be pacifists, some sects have roots in Asian warrior traditions, including the Bushido culture of Japanese samurai.

“Sometimes it is necessary to take life, but we never take life for granted,” explained the Rev. Dai En Wiley Burch, a 1959 graduate of the academy and a Buddhist cleric who is credited with organizing the campaign for the new chapel.

Burch said that his form of Buddhism recognizes that some wars are necessary, but that it urges warriors to temper themselves with compassion for their fellow man.

“Without compassion, war is nothing but a criminal act,” Burch said.

Senior cadet Noel Trew said since Buddhism is more philosophy than religion, cadets from a number of different backgrounds can participate in events at the new chapel.

“It’s about making your mind quiet for a little while,” said Trew, who said he’s a Christian who practices Buddhist meditation.

The Buddhist cadets say they’ve gotten a lot of questions but no discrimination from academy classmates.

“People just want to understand, and I don’t think any of their intentions involve malice,” senior cadet Leah Pound said.

Cadet Erinn Woodside said the Buddhist teachings have helped her make it through the academy.

“It’s a great way to expand our minds and our hearts,” she said.

While the Buddhist chapel is small at about 15 by 20 feet, Burch said the faith’s transcendental nature expands it during meditation, when minds are clear.

DETAILS

The $85,000 room in the chapel’s basement was paid for through donations. It will serve the academy’s growing number of cadets who practice Buddhism, 26 at last count, up from 16 earlier this year.