the collegiate
PAGE THREE
Meditation
Cafeteria Mind Games
[ walk out of the steaming
jisiiroom, and into the cool,
fresh atmosphere of a noisy
cafeteria. I light up a cigarette
and get a coke before I sit down
in a chair next to the sky-light to
jatch people. Ah, there’s that
(nxlwasiooisingfor. Where am
I sitting? Oh yes, over there at
ttie cafeteria crew’s table,
■alking trash again I suppose:
revealing the self that’s not
really myself, wearing that
rnsk like a raincoat in a storm.
Come to think of it, just from
my observation, a lot of people
are wearing raincoats in the
cafeteria lately. I’m sure it’s not
anew fad or something. Spring’s
mind games are here. Take my
lavorite weird couple to watch:
iJiey sit at that side table and
pass passionate glances at each
other, then both glare at me for
staring at them. I remain cool,
and keep a hard look on my face,
Ixit inside, my soul is laughing,
juffawing, and slapping its knee
so much, I can hardly contain it.
(her to the left, the infamous
pledgebook region, with a
Ikousand little munchkins
running around dizzily with a
piece of cake on a saucer, ready
with fork to meet big brother,
saying, “You want anything
else?” very loudly, but their
brains are whispering, “Jeez, I
liope not.”
There 1 am again, filling up
the milk dispenser. The plug
breaks. 1 flip out. Bob Gift
liappens to be walking by and
saves me. We turn the six gallon
milk carton upright. Phew! I
Nh lightly, and say, “Oh,
"ell", but I’m thinking OOH sh--
■»’hy me?!!!” Straight across
chatter-box section, against
glass wall is the guy in
''■erytody’s history class: the
«newho carries all those books,
**ays answsers the questions
orrectly in class, and turns in
rjn papers two weeks early.
Mes eating by himself, gazing
He is wearing an
. mask. The students
^ afraid to talk to him, and he
and test his intellect.
back to work in
J shroom. I rise slowly from
pass r I
E the door, into a
r ^team and left-
and walk bv the
,5/5. dish-
either V the crew is
'Jiemli talking to
«ft’ place
»hile ^®'t. For a
®ferpnt absolutely
James ar °v,i the mind
»>thworklJuh
On ,u '^”til the next break
Salf K °“t. The
*« Therhi t thmned out
athletes are still there,
sitting next to the dessert table,
drinking milk and laughing.
None of these guys ever wear
raincoats. They are always up to
their necks in gym shorts,
teeshirts, and St. Christopher’s
medals. They seem to reflect the
ultimate in physical fitness, and
always make a good showing in
the competition at keg parties.
The cafeteria crew runs the
belt in one more time before
cleanup. The last of the people
file down the ramps, headed for
the dorm. After clean-up, I sign
out and start to leave the
tV.it
■ »Vil
TO THE MORNING
Watching the sun
Watching it come
Watching it come up over the
rooftops.
Cloudy and warm
Maybe a storm
You can never quite tell
From the morning.
And it’s going to be a day
There is really no way to say no
To the morning
Yes, it’s going to be a day
There is really nothing left to
Say but
Come on morning.
Waiting for mail
Maybe a tale
From an old friend
Or even a lover.
Sometimes there’s none
But we have fun
Thinking of all who might have
Have written.
And maybe there are seasons
And maybe they change
And maybe to love is not so
strange.
The sounds of the day
They hurry away
Now they are gone until
tomorrow.
When day will break
And you will wake
And you will rake your hands
Across your eyes
And realize.
That it’s going to be a day
There is really no way to say no
To the morning
Yes, it’s going to be a day
There is really nothing left to say
but
Come on morning.
Dan Fogelberg
UPON A CHILD
Here a pretty baby lies
Sung asleep with lullabies :
Pray be silent, and not stir
Th’ easy earth that covers her.
Robert Herrick
(1591-1674)
cafeteria: leave all the mind
games behind. I grab another
drink for the road, and head for
the door. As I open the door, I’m
stupified by what I see. It’s
raining, and there I am, stuck on
the steps of the cafteria without
my raincoat.
Benoit
Westerners like to classify and
define, so it is natural that
meditation is usually divided
into the esoteric and the more
common or garden variety
Actually, all meditators share a
common conviction that the
inner life needs more attention
than we give it. Tranquilitv is
hard to come by, and it may be a
fairly unknown quality to i^ople
born in the m^ia age where
since 1950, 75 per cent of the
young average six hours of
television viewing for every day
of their hves. Even educators
have tended to regard poetry
and literature, the arts and
religion as luxuries that have
little value in a pragmatic
marketplace. A visit to the
psychotherapist which once
could be counted on for a few
moments of quiet sanity has
become an encounter group
where the primal scream rules
supreme.
The theme of the guru is not
unknown to the students of
Socrates or disciples of Jesus,
but education at large seems to
have lost the notion that the
quest for knowledge is a matter
of the heart, or to put it another
way, the love of knowledge is the
way to understanding rather
than through detached logic or
behavioral reinforcement. The
thing that gurus seem to share is
that they are what they speak,
having earned the right to teach
not by certification or objective
license but by the reality in
which they live.
Meditation is best practnced
under the guidance of a teacher,
and most people who begin the
practice soon feel drawn to
explore the writings of men like
Thomas Merton, Ram Dass,
Suzuki or Kapleau Some prefer
enrollmg m a course on Tran
scendental Meditation
sometimes referred to as the
McDonalds of the meditation
boom
First steps remain simple Sii
quietly in a comfortable but not
relaxed posture m a place where
you can expect not to tn- in
terrupted. The eyes may be
closed, though Kastern p*H)ples
usually leave them slightly
parted, and the breathing should
naturally slow as you seek to
achieve a state of mindlessness
Counting the breaths as you
exhale or the repetition of a
sound I called a mantra and
given by a teacher: is helpful as
you allow an inner tranquility to
develop. When thoughts arise,
pay no attention to them and
return to following your breaths
You will notice that with regular
practice the periods you
meditate will tend to grow
longer gradually reaching 15-20
minutes. Most teachers suggest
two periods a day Proficient
people often move into walking
meditative states. You may even
come to understand that you are
not trying to do anything, you
just are.
Gene Purcell
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts,
I take this opportunity to write
about a problem that has caused
a rift in my love life. In a word, I
have no active love life. My
fantasies are the only crutch
that I have. I dream of the
woman that can provide me with
the intellectual companionship
that I crave, as well as the
physical attention that I desire.
Should I seek the woman of my
dreams in a totally intellectual
way, or should I grab the first
girl that will let me vent my
carnal desires? Sign me
Distraught on
Deans Street.
Dear Distraught, _
There is no fault in yearning
for a compatable relationship
with a member of the opposite
sex. Since it is an intellectual
aspect of a relationship that you
crave the most, you should do
your seeking in intellectual
channels. There are many
places to find women with in
tellectual pursuits that may be
similar to yours. This campus
offers several possibilities. You
might do your seeking in the
library. (It is open a good por
tion of the day). I would also
suggest loitering around Hines
Hall ten to fifteen minutes before
classes. With the male-female
ratio on this campus, you should
not have to look long for your
ideal woman, if your goals are
honest.
I do not suggest that you follow
your carnal desires. This could
only lead you to more
frustration. The sincerity of your
letter leads me to believe that
your intentions are innocent, and
I feel it will not be long before
your dream is obtained.
Best Wishes,
Miss Lonelyhearts
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