The Center for Interreligious Engagement’s first speaker of the quarter chose to begin his lecture with silence. Lodro Rinzler caught his audience’s attention without jokes or interesting facts, but rather by engaging the audience in what he knows best: meditation.

He asked the audience to sit up straight, find their center of gravity and reflect on what their intentions were in coming to a lecture on Buddhism. Rinzler could have chosen to start his lecture by talking about his two books or the month he spent at a monastery, but instead he connected himself to the audience through experience. He explained that mediation is about reflection, and for people to live a happier life, they should often ask themselves why they act.

Consider drinking. Are you having that beer to celebrate an achievement or because you’re having a crappy day? Rinzler says before taking that first sip, you should ask why you are doing it, “so you go down a road that makes sense to you.” Nese Basak Durgun, who is currently taking a class on comparative religion and worldviews at DePaul reflects on her experience meditating with Rinzler and says, “the experience was very uplifting and really allowed me to grasp a bit of what Buddhism is like.”

When people think of meditation, they typically think of tuning the world out in order to reflect on themselves. What makes Rinzler unique is that he does not adhere to this standard. He teaches that the point of meditation is not to block out the outside world, but to make yourself more present in your day-to-day life.

He sees meditation as a tool that helps people weave peace and awareness into the crazy world in which we live. Rinzler’s approach to Buddhism is one that sees mediation as a way to be awake to the world around us. The idea of being fully awake for everyday life really spoke to freshman Nick Zarazinski.

“I remember graduating from high school and wondering where all of the time went and I wished I had taken advantage of the time I had,” Zarazinski said. “I think practicing meditating and being awake can really help me be present throughout my time at DePaul so at graduation I don’t regret not taking advantage of all the opportunities DePaul has to offer.”

Zarazinski’s experience is one that can speak to all DePaul students, whether freshmen, seniors or somewhere in between. We can all take the time to revel in our experiences while we have the opportunity to do so.

Rinzler’s first book is called “A Buddha Walks Into a Bar…” The author explained that the title, in addition to being funny, is meant to represent the idea of spirituality and daily life coming together. You don’t have to identify as a Buddhist to apply Buddhist spirituality principles to your daily life. Meditation is a vehicle to relax and reflect so you can be awakened to the world around you. As Rinzler says, “when you offer yourself fully, the rewards increase tenfold.”

Rinzler’s second book, “Walk Like A Buddha” was released last year and includes more advice on how to handle daily struggles with a peaceful approach. Both books are available for purchase at www.shambhala.com.