DHARMA ON THE EDGE
Lessons from the Razor Wire of Impermanence
The men in the Death Row Sangha are deeply spiritual and have vowed to use what remaining time they have left to ensure a better rebirth through intensive prayer and dedication of any and all positive merit to all suffering beings. They are very moved to know that some people ‘out there’ are interested in what they have to say and how we study dharma. I hope you are interested and inspired by these stories.
DEATH ROW DHARMA STORIES
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Death Row Butterfly
I hadn’t been to Death Row to meet with my Buddhist Sangha for about a month due to my staff sponsor and escort being out of town. Last night I met with group one of the 3 Buddhist groupings I have there. A. and D. were both escorted by their tier guards into the telephone-booth sized holding cages at the back of the chapel where we met. They were very happy to see me, and despite my being tired from a long day at the prison, I was happy to see them too.
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Friendship Among the Trees on Death Row
Yesterday was my day to see Yard 11-which, for years, was just one man, I’ll call him Ron. Ron and I had many conversations over the years about getting older on Death Row, about his early “spiritual” days listening to the many teachers from the East who visited the US in the ’60s, about his crocheting hats for the homeless, but most of all about being lonely there on The Row.
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Bodhicitta Behind Bars
I have been contemplating the next step to take in my Buddhist Services on Death Row. My groups have grown from 1 to over 50 men, all who are deeply interested in pursuing any spiritual knowledge they can find in order to explore and expand their inner lives. Many of them attend the other faith services there as well, so though I provide the Buddhist teachings, I always ask them to identify where and how the topics we are talking about show up in the other traditions. Our discussions become multi-faceted, a real kaleidoscope of the inner journey seen through the multi-lenses of spirit.
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My Review of Sitting Inside–Buddhist Practice in America’s Prisons by Kobai Scott Whitney
Writer, chaplain, former inmate, and ordained Zen monk Kobai Scott Whitney’s 2003 book Sitting Inside deserves to be brought to the forefront again for the growing number of people who are bringing Buddhism into correctional institutions as well as the increasing number of inmates who wish to know more about Buddhism.