Buddhist meditation in prison

emilynghiem

Constitutionalist / Universalist
Jan 21, 2010
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National Freedmen's Town District
Meditation helps inmates reach 'natural awareness' - Houston Chronicle

Not sure if this is the same group or teacher,
but my friend Ray Hill, a nationally known activist in Texas prison reform and outreach for 30 years, also reported that adding Eastern meditation to the AA program in prison
increased the membership 10 times.

There was a documentary made about Buddhist nonviolence outreach in prisons, where a program was started, then abolished when other religious groups protested. But the inmates themselves continued the program on their own, based on what they had been taught. I will try to find that title and post it later.

REVISED: here's the link to Dhamma Brothers prison program in Alabama:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dhamma_Brothers

My other favorite prison outreach programs are
* Alternatives to Violence Project started by Quaker volunteers
* Justice Fellowship that also supports people leaving prison to find meaningful jobs and volunteer opportunities in the community
* No More Victims Inc which focuses on helping children of incarcerated parents not to repeat the cycle of addiction to abuse and crime
 
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I am sure it is a pass time and nothing more.

Hi Syrenn:

No matter what faith you have or don't have,
you could spend the rest of your life using meditation techniques
to "examine your life" inside and out,
and find ways to improve and make yourself better, make
more of your resources and relationships in life.

So this pastime can come in handy for the rest of your life
and you would never run out of new insights to discover.

http://www.houstonprogressive.org/9prayers.html
 
I write to several prisoners to offer them meditation instructions. They are sincere.
 
I am sure it is a pass time and nothing more.

Hi Syrenn:

No matter what faith you have or don't have,
you could spend the rest of your life using meditation techniques
to "examine your life" inside and out,
and find ways to improve and make yourself better, make
more of your resources and relationships in life.

So this pastime can come in handy for the rest of your life
and you would never run out of new insights to discover.

http://www.houstonprogressive.org



I did not say meditation techniques were not a good thing. I DO think all it is in prison is a pass time.

If it can get out of a cell for X about of time, to participate in some session... i am sure they will be happy to play along.

prison is about survival.
 
I should go to prison more often.

Or you could just read some books by my friend, Jarvis Masters. He's in San Quentin on death row.

I don't want to die in prison. Just visit.

I used to say that if I ever got a terminal diagnosis I was going to try street drugs, get even with all my enemies, and maybe rob a bank. But after working in a prison, there is no way I would risk even 1 hour of what I have left on going to one as an inmate! So, someone else will have to do the drugs, I will just pray for my enemies, and when the US defaults the banks won't have any money anyway! LOL.

We make plans and the gods laugh!
 
Or you could just read some books by my friend, Jarvis Masters. He's in San Quentin on death row.

To bad he is not dead yet.

That's an awful thing to say about someone you don't know. Read Jarvis' book, Finding Freedom.

I have my own story about Jarvis.

I don't need to know him or anything about him. He is on death row in a prison cell that i pay for...for murder As far as i am concerned anything more then a year is to long of keep him or anyone else on death row alive.

Just because he had a coming to jesus buddhist moment does not mitigate his crime or the punishment. I could care less about his "story"

Again... i would prefer he was dead...then writing books.
 
To bad he is not dead yet.

That's an awful thing to say about someone you don't know. Read Jarvis' book, Finding Freedom.

I have my own story about Jarvis.

I don't need to know him or anything about him. He is on death row in a prison cell that i pay for...for murder As far as i am concerned anything more then a year is to long of keep him or anyone else on death row alive.

Just because he had a coming to jesus buddhist moment does not mitigate his crime or the punishment. I could care less about his "story"

Again... i would prefer he was dead...then writing books.

OK. I won't try and convince you otherwise. You sound like a crime victim. How come you're after me to self-disclose when you won't?
 
That's an awful thing to say about someone you don't know. Read Jarvis' book, Finding Freedom.

I have my own story about Jarvis.

I don't need to know him or anything about him. He is on death row in a prison cell that i pay for...for murder As far as i am concerned anything more then a year is to long of keep him or anyone else on death row alive.

Just because he had a coming to jesus buddhist moment does not mitigate his crime or the punishment. I could care less about his "story"

Again... i would prefer he was dead...then writing books.

OK. I won't try and convince you otherwise. You sound like a crime victim. How come you're after me to self-disclose when you won't?

Sound like? LOL.. yes, that i am. Where have i ever tried to hide that fact. And you are the first person to ask....:tongue:
 

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