buddhist correspondence course
newsletter
Volume 7, Issue 2
April-June 2011
INSIDE THIS ISSUE...
Articles
Love, Willie E. Campbell III
From Prison Blues to the Robe of
Liberation, Mujin Karuna
Guided Meditation,
James L. Halbirt (GenKan)
What is Generosity?,
James L. Halbirt (GenKan)
The Heart Sutra, Melissa
Poetry
Energy, Brian Alberer
If Only I Was a Bird, Brian Alberer
The Eagle, James Bettis
Contemplating Englightenment,
James Davies
Kathmandu, Eric Fite
Sit and Watch, Gregory Howard
Suffering, Gregory Howard
Search for a Comb, Z. L. King
The Thief, Z. L. King
What is Emptiness?, Andre Marzetta
Lucidity, Alton Overweg
Art
Zen Monkey,
Derrick R. Asher-Johnson
Bird, Arelio Lendo
Kuan Yin, Tom Reeves
Buddha, Nhut Vo
Letters
Andre R. Marzetta
Angie Oakes
page 1
Just as, of all trees, the balsam is foremost in terms of softness and pliancy,
in the same way I don't envision a single thing that,
when developed & cultivated, is as soft & pliant as the mind.
Mudu Sutta
From Prison Blues to the Robe of Liberation
Y
Mujin Karuna (Travis Adams) (Sarasota, FL)
ear after year I studied and practiced the Dharma from under the gun towers
at Florida State Prison, Raiford. As so many know, fighting the system day
after day just to be able to practice as a Buddhist and receive books and study
material deemed voodoo by the D.O.C Chaplains, is enough to drive a person to
just give up on everything that they so believe. It blows me away now that I look
back it all. But still, unlike the words within the Bible, the Dharma is a living
breathing Thing. It’s who you are, and impossible to shake once touched by it.
Walking the yard watching the Holy Rollers preach the word of the Bible to their
flocks, just looking for a way out without having to take responsibility. The very
same mind that landed them in the place called prison. Day after day listening to
their cries to God, swearing they have it right this time, how their lives have been
touched and change forever by the hands of God. “I gave it to God; I will never
come back to this PLACE.”
So time goes by and they are seen leaving the main gate, nothing but the Bible in
their hands and that gift from the preacher man, the Chaplains, and God. So the
sunsets and the moon rises, months go by and there they are, standing at the
canteen window, back on a CRD violation, and back to the preacher man, and
the Bible.
Tick-tock, and there I was, the free world. Wondering what was so different, as I
tweak and freak adjusting to the World. Falling to This and That, losing all that I
put so much into, the Dharma blanket of security. There it was. The day had
come. I had fallen so far away from the Dharma, from myself. It was just a matter
of time and it would be me standing at the canteen window. I had become so lost
and far from everything and everyone, I couldn`t even face the Dharma and open
a book. It was then that I was closest to the Dharma. Blinded by the very condi-
tions that had landed me in prison, I couldn’t even see it. It was one of the realist
teachings, one that cannot be found in any book nor set forth by any teacher. It
wasn`t till I said FUCK-IT, that the Dharma showed its face. Mumon and his moon
were always watching. He never left, and I understood then, he had been always
there, lifetime after lifetime.
So I sat for a year and karma just unfolded without effort. The Dharma carried me
to my teacher who guided me over the years while in prison. I found myself on a
continued on p. 4
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

The BCCN is distributed at no
charge to those taking the
Buddhist Correspondence Course.
This is your newsletter–by you,
about you, and for you. You are
the major contributors, so send us
your questions, problems, solu­
tions you've found to difficulties in
practice, thoughts you have on
practice, artwork, poetry, etc. Due
to limited space, some editing may
be necessary. We also welcome
your comments on the newsletter
and suggestions of ways to im­
prove it to serve you better.
Please mail all correspondence to:
Buddhist Correspondence Course
c/o Rev. Richard Baksa
2020 Route 301
Carmel, NY 10512
Let us know if we may use your
full name or just initials.
To receive copies of any of the
resources listed below, please
write to Rev. Richard Baksa at
the address above.
• A listing by state of Buddhist
groups that may be able to send
volunteers to your prison to
conduct Buddhist activities.
• The "Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act of
2000." This guarantees equal
access for all religions to prison
facilities for the purpose of reli­
gious meetings.
• “What is the Religious Land
Use and Institutionalized Per­
sons Act?” This explains the Act
and how it is to be applied.
page 2
MENTOR'S CORNER
The Heart Sutra
T
Melissa
he Heart Sutra has been paramount in my practice to help me ‘feel’ and un-
derstand Compassion. When I read it or remember it, I remember the five ag-
gregates are empty. I remember the law of Karma. I remember Dependent
Origination, Impermanence, Equanimity. The required learning of these funda-
mental teachings of the Buddha, I cannot help being in touch with a feeling of
Compassion and of “the poise of a dying man.”
I say “required learning” because without embracing them as the Truth, one’s
practice will be too pragmatic. Dare I say, one’s practice will be too loose, will re-
main too studious, like an intellectual Buddhist. What do I mean by ‘Truth’?
1/ There is suffering, this is suffering and there is a way out of suffering. (Dham-
macakkappavattana Sutta, SN 56.11)
2/ To say this is true and all others are false is not preserving the Truth. (Canki
Sutta, MN 95)
3/ Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in
anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe
in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in
traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after
observation (but one has to observe) and analysis (one has to practice and ana-
lyze), when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the
good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. (Kalama Sutta,
AN 3.65)
The Buddha did not mean do not believe anything. He wanted you to learn his
teachings and practice them. When you indeed practice them, you will see the
Truth that he teaches. When you see the Truth, you will have unshakeable
faith/conviction in the Triple Gem. With conviction in the Truth, The Way It Is and
Compassion that comes from a place of equanimity, understanding and content-
ment, you will not suffer and you will be able to be present for others who are suf-
fering. What is compassion? It is deep awareness of the suffering of another,
without the need to relieve it, feeling total appreciation for its value; a state of
non-judgment.
And what is “the poise of a dying man”? This is from the teachings of Master Hsu-
Yun (Master Xu Yun). “Beyond meditation practice, there is attitude. A beginner
must learn to cultivate what is called, ‘the poise of a dying man.’ What is this
poise? It is the poise of knowing what is important and what is not, and of being
accepting and forgiving. Anyone who has ever been at the bedside of a dying
man will understand this poise. What would the dying man do if someone were
to insult him? Nothing. What would the dying man do if someone were to strike
him? Nothing. As he lay there, would he scheme to become famous or wealthy?
No. If someone who had once offended him were to ask him for his forgiveness
would he not give it? Of course he would. A dying man knows the pointlessness
of enmity. Hatred is always such a wretched feeling. Who wishes to die feeling
hatred in his heart? No one. The dying seek love and peace.” 
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
 Heart Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
practicing deeply on the Perfection of Wisdom
clearly saw that all five Skandhas are empty,
passed beyond all suffering and distress.
Shariputra,
form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness not differ from form. The Thief
Form is exactly emptiness; emptiness is exactly form. Z. L. King (Galesburg, IL)

Sensation, thought, impulse and consciousness are also like this.

For quite some time now
Shariputra,
I have watched and observed
all these kinds of things are empty.
Inmates at Hill Prison
They are not produced and not ceased,
As they move about each day,
not stained and not pure,
stealing.
not deficient and not complete. In more than forty years of prison life
Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, More stealing has been observed at
no sensation, no thought, no impulse, no consciousness, Hill Prison
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, Than any other prison.
no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, knowledge, It appears that many inmates
no realm of sight...until we arrive to: no realm of thought, Have never had anything
no ignorance, also no end of ignorance, In their entire life
and ...until we arrive to: no aging and death, also no end of aging and death, Because they are obsessed
no suffering, no gathering, no annihilation and no path. With stealing, each day.

no wisdom, also no attainment. I have prided myself

On not being a thief.
As nothing is attained, therefore the Bodhisattvas
At least one thousand times
follow the Perfection of Wisdom and thereby
I was not tempted
the mind is no hindrance or obstruction.
To steal.
As there no hindrance or obstruction
Suddenly, for no good reason
they have no fear. One bar of soap was seized
Far away from incoherent thought and fantasy. From a public toilet.
And eventually reach Nirvana. The bar of soap
All the Buddhas of the three generations Intended for public use
follow the Perfection of Wisdom and thereby Was stolen by me.
reach the perfect and complete enlightenment. This shameful deed
Therefore, knowledge of the Perfection of Wisdom Took place on August 6, 2010.
is the great divine mantra, This poem is my way to atone
is the great enlightening mantra, For stealing one bar of soap

is the incomparable mantra, From the public toilet,

As a Buddhist,
able to eliminate all suffering.
I have much work to do
This is all true and not in vain,
Before Buddha’s teachings
so propagate the Perfection of Wisdom mantra,
are defined by me.
set forth this mantra and say:
A Buddhist should not steal
gone, gone, gone beyond Even one bar of soap
gone, gone, gone beyond From a public toilet.
gone together beyond Enough said – yeah!!
glory to illumination

page 3 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

Robes, cont'd from p. 1

flight to LAX with $39 on a food stamp card from Florida, not a dime
on me, and one set of clothes. My friends saw something in me that I
couldn’t: a monk. They were the ones that came together, bought my
ticket, and saw me off in Tampa. So on February 26, 2011, (two
years from my February 9, 2009, release date), I was ordained un-
der the Pure Land Vietnamese Zen tradition. It was just as Daido
Roshi had always said: a monk is a monk before he’s a monk. The
robe of liberation, once just words in a book, in a place so far from
where I stand NOW. And now I can sit here and truly via experi-
ence say, the Dharma is who you are, not just words that sound
good from a preacher man. It shows you the ugly, and makes you
stand up and face yourself and take responsibility. So just keep it
real, and have faith in yourself, nothing but yourself and all that the
Dharma has given to you. Think in this way of all this fleeting world;
Keep your head up, and your practice strong!! As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,
A dewdrop, a flash of lightning in a cloud,
Metta!! A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a Dream.
~ The Buddha
Ven. Mujin Karuna 

Energy
What is Emptiness?
Brian Alberer (Smyrna, DE)
Andre Marzetta (Delano, CA)

Energy comes, energy goes.

No­thing.
Energy never ceases, because energy flows
How do you know from just
Through everything.
breathing!

This body, this vessel, is just a harness for energy. What is breathing?
Coming and going, never ceasing to be. It is emptiness!
Why do you say?
It flows like the river that feeds the vast seas and great oceans, It forms everything.
with waves crashing down on the shores causing a commotion. Who is form?
Invisible wind!
Returning from where it came. Giving and receiving.
This energy thing is a serious game. Cool and calm.
Sometimes it’s violent, sometimes it’s tame.
What is everything?
Exactly emptiness!
Positive and negative they sometimes collide
Why haven’t you answered the
And make booming sounds that make you go inside.
question
of what is emptiness?
Man, this energy thing is a serious thing.
Because no question really exists!
It can even be powerful enough to make you sing.
Like the breath and you.

Me, you, them and us, all have energy inside. Without it you have no­thing.
So glorious to just be, that it is energy that makes us exist. That is emptiness.
Energy, Energy, Energy.

page 4 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

What is Generosity?
James L. Halbirt (GenKan)
C
(San Luis Obispo, CA)
ontemplating generosity, I see that
generosity removes us from being
selfish, stingy, grasping, and craving
individuals. I have seen suffering that is
much greater than my own, As a result,
my compassion for those less fortunate
is the spontaneous expression of an un-
derstanding, is in the giving open-
heartedly of my time, energy, material
objects, kindness, and love to those
less fortunate. Every day I give effort
and generosity in some form or man-
ner.
The view is that practicing generosity is
learning to be kind to one another.
Practicing the kindness of generosity
breaks down the barriers between
ourselves and others. The view is that
we connect with people rather than dis-
miss them or ignore them. We care for
ourselves by caring for the welfare of
others. Our generous nature activates
freedom from the isolating prison of
our ego.
From a prison point of view, we make
ourselves felt in the society, which gives
us strength of mind for an authentic
atonement for our evil karmic
obstacles. Our generosity and compas-
sion are connected—a strong feeling
for all beings that suffer. Generosity
frees the energy of compassion within
us to suffer together with others. The
pain of your suffering is the reflection
of our own shared suffering.
Contemplating generosity, I see com-
passion for the suffering of others and
a way to assist in ending it. We em-
brace the sorrow into our own heart. At
the turn of the twenty-first century, one
million people were murdered. I was a
part of that aversion to humanity.
When we connect with all peoples, it
creates a joy of happiness and brings
us together. Our generosity breaks
down the walls of our prison, and we
page 5
are free in the mind.
I see that we become intimate with life
and the precious nature of life and the
true equanimity to all aspects of life.
Generosity gives into the joy of facing
our own sadness, fear, anxiety, allow-
ing us to die to our limited ideas of
how things should be and to love and
accept the truth of things as they are.
We face the world with a clean, puri-
fied heart of the moment to moment of
radiant pure Being. This generosity be-
continued on p. 9
Lucidity
Alton Overweg (Jackson, MI)
Stilling of pain
unchained from fear
Unbound in time
and moving free
Bright as a full moon
thoroughly clear …
Intrepid mind
rapt in ecstasy
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
Love
Willie E. Campbell III (St. Gabriel, LA)
Strive not to become holy for yourself.
Strive to become holy as others strive
to become holy, but only that you can
forget yourself for others. Love never
seeks self for self. Love always seeks to
give. Love is the first step on the up-
ward way. It is all intermediate steps
and it is the last, if indeed there be a
last. Love is also the last and highest
initiation on earth—impersonal love,
H
for such love is divine. (G. de Purucker)
ow fantastic is it that not even the
limits of imprisonment can thwart
the radiant magnificence of love.
Love’s doing isn’t bound by conditions,
nor subservient to the human attempts
to have the final word on it. Love just
loves. For the sake of love.
My brothers and sisters—bonded or
free—no matter your spiritual practice,
race, whatever, know that. We owe
nothing but love to one another, our
immediate surroundings, to every per-
son we’ve ever encountered, and those
we’re soon to meet. To those who com-
passionately think of us when those we
feel who should do so, don’t. To Chris-
tians, Jews, Muslims, Jehovah’s Wit-
nesses, Mormons, Jains, atheists,
theists of all walks—they’re sojourners
like everyone else. Sojourners all.
For whom are we holy? For whom do
our lights shine?
Along the way, we’ll be given a
bundle of endless opportunities to do
the best we can for ourselves so that
we can put others first. No need to
swell with pride. Love loves to give love
so that whatsoever things we gain in
life through much study and practice
(no matter our faiths) will be freely giv-
en to all those around.
May you know peace in times of
trouble, joy in times of sorrow, bless-
ings when all seems to crash around
you. Peace. Love. Blessings. 
Search for a Comb
Z. L. King (Galesburg, IL)
Tonight a black inmate came to our
cell
And asked my cellie and I about his
comb
Last week his comb was left in the
shower
And he wanted to know if we had
seen it
A comb left in one of the showers last
week
There are four showers
And each day something is left there
Pants, shirts, t­shirts, boxer shorts,
Socks, shorts, soap, soap dish, dago
t­shirts,
And so much more has been left
Including I.D. cards.
The warden, lieutenants, sergeants,
and officers
All say that items left in the shower
Are to be thrown in the trash
I have personally observed lieutenants
And officers as they tossed items
That were left in the showers.
The first time I witnessed a lieutenant
Toss items left in the shower
I was a little shocked and stunned
Of all the items left in the shower
A comb is by far
The least expensive
Combs sell on the inmate commissary
for eight cents
A toothbrush, soap dish, or soap
Sells for three to ten times more
Why oh why would any inmate
Burden others about an eight­cent
comb?
Since the comb incident
Was motivated to break my peace
I have decided to record some
thoughts on paper
This is how I feel about an eight­cent
comb.
page 6
Guided Meditation: Compassion
James L. Halbirt (GenKan)
(San Luis Obispo, CA)
G
et comfortable, back straight, feet
balanced, eyes at a 45 degree
angle, if slightly open. Take a few cleans-
ing breaths.
Settle yourself in this place, at this time.
There is nothing else to do but to be in the
moment. Nothing else to do but offer em-
pathy and compassion, in this moment, to
yourself and others.
Now open your heart and place your
awareness on yourself. Look beyond what
Kuan Yin
you think you are like. Reach out to the hu-
Tom Reeves (Florence, AZ) man being who can feel pain and suffer-
ing, and wish yourself well, steadily repeating this verse:
May I be free from pain.
May I be free from sorrow.
May I be free from danger.
Now expand your awareness and bring your concern to the people around you.
Take each person in turn. Look beyond what you think they are like, and reach out
to the human being who is alive and suffers like you. Wish each one well, while
repeating the verse several times.
Now expand your compassion to everything that is alive outside—plants, trees,
insects, animals, people. Like you, they, too, do not want to suffer. Open your
heart and wish them well, repeating the verse.
Now open your empathy to people you like. Look beyond what you like about
them and reach out to the human being who is breathing and can be in pain.
Wishing them well, repeat the verse.
Now expand your awareness to the people you feel neutral toward: an inmate,
guard, neighbor. They, too, have a history that is very real to them. They, too, love
and suffer. Take each of them in turn and wish them well, repeating the compas-
sion verse.
Now bring your compassion to people you have difficulties with. Look beyond
what you dislike about them and reach out to the human being who, like yourself,
suffers from pain. Wish them well, inwardly repeating the verse.
Finally, expand your awareness and open your heart and concern to all beings:
May all beings be free from pain.
May all beings be free from sorrow.
May all beings be free from anger.
May you all find peace and happiness in your equanimity,
living in the moment to moment of radiant pure being. 
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
 Kathmandu
Erik Fite (Draper, UT)

Awakened! Eyes closed

still seeing Nepal clearly …
my mind projects images
On my cell’s ceiling.

Upon a precipice playing chess

sit Jesus and Siddhartha Gautama
drinking snow and celebrating
Ramadan.

A noise shatters ignorance

and startles my all!
Eight spoke revolutions
as the Dharma wheel rolls.
Bird
Arelio Lendo (Susanville, CA)
Careening toward me
deflecting off crags and cliffs –
If Only I Was a Bird opening my arms for impact
Brian Alberer (Smyrna, DE) refusing to flinch.

I wish I was a bird, so I could fly up and up so very high Not far below flames burn
Like an eagle soars on a breeze. traces of familiar afflictions.
I’d float above buildings, mountains, hills, and trees. Smoke signals remind me
I must light my heart’s incense.
If only I was a bird,
I’d escape these walls, concrete barriers, and long hollow halls.
Fortifying myself, I lie
No bad food, no people that stare,
further from leisure hiatus.
Just me and my wings and the open air.
Breathing in, breathing out, I trek
The sad part is I’m a captive of a messed-up fate,
cerebral Himalayas.
Stuck behind some fifty different gates.
In the outside world, I’m just a convict or inmate. Eventually discovering
People like that get my temper and my blood boiling hot. a cave of internal formations;
I wish for once I had a decent shot … ancient stalactites glazed with
Damn, if only I was a bird. jealousy, anger, fear, and hatred.
If I was a bird, bright and colorful is how I’d be.
I’d be free to see everything there is to see. Holding my hand, pulling myself
Freedom would be my safe haven. toward virtue’s elevation.
Like the free, I’d be forgiven of all the sins that I’ve been living Transcending attachment’s
sheer inclination.
If only I was a bird, soaring the skies with the wind that never dies.
Hey, world below, can you hear my cries?
Clouds of illusion disappear
Can you see all the beauty from my eyes?
clearing noble consciousness …
Right now, you should see things from my current vantage point,
atop nirvana’s summit
Locked down in the joint.
Grows love’s lotus blossom.
Man, if only I was a bird.
I can see the city below.

page 7 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

 Zen Monkey
Derrick R. Asher-Johnson (Carlisle, IN)

The Eagle
James Bettis (Clarinda, IA)

The eagle soars high

So majestic
Buddha No worries
Nhut Vo (Delano, CA)
Suffering No matter where
Gregory Howard (Pittsburgh, PA) The eagle soars
It is always free
All you behold is suffering
All you understand is suffering
All you do is suffering Sit and Watch
All you do not want to do is suffering Gregory Howard (Pittsburgh, PA)
All you hold on to is suffering
All you ask for is suffering
Sit and watch TV
Clear your mind and you will
See, you will understand For an hour and
Learn nothing.
Contemplating Enlightenment Sit and focus on
James Davie (Brent, AL) Your breathing and
Relax your mind and
I contemplate Enlightenment – for the welfare of all beings
Find enlightenment …
And give thanks to the Buddha – for all that I’m seeing
I’m seeing a new way – to live out each day
As I get ready for another – and begin to pray
I pray for peace – for everyone’s mind
Loving kindness – is what I hope they will find
To find it and hold it – close to their hearts
May it stay and grow – may it never depart

page 8 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

Generosity, cont'd from p. 5
comes the natural expression of a con-
nected and loving heart.
Our time, our energy, our forgiveness,
and willingness to be fair and just with
all people mean we are creating a
good world in which to live. Generosity
breaks down the barriers of fear of a
convicted felon, but more importantly, it
connects us with the extended family of
humanity. Contemplating generosity is
evidence of our compassion mind.
Compassion and generosity begin to
flow when we contemplate the feeling
of extending it to all beings.
This contemplation is helpful in open-
ing up the path for generosity to flour-
ish. This strengthens our commitment to
being helpful in the cessation of suffer-
ing. Generosity removes the cloud of
our self-centeredness and allows for
compassion to flow unabated. We ex-
tend it to our family, friends, and partic-
ularly those in dire need. It is evident
that compassion and generosity are the
mixture of a loving and caring mind. In
contemplating the nature of generosity
in ourselves, we remove the soiled and
dirty nature of our negative emotions
and fathom the greater good of the vir-
tues of compassion and generosity.
When we contemplate the importance
of generosity, we adhere to the pre-
ciousness of human life—we put others
first. In doing so, we conquer our anxi-
ety, our agitation, our self-centeredness
and become a partner in the appreci-
ation of our good fortune and gratitude
of being born human. We extend our
sense of peace and goodwill for the
well-being of all humans. As Sakyong
Mipham Rinpoche might say: We have
raised the windhorse into the manifest-
ation into the light of the day. It burns
brightly in our hearts. 
page 9
YOUR LETTERS
I would like to pose a question to
those reading the BCCN. The Sangha
we have here has been running for a
year now. The ladies here and I would
like to know what any of you are do-
ing in your Sanghas. We read a
chapter of a book, do a discussion,
then sit for thirty minutes. How long do
you get for Sangha? We get one and
one half hours. We are open to sug-
gestions. Thank you and much metta
to all.
Angie Oakes
Lincoln, IL
Maybe it’s just me or maybe another
ego trip. I think some people miss the
power that lies within the teachings of
Buddhism, like how could something
just change your mind with a smile
from realizing suffering is a part of
nature. A basic core to the truth! I was
rebellious toward religions. Only be-
cause most seemed so confusing. Any-
way the first time the Buddha
appeared to me was in the process of
a crime. Never thought nothing of it,
little gold statue of a little healthy guy.
The second time he appeared made
me remember the first time. I couldn’t
help but to think wow, could it be a
sign. Now I don’t profess to be a
Buddhist. Buddha nature, now that’s a
different story. I started reading
dharma books, one after the other at
first just for something to read. Then I
wanted to understand, it got to the
point where it just started to grow on
me. Literally sometimes I am even in-
vited to sitting. Don’t believe I am the
author of this letter. I tell you the BCCN
people who wrote in the January-
March newsletter we’ll give the credit
to them. Which would explain the
spark and power spoken of above. Me
I only consider Buddhism a religion in
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
certain ways, which could be com-
pared to the divine truth. For the most
part I think it’s the most natural part of
nature, like a rose blossoming or a
glass of water after walking through
the desert. The mind is opened
through the process. The most power-
ful part is when you can just sit with
yourself. And others appear to be sit-
ting too. What’s more powerful than
that is just to be content with a smile.
Andre R. Marzetta
Delano, CA
Your BCCN
This is your newsletter. How many
times have you read an article or a
poem and thought, "I could do that"?
You can! Writing for the BCCN is a
wonderful way to share your experi-
ences, insights, and problems.
Whatever you are thinking or feeling,
you can be sure that someone else
who reads the BCCN is, too. Need
ideas? Here are a few.
- What is your favorite method for
managing anger? difficult people?
- When noise and activity make it diffi-
cult to do formal meditation, how do
you adapt your practice?
- When other people ask you about
your practice, what do you say?
- What is your favorite Buddhist book
and why?
- What is your favorite meditation
practice?
- What problems in your life has med-
itation most helped you with?
Don't worry about whether your gram-
mar and spelling are perfect. We'll fix
your spelling, and grammar matters a
lot less than you may think! What mat-
ters is expressing your sincere thoughts
and ideas. So pick up a pen and get
started! We welcome submissions of
essays, poems, stories, and original
artwork. News items that are of in-
terest to other students are also appro-
priate.
A Day of Mindfulness at San Quentin

A
Caleb Cushing

decade ago, on the infamous exercise yard of San Quentin State Prison, an inmate sat upright by himself along the
fence. A few close friends approached and asked what he was doing. He said he was practicing Zen meditation, and
they sat down with him. All of them were older inmates, “lifers” who were serving long sentences, all veterans of the war in
Vietnam. Eventually, under the auspices of the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC), they established a congregation fully
recognized by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Now, for two hours every Sunday evening, as
many as thirty inmates gather in a well-heated classroom to practice as the Buddhadharma Sangha. In the prison industries
workshops, they’ve expertly crafted an altar, cushions, pads, and benches, and on the chalk-tray of the blackboard, they set
a framed calligraphy by Thay [Thich Nhat Hanh] — The kingdom is now or never.

The SFZC facilitators regularly ask the men to prepare talks that focus on their practice and then to respond to follow-up
questions from the Sangha. Many of the men are mature, insightful practitioners. When the SFZC officials are unable to
attend, they sometimes ask members of the Community of Mindful Living [Editor’s note: Sanghas in the tradition of Thich
Nhat Hanh] to facilitate. They appreciate our being there; their practice brings us joy and inspiration as well. The men like
our practices of listening to the big bell, mindful eating, and especially Dharma discussion. For the Dharma talks, we ask the
men to suggest topics in advance, and we invite an inmate to give the talk alongside us.

They have a library with several books by Thay. After we had showed up with some regularity, the inmates said they were
interested in learning some of our practices, so we arranged an extended period of practice — a Day of Mindfulness at San
Quentin. We provided homemade picnic lunches for everyone, and some said it was the first time in years that they had
fresh raw vegetables.

Two guests and two inmates gave a joint Dharma talk about using mindfulness to deal with anger, and then took questions
from the Sangha. One of the inmates who spoke on that panel, Michael Gallardo, wrote an article for the San Quentin
News about the Day of Mindfulness:

On Monday, February 16, 2009, amidst heavy rain and strong wind, the fifth annual Day of Mindfulness was held in the
Buddhadharma Sangha at San Quentin State Prison in California. Inside the fifty-by-twenty-foot room located at the Garden
Chapel area on the prison grounds, fourteen inmates and fourteen visitors from the Community of Mindful Living of Northern
California celebrated the day with sitting meditation, walking meditation, and Dharma talks....

The group shared a mindful lunch together, eating in silence, while sitting on chairs, zafu (sitting cushions) and zabuton
(meditation mats). Inmate Lindsey, from the prison Sangha, solemnly walked to the altar, offered the Buddha a portion of his
lunch and later said to the group, “I am completely overwhelmed. Today is a very beautiful day.”

Mindful living, the practice of complete awareness, is based on the teaching of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh,
who has founded several Mindful Living communities located around the world.

“Mindfulness gives us the tools to live our lives in peace in the midst of prison chaos,” inmate Russo said about the practice.
“Although this event was a Buddhist Religious program, the cornerstone of our practice has always been ‘we are here for
anyone, of any belief’,” Russo added.

Most of the visitors are involved in mindfulness and meditation programs in various jails, prisons, or community centers in
Northern California. They are proactive in their practice, which radiates into the community.

The Buddhadharma Sangha was established almost ten years ago. Five inmates spent a year, rain or shine, sitting in
meditation on the lower-yard. On September 5, 1999, in the midst of a partial lock-down in the prison, the Sangha held its
first service with Zen priest Roshi Seido Lee de Barros, from Green Gulch Farm in Marin County.

The prison Sangha, with volunteers from San Francisco Zen Center, Berkeley Zen Center, Green Gulch Farm, and about thirty
inmates, meet on Sunday evenings, practicing and studying the Buddha’s teachings in the Soto Zen tradition. It also offers,
from its library, a wide selection of books on all Buddhist traditions....

(Reprinted from The Mindfulness Bell, Autumn 2009)

page 10 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter