vol 6 issue 2

Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 2April-June 2010

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste,

the taste of liberation.Uposatha Sutta

buddhist correspondence coursenewsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

ArticlesCoffee Shop Buddhism, Quenton ConnorTaking Refuge, FrankFlexibility, Tenshin Hyon SekFurther Information on Lawsuit Concerning Buddhist Prisoners, Rob NewbyBuddhist Prisoner and Strict Vegetarian Lawsuit, Ariya BantuMeditations on Anger, James L. HalbirtMy Path, Angie OakesKarma, Ariya Bantu

PoetryWhere I Go To, Brian AlbererReasoning, Marty KnoffBuddha's Door, James DavieTime and Light in Flux, Steven Erik ProwlerRat Race, Marty KnoffPoem, Christopher BrainerdOne, Minister Willie CampbellThree Poems, James Davie

ArtMindfulness, Travis AdamsFlower, Brian AlbererDrawing, Kenneth Griggs

LettersRonald Couch, Jr.James L. HalbirtTravis L. Adams

Coffee Shop BuddhismQuenton Connor (Taft, OK)

I recently did a seven-day Noble Silence retreat. I’ve decided to share with you a bit of the experience and its lessons.

When I first decided to do a vow of silence, I had in mind a concept of “spiritual retreat,” a vacation of a religious sort. But once I started, that idea was short-lived. It seems that anything different, out of the ordinary, has an inescapable al-lure for the masses. So everyone I’d ever so much as spoken to on the yard just had to see how the “silence thing” was going. And wanted to talk about it.

Then there are the “friends”—you know, the ones who want to joke and play and see if they can trip you up. Yes, this is definitely no monastery, and irreverence is a culture, a way of life, here. That is when it dawned on me—this is exactly like Life! This is the struggle that every reverent and spiritual Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, etc., faces day after day in Life. So the quest then became: Living the Path In An Irreverent World.

The practice of Noble Silence is directly related to the Buddha’s teaching on one of the steps of the Eightfold Path: wise speech. Like most faith systems, the Buddha addressed lying, gossip, slander, and angry and aggressive speech. But he went a step further when he addressed idle speech. As a matter of fact, he went so far as to say that unless our speech was both needed and beneficial, then we should say nothing at all.

During this week, I had the opportunity to sit back and just observe the qual-ity—or lack thereof, I should say—of the general speech and conversation within this community. Most of it, I’ve observed, is aggressive, lewd, or otherwise de-structive in nature. It seems there are approximately five basic topics of “convict dialog”: 1. sex, 2. violence, 3. prison/system, 4. culturalism/racism, or 5. money/greed.

I realized this week the extreme pull and allure of certain negative speech prac-tices, particularly arguments and debates. There is a very strong compulsion to jump in to such unmindful discussions, even uninvited. It takes a lot of mindful awareness not to go barreling into these pointless and debasing situations.

So the big question is, “Did he make it?” Did I make it through the entire seven days without speaking? NO. But I was getting the hang of it by week’s end! The

continued on p. 3


MENTOR'S CORNER

Taking RefugeFrank

One of the most pivotal days of my life was March 8, 2008, when I took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (the Three Jewels).

I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life. I take refuge in the Dharma, the way of understanding and love. I take refuge in the Sangha, a com munity that lives in harmony and awareness.

Taking refuge is to commit oneself to the Buddha as our spiritual leader, the Dharma as the way to realize this commitment, and the Sangha as a community of those who are working on that commitment.

Thich Nhat Hanh has written, “when we take refuge in the Buddha, we express trust in our capacity to walk in the direction of beauty, truth, and deep under-standing, based on the efficacy of the practice. When we take refuge in the Dharma, we enter the path of transformation, the path to end suffering. When we take refuge in the Sangha, we focus our energies on building a community that dwells in mindfulness, harmony, and peace."

It is important to remember that taking refuge is not a question of blind faith. The Buddha emphasized that, like all of his teachings, it needed to be personally veri-fied. The Buddha encouraged us to see for ourselves. Once we recognize that it is a means to feel safe and protected, we can truly believe in taking refuge.

In his last moments, the Buddha instructed his disciples to take refuge in them-selves. If you practice mindfulness you touch the Buddha. If you breathe con-sciously you touch the Dharma. Our Five Aggregates (form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness) is our Sangha working in harmony.

Personally, taking refuge for me allowed me to practice mindfulness, to recognize what is happening in the present moment. That recognition has allowed me to re-lieve a lot of suffering in my life. It showed me the true nature of things, which is an important step in realizing craving and aversion. It allowed me to come to grips with my drug addiction and criminal past. While not absolving me of it, it allowed me to accumulate merit, positive actions in the here and now.

Another positive for me was to practice deep listening. There are so many times that you think you are listening to someone but are actually not realizing a word they say. This leads to conflict and perhaps even violence.

I urge anyone who is contemplating taking refuge to take that final step. It will change your life.

The BCCN is distributed at no charge to those taking the Buddhist Correspondence

Course. This is your newslet-ter–by you, about you, and for

you. You are the major contribut-ors, so send us your questions,

problems, solutions you've found to difficulties in practice, thoughts you have on practice, artwork, po-

etry, etc. Due to limited space, some editing may be necessary. We also welcome your comments

on the newsletter and sugges-tions for ways we might improve

it to serve you better.Please mail all correspondence to:

Buddhist Correspondence Coursec/o Rev. Richard Baksa

2020 Route 301Carmel, 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.

The refuges in Buddhism — both on the internal and on the external levels — are the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, also known as the Triple Gem. They are called gems both be-cause they are valuable and because, in ancient times, gems were believed to have protective powers. The Triple Gem outdoes other gems in this re-spect because its protective powers can be put to the test and can lead fur-ther than those of any physical gem, all the way to absolute freedom from the uncertainties of the realm of aging, illness, and death. --Thanissaro Bhikkhu


FlexibilityTenshin Hyon Sek (Bunker Hill, IL)

There are many different types of flexibility in life. There is spiritual

flexibility, which is developed through a willingness to learn. This type of flex-ibility can also be gained through vari-ous spiritual teachings and practices. The next type of flexibility is mental flexibility. This type is developed through meditation. Finally we have physical flexibility. This type of flexibil-ity is developed through stretching. As a side note, I have found that only mar-tial arts [Budo] can develop all three types of flexibility at the same time.

Being spiritually flexible is very import-ant to our growth and development. In fact, the Buddha was speaking about spiritual flexibility when advising his disciples not to take his word on the truth of his teaching, but rather ad-vising each man and woman to see for themselves.

Mental flexibility is simply not letting yourself get in your own way. “I” do not have all of the answers. Training is a process of ups and downs, suc-cesses and failures. We have to be mentally flexible in order to find out what works best for us. Myself, I do not like sutra chanting, but I tried it. And in doing so, I discovered that I en-joy practicing the “6 healing sounds” meditation. A rigid mind would not have discovered this.

Being physically flexible obviously helps in our sitting practice and in our kicks, stances, asanas, etc. I recently discovered something else about phys-ical flexibility. I have always dreaded stretching. I had to start stretching more after overcoming a back injury. My kicks had become stiff and slow. I follow the teaching of Mr. Pavel Tsat-souline. Anyone who is serious about gaining physical flexibility should read his book, “Relax into Stretch” (ISBN #978-0-938045-28-1).

One time as I was attempting a side split, the uncomfortable deepness of the stretch was screaming at me. This time, though, I was able to relax my mind into my body, thus lowering me nearly to the floor. At this point, it was like the entire universe opened up to me. I understood how wonderful it was to be alive. I could smell flowers from some unknown garden. I could hear the wind whistling through a bamboo forest in China. This was an amazing experience of letting go.

All spiritual paths have important les-sons they can teach us. We should not be afraid to learn from them, nor should we discourage others from do-ing the same. There is a beautiful free-dom, a delightful openness, that comes from breathing in the wisdom of past masters. I invite you all to breathe in this glorious nectar.

I closing, I would like to remind every-one to be constantly mindful. We all have various levels of flexibility. To think that one cannot become any more flexible is to think with the ego. Let is all go. Read a new spiritual teaching. Try a different meditation practice. Lower yourself deeper into that stretch. You might just be sur-prised what opens up to you.

MindfulnessTravis L. Adams (Bradenton, FL)

hardest things I found to overcome are the courtesies that some of us grew up having programmed into us relentlessly—things like “thank you” and “excuse me.” These were the most difficult by far. A call to the warden’s office mid-week also inter-rupted things a bit. But nothing in Buddhist practice is about pass or fail. It is instead about the develop-ment of awareness, mindfulness, and ultimately wisdom. And in this regard, this week was a tremendous success.

I have heard it said that, “Silence is the language of maturity.” After this week’s exploration, I could not agree more.

Rat RaceMarty Knoff (Brooklyn, CT)

Starting the game again One more time aroundBeginning where we left off Or did we stop at all

Finding where to begin An opening is what we needChanging the course of time Or did it stay the same

Seeking to remember it often As if we really forgotWanting to say I remember But really wanting to forget

Are we near the finish yet Or did we just beginI cannot decide which is what Can someone please help

Decisions cause the troubles Or are we the problemThat is the real question Trying to find an answer

Buddhism, cont'd from p. 1


Further Information on Lawsuit Concerning Buddhist PrisonersRob Newby (Tennessee Colony, TX)

In the BCCN, Volume 5, Issue 4, there was a detailed article on page 3 re-garding the Fifth Circuit Court of Ap-peals decision regarding a Buddhist inmate lawsuit. In a 13-page opinion issued on April 30, 2009, the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Buddhist in-mates.

As a follow-up to that, prison officials in Texas have changed their policy to accommodate Buddhists. As a result of litigation in the ongoing Federal law-suit addressing Buddhist inmates’ rights to practice, prison officials in Texas have revised policy regarding the wearing of malas. On December 9, 2009, the director of the Texas De-partment of Criminal Justice (TDOC), Rick Thaler, issued an order allowing malas to be worn around the neck at all times. Litigation continues seeking to permit malas on the wrist and in their natural wood color, as current policy requires they be black. Claims addressing the matter of outside/volun-teer requirements are set for trial this spring in Amarillo, Texas.

Buddhist Prisoner and Strict Vegetarian LawsuitAriya Bantu (Kincheloe, MI)

Here in Michigan, the prison system provides a strict vegetarian diet to those prisoners whose sincere religious beliefs require them to eat a vegan meal. The Michigan Department of Cor-rections (MDOC) twice denied my re-quest to eat from the strict veggie menu after having subjected me to a four-question quiz: (1) What are the major teachings of your religion? (2) Why is a strict vegetarian diet required by your religion? (3) What is a strict ve-getarian diet? and (4) How does the food already served differ from the

diet and what foods are not allowed?

After a denial, per MDOC policy dir-ective, one has to wait one year be-fore he or she can take the exam again. Why was I denied? It ap-peared I was motivated by something other than sincere desire to practice my designated religion. Nothing, however, was ever said about how they arrived at this conclusion.

I filed a 42 USC 1983 civil rights ac-tion alleging the denial of the diet de-prived me of the Free Exercise of Religion in violation of the First Amend-ment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and that the denial placed a substantial bur-den on my ability to practice my reli-gious relief. I sought an injunction and money damages for the violations. The MDOC argued the cost for the diet demonstrated a penological in-terest, which was reasonably related to their denial. Also that I failed to show the veganism was required by Buddhism.

The District Court ruled: “Defendants assert that they are entitled to sum-mary judgment because Plaintiff has made no showing that a strict vegetari-an diet is central or indispensable to the practice of Buddhism. While a reasonable juror could perhaps con-clude that such is the case, the evid-ence of record more than supports the conclusion that Plaintiff’s religious be-liefs are sincerely (and intensely) held. Resolution of this particular question constitutes, therefore, a genuine factu-al dispute which must be resolved at trial.”

For more information, go to your insti-tutional law library and see published opinion at Dawson v. Burnett, 631 F. Supp. 2d 878 (W.D.Mich.2009).

Where I Go ToBrian Alberer (Smyrna, DE)

Sunshine shining on my faceReminds me of the special placeAlone among the tree of green serenity.The smell of the leaves and the sounds they make.

Peace and Enlightenment are what I seekAs I sit here week after week.

The days go by, time has passed me by,And I don’t know how or why.I just stop what I’m doing and calmly sit.My mind starts drifting and I escape to this place,My special place to go to.

Something you can’t replace,You see it a priceless artifact of my mind.Somewhere safe that’s not hard for me to find.Where the warmth of the sunlight and the smell of the leaves,The wind on my face, and the sound of the trees.

This is the place I go to, to put my mind, my body, my soul at ease.This place among the trees.Where I go to, to find my Peace.


Meditations on AngerJames L. Halbirt (San Luis Obispo, CA)

Anger is our teacher. Try by resting quietly in meditation and then give yourself some contemplative time to apply the suggested thoughts at times when anger arises. Choose those that help you most.

1. A meditation to develop focus: Often it takes some time of sitting silently to even realize that we are angry and to identify what we are angry about. Sit and let the awareness and the thoughts sink in. Identify the angry dramas.

2. Make a vow: Make a vow: to control anger,not to let it control you, not to act on angry thoughts or feelings. Without fuel, anger will go away eventually.

3. Fake it 'til you make it: Sometimes you can work with anger this way. Smile. Laugh. Think happy thoughts. Act as though you are happy and nothing bothers you. Think of what you are grateful for. This will actually aid in changing your body and brain chemistry.

4. Practice letting go: Consider that whatever it is that is making you angry is something that will end on its own at some point. You do not need to stay at-tached to the person, the storyline, the drama, the things you want, or the source of your anger. Think of its impermanence.

5. Practice compassion and kindness: If we are determined to practice kindness, it is hard to keep that vow and to stay angry at the same time. We must explore the ways we are attached to anger more than to our practice of kindness and make some internal adjustments. Anger dissolves when we vow to be kind.

6. Practice forgiveness: If anger is rooted in fear, as it often is, the drama behind our anger is often due to vulnerability. We feel like the victim. Whether it is a per-son or a thing or an event, if we consider forgiving that “other” for our perceived hurt or fears, we re-own our true power and the anger dissipates.

7. Practice re-framing our view: There is nothing valid about our anger except in the realm of our ordinary egoic drama. By remembering our true self, our wis-dom self, we remember that all is perfection and that all that arises is our teacher. Arising anger is a great blinking red light that is asking us to pay attention to the perfect teaching being revealed to us. Rest in wisdom and allow it to awaken you to where you are attached to a psychological drama. This gives you a chance to heal. Write, draw, have an inner dialogue. Do anything that helps clarify the wis-dom lesson that has presented itself.

8. Practice your highest intention: If your highest intention is to awaken to subtle conscious awareness and you clearly know that we can never know what is really unfolding and that we never know how long we have in this lifetime to discover our true self, ego dramas fade into the background pretty quickly. We are vaster and wiser than most of those piddling little meltdowns. Growing into our true self and all that we are is not easy. If we know our highest intention, that is a rare gift and not one to give away for such a small price. Keep the focus and know that every time you turn down the invitation to succumb to anger, you become a little stronger and a little more skillful.

9. Work with your physical and subtle energies to cleanse and wash away the negatives: There are mantras in many traditions that bring balance and harmony.

This drawing of the Dalai Lama was an art assignment, to do a drawing with a number 2 pencil in one sitting, no stopping until the drawing is done. Kenneth worked well into the night with his 3-watt book light to complete the assign-ment.

Kenneth Griggs (Cheshire, CT)

ReasoningMarty Knoff (Brooklyn, CT)

Taking hold of the situation Is what we got to doStop worrying about the outcome But to control what happens

Everything has its place Even if it is out of orderFinding out where it belongs That is our destiny

Confusion sets upon us When we try to figure it outBewildering our thoughts Even now when we read this

Events are always happening Around us and in our livesIt’s how we perceive them That gives them meaning

continued on p. 11


My PathAngie Oakes (Lincoln, IL)

My path in life has been long and hard. I grew up with a violent

father and an enabling mother. I watched my father beat up my mom, listened as he insulted her, and saw her just take it. He’s beaten my baby brother for being himself. He’s beaten me just because I’m the oldest. He did a good job tearing us down.

The only way I could cope was to shut myself down. The only emo-tion I acknowledged was anger. I was angry at my parents, at my life, and at myself for being weak and powerless. My mother was raised Catholic and my father, Baptist. Church was not a place I went very of-ten. When I would ques-tion Christian beliefs, I was chastised for it, told we are not to question God. I just couldn’t understand how if this God loved me he would leave me to suf-fer at my father’s hand.

I turned to alcohol and drugs to help keep me numb. When my parents divorced I ended up living with my dad. I couldn’t handle my mom sniveling and wanting him back. She laid all her problems at my feet, wanted me to fix things. So I went to my dad’s. I learned to drink with him. We got along when we were drunk. I stayed clear of him when we were sober.

My dad molded me to be the son he didn’t have. I could hold my alcohol, and I could take a punch like any man. I knew my way around a gar-age. I had to learn to work on en-gines, do bodywork, and drive. I was also a good motorcycle rider. In high

school, I was the only girl in half my classes. Boys were afraid to date me, yet they all wanted to hang out with me. I had the rep of a tough girl who could outdrink, outsmoke, outcuss, and outfight any guy. It’s hard to keep up a hard exterior and never let any-one see who you really are.

I learned to blend in with the crowds around me. I could be anyone I needed to be. No one ever saw me fall or crack. I wanted to help other people and keep them from suffering. Fixing them meant I never had to face

myself or let other people know I needed help. But I stayed away from religious people. They were all trying to convert me or save me. I was bey-ond their help, and I didn’t believe anything based on blind faith. Viol-ence was real; God wasn’t.

I had friends who were atheists, ag-nostics, Wiccans, Satanists, and even Christians. I tried to find inner peace with Wicca. The thing was my heart was cold and my spirit was seeking re-

venge. I fell to the dark acts before I knew what hit me. When I put it to the universe, I willed a girl’s life, I was petrified when she died that very night in a car accident. I found no peace. My best friend killed himself that year, too. I did not believe there was any peace for me.

At 20, I saw the inside of a county jail for the first time. I was in for double murder. For two years I stud-ied the Bible because my mom wanted me to. She told me I would find peace and forgiveness for what I

had done. All I found was more questions and even deeper guilt. I still didn’t find peace. When I got to the state prison, I went to all different services. Noth-ing felt right. While I was working a 12-step pro-gram for my addictions to alcohol, pain killers, muscle relaxants, and hal-lucinogens, a friend told me she was a Buddhist.

She and I spent time talk-ing about her beliefs. I was so surprised to find that I already believed most of what she said and did. I began to find books about Buddhism. I couldn’t get enough. In 2000, I had my religion on my ID changed to Buddhism. I was a lone practitioner. The librarian

helped me get new Buddhist books. I started writing different groups and or-ganizations for study materials. In 2005, I stumbled upon the BCC and I’ve been a student ever since.

In the last five years—I am now 36—I feel a peace I never thought I’d feel. My father died 16 years ago this year. I harbor no ill will toward him. I

Brian Alberer (Smyrna, DE)

continued on p. 7


have no harsh feelings for my mother, either. I no longer cling to the past, to who I was, so I do not suffer. I don’t cling to the decisions I made that sealed my fate in coming to prison, so I do not suffer. I don’t feel the need to fight with people or with the guards. If I slip and get upset, I have to let go of the feeling and move on. I’m still a stu-dent and I’m only human so I will fall now and then. I remind myself to be in the moment and let go.

I've been able to get a man to come twice a month to the prison I’m in now. We do formal meditations together and read a couple of sutras, and he answers questions. There are currently three of us practicing with him. I hope more will come.

Sometimes people look at me funny when they see me meditate. I don’t let it bother me. I have learned to do my meditations when I’m working, when I’m walking, even when I’m watching TV. We are housed in 20-person dorms. It is loud all the time. I have learned to use the noise as an aid to stay in the moment. Outside distrac-tions just help me go into a deeper me-diation. It’s all mind over matter.

Coming to prison saved me from my-self. It also introduced me to my true path. I can do the next 14 years in peace and not suffer. Finding Buddhism has made my life better. Thank you for allowing me to tell about my struggle to find peace and to find myself. I haven’t been confident enough to do so until now. Reading all of your words has given me this confid-ence. Maybe my words will help someone else. Much metta.

My Path, cont'd from p. 6 KarmaAriya Bantu (Kincheloe, MI)

The Pail work kamma, or the Sanskrit word karma, (from the root ‘kr’ to do) literally means ‘action, doing’. However, not every action in the

Buddhist philosophy is karma. Only ‘volitional actions’ are karma. The Buddha’s own definition of karma should be remembered: “O bhikkus, it is volition (cetana) that I call karma. Having willed, one acts through body, speech, and mind.” Volition is mental construction, mental activity. Its function is to direct the mind in the sphere of good, bad, or neutral activities. Buddha says, ”When one understands the nutriment of mental volition one understands the three forms of thirst (tanha).” Thus, the terms thirst, volition, mental volition, and karma all denote the same thing: they denote the desire, the will to be, to exist, to re-exist, to become more and more, to grow more and more, to accumulate more and more. This is the arising of dukkha. Only volitional actions such as attention, will, determination, confidence, concentration, wisdom, energy, desire, repugnance or hate, ignorance, conceit, idea of self, etc., can produce karmic effects.

However, the Buddhist term karma does signify the result of actions, and certainly not the fate of men, as is wrongly and loosely used in the West due to the influence of theosophy. In Buddhist terminology, karma never means its effect: its effect is known as the ‘fruit’ or ‘result’ of karma. Every action does, nonetheless, have a reaction or an effect. Thus the reaction or effect of volitional action is a counterpart of the original action or cause, “the law of karma.” On the most fundamental level, the law of karma teaches that particular kinds of actions inevitably lead to the term “karma” and the phraseology “law of karma.” Karma only denotes the action, the volitional action, while the law of karma denotes a natural law of cause and effect and refers not only to the action but also to its ripened result or effect.

Vipaka (karma-result) is any karmically (morally) neutral mental phenomenon, e.g., agreeable or painful feelings associated with the body or sense-consciousness, which is the result of wholesome or unwholesome volitional activity of body, speech, or mind in this or a previous life.

Karma is not its result and the result is not karma. Look at the analogy of apple seeds (causes) leading to the apples of the future (results). The apples (results), in turn, contain within themselves the seeds (causes) of future trees and apples. Here, the causes and results are not the same; the seeds and the apples are not the same. Apple is but a result of the seed, the ripening of the apple. Karma, as the Buddha said, is volition, not the future. What rises in the future is a mere effect of the previous cause, the result of the action or karma. The result always arises in the future. When the future arises, its cause which was in the past no longer exists; however, the future result has within it the nature of arising and thus becomes a cause for purposes of the present moment, but not the same cause as the previous cause which brought forth the future result. Likewise, karma is never its result and the result is never the karma or previous cause that gave rise to the effect/result. The seed is never the apple, and the ripened apple is never the seed that produced the apple.


Three PoemsJames Davie (Brent, AL)

Learning to see nothingIn this temporaryConceived illusion

From chaotic cloudsTo a sea of sadnessVenomous visions fall

False impressionsInvented imaginary thingsNothing is real

OneMinister Willie Campbell (Angola, LA)

I know not, dear one if you’re black or white

rich or poor; -- I know not that

anything about you is foul,displeasing,

ugly, or in any way unsatisfying.I know only that you have a need to awaken to your inner radiance

-- heed the call to embrace the divine splendor

in othersyou see in yourself.

I know not that you’ve ever done orsaid anything, dear one,

not worthy of forgiveness.I know not that you deserve to beheld down forever,

never understood -- your existence degraded.I know only

that you are me,I am you

and we belong to the same blessedsource and creator of all.

PoemChristopher Brainerd (Honolulu, HI)

The sunCasts on cementShadow bars

Time and Light in FluxSteven Erik Prowler (Seagoville, TX)

Three western-style haikus

Celestial brilliance -- Slanting rays of sunshine From a jagged hole in the cloud

The sundial shadow barely moves Clock’s minute hand drags on forever Motion scarcely perceivable

Between the airplane And swirling clouds below us A rare rainbow appears ... then fades

Buddha’s DoorJames Davie (Brent, AL)

Concentrated breathing – with no expectationsI’m ready and relaxed – for today’s meditationI close my eyes – and clear my mindLooking for peace – and this is what I findI find a door opened – with something insideIt’s a set of wings – that open real wideI give thanks to the Buddha – for what I am seeingAnd dedicate this vision – to all sentient beingsSo I put on the wings – I’m ready to flyI fly over mountains – and over the treesIt’s such a great feeling – as my mind is set freeAt this moment I’m free – from the suffering in lifeFree from the pain – that cuts like a knifeIf you want this feeling – wonder no moreJust turn the key – to the Buddha’s Door


This is a comment for Steve in a low se-curity institution in Texas (BCCN, Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 11) who wrote of the problems of meditating in prison.

In a sense, I empathize with your di-lemma. I’m in a two-man cell now. Back in the day, I was in a three-man for a while, but you might as well have said it was a six-man cell, be-cause there was there three guys next door who never seemed to sleep and always seemed to be wide open (screaming, horseplaying, banging on the bunks, desk, and walls). I tell you, Steve, at the time, it was like having to deal with fully-grown terrible-two-year-olds.

Then I read this Zen book where a roshi had relocated his zendo to a two-story duplex situated next to a high-traffic thoroughfare. Occupying the oth-er floor was a rock band. Naturally, one of the roshi’s students expressed difficulty meditating with the distrac-tions of the outside traffic, as well as with the rock band jamming. The roshi explained the student’s attachment to the silence of their former zendo and anger arising from these new external conditions.

Having pinpointed the obstruction, the roshi then juxtaposed the thoughts and emotions that arise to distract the mind from single-pointedly concentrat-ing and absorbing into Samadhi, with leaves appearing to float along his mind-stream – each arises, coming in-to view or awareness, and passes out of sight. Be mindful of the arising and passing, but do not attach to them; simply return to just breathing.

In the circumstance of practicing medit-ation in our prison environments, the mettle of our initial concentration devel-opment is, indeed challenged by

Mara every stop of the way. Be that as it may, coupling our concentration development or meditation practice with mindfulness of Dharma literature (e.g., sutras, koans, lectures, lessons, etc.) and the courage and ingenuity to contemporize your Buddhist prac-tice may prove to evolve your con-sciousness. What I’m saying is that you must breathe life into actually practicing the Dharma as you inter-pret it, practical to your reality. The Dharma is so rare to encounter—yet here you possess the lotus seed and even the mulch to plant it. So how about observing the nutrients of the Dharma that permeates the ignor-ance of this worldly muck, opening your eyes to breach the darkness, be-come fluid with the waters of your reality, creatively bloom upon the wa-ter’s surface, applying the teachings to the air of your surrounding circum-stances.

Therefore, when you come into con-tact with a Dharma book for instance, apply right effort and right concentra-tion, reading the book in its entirety. Then, apply right understanding and right thought by assimilating what you can to your life as you know it to presently be, absorbing it through meditation. Ah, but the crux: how to meditate in a non-conducive environ-ment. Contemporize your practice. Teach yourself how to make every function of your activities or inactivit-ies a practice of meditation. In a nut-shell, since it sounds like it may not be prudent to obviously look like you’re trying to meditate (misery lik-ing company, and all), instead of sit-ting with your eyes closed, outwardly give the appearance of reading and contemplating its content, whereby sit-ting with your eyes open, softly gaz-ing at a point in space about an

arm’s length in front of you, and con-centrate on your breathing (or whatever object of concentration) as if you were defusing a bomb. If the noise or distractions become intoler-able, switch your concentration to whatever you allowed to become in-tolerable. Simply pay attention/ob-serving/listening, not forming any thought of it, but directly experien-cing the inherent emptiness of your “intolerable” notion and its transi-ency, realizing the noise or distrac-tions to be more karma demanding your attention to is cosmic dance.

Instead of sitting meditation, try prac-ticing any movement forms of medita-tion—standing, walking, hatha yoga, or whatever exercise you do, drawing, calligraphy, cleaning, etc., just become single-pointedly ab-sorbed in whatever you do. As re-gards those ‘thoughtless individuals shouting or disturbing” you: Sentient Beings are numberless, I vow to save them; the Buddha Way is unat-tainable, I vow to attain it. If you really feel as if the situation is tear-ing you apart, take a respite. Lie down, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing (and yes, with the in-tensity of defusing a bomb). In Zen, this is similar to the practice of “non-thinking.” Do not confuse this with clearing the mind by “not-thinking.” You are not “spacing out” when tak-ing this respite. You are deliberately concentrating on your breathing to rein/yoke your undisciplined mind to abide in the calmness of cosmic chaos. Gassho.

Ronald Couch, Jr.Beaver, WV


This is a response for Ronald Couch from Beaver, WV (BCCN, Vol. 6, Issue 2, p. 8) to the article, “Hands,” by James L. Halbirt (BCCN, Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 3).

In response to your request: “How have they [your hands] served or hindered you?”

What I wrote was a sort of confession-al, a catharsis of “what not to do,” and what direction I was finally able to take to become mindful, attentive, and awake to Buddhism's teaching.

Moreover, and not to be deferential to-ward functional impairment of harm-ing others, if we find that we are responding to our world in a way that is harmful or limiting, we can repro-gram our old concepts and ideas about ourselves and about life. Be-cause of the way the body and mind work together, including our thoughts and our hands, and the constant mutu-al communication between them (the body registering information about the universe, transmitting it to the mind, the mind interpreting the meaning ac-cording to our experience and belief system, then sending appropriate mes-sages back to the body), we are able to explore and release old beliefs that do not serve us. We can create, af-firm, and visualize new beliefs that will serve us well.

Specifically, I think of the monkey whose desires were so strong he put his hand through the hole to get as much of the treat as he could grasp, and as a result, he couldn’t let go, and he was trapped and hooked by his own clinging desire. This was the way it was with my attachment, and finally the result was my prison sentence. Per-haps you can see through this ana-logy: it is much like humans who will not “open the hand of thought.” All we have to do is to open our minds to the thoughts of “not knowing, bearing wit-ness, and loving action.”

This is in response to James L. Hal-birt’s article, "Hands," in the BCCN (Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 3).

I ask the Sangha about a genjo koan in a previous newsletter, and put forth a question that drives at the very root of the Great Matter. I've heard no re-sponse, only more talk of the place called prison once again!

I'm sixty-six years old. It's autumn. I have lived a long life. Moonlight shines strongly on my face. We don't need to discuss the koans. Just listen to the wind in the cedars outside.

This genjo koan plays a significant roll in the koan of 'Liangshan,” Trans-mission of Light, case 43; “Wearing The Buddha`s Teaching.” Capping verse; The water is clear to the very depths; It shines without needing pol-ish.

Liangshan said,” What is the business under the patchwork robe?” Tongan said,”It's within!”

Now in this newsletter I read "Buddhism and It's Purpose," by Ariya Bantu. Here is the simile of the raft,

In other words, we become free from the ideas we make up in our heads. So in a way of speaking, this can be called “opening the hand of thought.” With the mind/body connection to the hands, it can be nefarious or wholesome. Yet, when we really open the hand of thought about our attach-ments, afflictions, and clinging de-sires, the delusions and the things we make up in our heads and minds walk away. We are able to fully let go of our past evil nature and find our true mindfulness. In gassho. your broth-er in the Dharma.

James L. HalbirtSan Luis Obispo, CA

the holding on to attachment.

Koans take this to the next level, to a realization of the simile of the raft. They come from inner action by way of experiencing the Buddha's teach-ings (sutras). You can read all the sut-ras and still know nothing! The koan brings it full circle to realization. Who am I? Why do we practice?

The moonlight on her scared face was radiant. Nothing could hide her true beauty. We don't need to discuss the koans. We don't need to talk. Just listen! This is the point of entry. That's what our practice is bringing us to every single moment, just listen!!

Tongan said, “It's within!” Liangshan was awakened by experiencing the truth within. We practice for the single purpose of understanding ourselves. When we understand ourselves, we un-derstand each other. When we under-stand each other, we understand the suffering of the streets. From that under-standing we're able to accept and work for change from a very different place. Not from a place of conflict, there's no real power in conflict. But from a place of acceptance.

And now the question, where is this so-called place? The shore, what shore? Where is this shore? The minute you step on that raft, you leave it!

When you arrive at the shore and stand there, what do you see? The oth-er shore you just left, should you go back? Then what? Now you've traveled ten thousand miles from the point of entry. Maybe when you're standing on that shore looking at the raft, you should just look down? Whole and complete from birth, not lacking a thing - there's no place to go to. How can you arrive if you nev-er left??

The water is clear to the very depths; It shines without needing polishing.

continued on p. 11


This is a comment for James Davie in Brent, Alabama, who wrote “The Treasure in Words” article (BCCN, Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 8).

In your third paragraph, you provided that “[i]t’s understandable why Buddha made it a rule of his life to avoid useless and unnecessary discus-sion. Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace.” Mahatma Gandhi once said: “In the attitude of silence, the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness.” Unfortu-nately, he was gunned down in that attitude of silence—crossing over to the other shore via a bloody Great Re-nunciation. Fortunate for us, the Buddha, knowing that something had to be said, turned the wheel by dis-coursing the Four Noble Truths, giving not exactly “one single word that gives peace” but three. And the treas-ure in three words that give peace are found in the fourth Noble Truth: The Middle Path (or, Noble Eightfold Path). Gassho.

Ronald Couch, Jr.Beaver, WV

There are sacred prayers and phrases that reminder us of our true self. To re-peat these words while sweeping through our bodies can cleanse our negative feelings and bring us bal-ance. Think of it as an internal shower, swishing away all that could possibly hurt you or others. See your-self as your highest spiritual self when you are done. See yourself benefiting all beings.

10. Feel that you are sacred energy and light: It may be that after working with anger or any emotional dramas, you have the experience of yourself as a sacred energy and light. Just like flicking on the light switch in a dark room, you are your highest self once again. If it is not quite that simple yet, practice the cleansing meditation and remembering your highest intention whenever you get lost in emotional drama. Little by little, you will build the capacity to return to your essential and radiant sacred self in just a mo-ment of remembering amid the forget-fulness.

11. Work with what is as your sacred teaching: Our teaching is to rest effort-lessly in meditation no matter what arises. If we are stirred into a state of distraction, especially into an emotion-al state or drama like anger,we have an opportunity to learn about our at-tachment, the arising that grabbed our attention and to which we gave away our equanimity. There is a sacred teaching there about how we made that event, person, or thing more im-portant than our true self. What is it? In this way, anger can be the remind-er to remember our true and sacred Self.

The water is clear, that's the nature of water. Even if it's murky, you can see through it. Its nature is pure and it can hold that cloudiness, it doesn't argue. We practice so that we can cease pol-ishing. When we turn toward what's in front of us and don't fight, the mind and body become one. They merge and don't separate. We realize something about the nature of suffer-ing and conflict/avoidance and ourselves. We can just simply arrive at the Place we've always been.

Liangshan was at that moment greatly enlightened! Gashho. Metta, Mujin.

Travis L. AdamsBradenton, FL

Adams, cont'd from p. 10 Anger, cont'd from p. 5

Compassion is the manifestation of the life of Kannon Bodhisattva. Re-member the koan “The Hands and Eyes of Great Compassion?” Ungan asked Dogo, “What does Kannon Bodhisattva do with those thousand hands and eyes?” Dogo replied, “It is like a person in the middle of the night reaching back for his pillow.” Ungan said, “Oh, I understand.” Dogo asked, “What do you under-stand?” Ungan said, “The whole body is hands and eyes.” Dogo remarked, “That is only eighty percent.” Ungan asked, “How would you say it, teach-er?” Dogo answered, “Throughout the body are hands and eyes.”

How, indeed, does Kannon Bodhisat-tva, the Bodhisattva of compassion, manifest her life within the walls of that prison? Every time an inmate helps another prisoner, the life of Kannon Bodhisattva is manifested right there inside those walls. Com-passion arises from wisdom, and wis-dom is the realization of no-separa-tion. Compassion is the activity of that no-separation. It means that when someone falls you pick them up. There is no sense of doer, nor of act being done. There is no sense of reward, no sense of separation. You do it the way you grow your hair: no-effort. It grows. As the days and months go by at the prison, the pres-ence of wisdom and compassion seems evident.

--from “Lotus in the Fire: Prison, Practice, and Freedom,”

by John Daido Loori, Sensei


Sources for Free Dhamma Books and Magazines

Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery16201 Tomki Rd.Redwood Valley, CA 95470

Following the Theravada tradition of freely sharing Buddhist teachings, Abhayagiri offers a variety of books and audio, which can be requested by mail. While they are freely available and there is no suggested donation for these teachings, you may make a contribution to Sanghapala Foundation Publishing Fund, 16201 Tomki Road, Redwood Valley, CA 95470.

Titles available include:

Tudong: The Long Road North, Ajahn AmaroThe Island: An Anthology of the Buddha’s Teachings on Nibbāna, by Ajahn Pasanno & Ajahn Amaro Rain on the Nile, Talks & Travels by Ajahn AmaroLike a River: The Life of a Boy Named Todd, Reflections by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Amaro, Tan Ahimsako, and Tony AnthonyIn Simple Terms, 108 Dhamma Similes by Ajahn Chah Not for Sure, Two talks by Ajahn Chah, newly translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu A Taste of Freedom, Ten Dhamma Talks by Ajahn ChahAwakening Presence, by the Amaravati Nuns A Dhamma Compass, by Ajahn Pasanno Introduction to Insight Meditation, A manual for beginners, by the Sangha Freeing the Heart, Dhamma teachings from the nuns' community at Amaravati and Cittaviveka BuddhistMonasteries, by the Amaravati Nuns Everything Is Teaching Us, New translations of Ajahn Chah's teachings by Paul BreiterBodhinyana, A collection of teachings on practice by Ajahn Chah Intuitive Awareness, The new book of Ajahn Sumedho's teachingsBiography of Venerable Acariya Mun Bhuridatta Thera, A spiritual biography of the peerless Thai forest master, by Ajahn Maha Boowa The Last Breath, The last precious days of Jay Siripong on death row in San Quentin, by Ajahn Pasanno Who Will Feed the Mice?, A reflection on a mother's love and inspiration, by Ajahn Amaro

Buddhist Publication SocietyP.O. Box 61No 54 Sangaraja MawathaKandySri Lanka Write for a free catalog of their books, many of which are available at a nominal cost.

Snow Lion: The Buddhist Magazine and Catalog Snow Lion PublicationsPO Box 6483Ithaca, NY 14851-6483Write for a free one-year subscription to this magazine on Tibetan Buddhism.

Inquiring MindP. O. Box 9999Berkeley, CA 94709-0999Write for a free sample of this semiannual journal dedicated to the creative transmission of Buddhadharma to the West or request a full subscription.

Wisdom Audio-Visual ExchangeMrs Lim Tay Pohc/o No. 1187, Jalan 17/46Petaling Jaya46400 SelangorMalaysiaWAVE has an extensive catalog of Dhamma books for free distribution, with titles by such authors as Ajaan Lee, Ajaan Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw, and many others.

vol 6 issue 2

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