BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
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Transcript of BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
1/12
It seems like eons ago that I was released from prison, yet I was released
from sorn orreonal enter in onnet only a lile less than three
months ao ein ot has een dilt in some ways, t it has lmately
een ery sasfyin
he maor fear I had while in prison was that proaon was oin to e a
prolem for me, that it was a trap with the ineitale onlsion that I wold
hae to ome ak to prison ein that I did two years for a drnken rlary
and hae e years of proaon with ten years sspended oer my head, this
fear was ite intense ther inmates fed my fears with proaon horror
stories that I now see were likely eaeraons, or were simply representa
e of how they pereied it ease they were nwillin to hane the dei
ant lifestyles that landed them in prison in the rst plae My eperiene of
proaon is that it is not dilt at all if yo are willin to lie free of drs
and a riminal lifestyle
he rst proaon oer I had was a really nie lady who atally treated me
like a hman ein, treatment I had ertainly not reeied from athority
res in prison I perhaps feared that proaon wold e a onnaon of
the inhmane treatment y athories I eperiened in prison, t I was ery
happy to realie that it is not at all the ase My rst proaon oer was
een ery interested in hearin aot the meditaon enters that I freent
ed on the weekends and allowed me to o to other states to aend them
sine the area of onnet I lie in does not hae anythin like that any
where lose eently I was swithed to another proaon oer he rst
one was someone who sees people who hae st oen ot of prison and
need to e seen eery week he new one sees me eery two weeks While
the new proaon oer does not seem as interested in the eat details of
my inolements, she is easy to et alon with and is pleased with the pro
ress I hae made in my life She een epressed that I am somewhat of an
anomaly in proaon, as many people she sees o riht ak to the lifestyle
2)
January-ar
uu
NEWSLETTERB u d d h i s t C o r r e s p o n d e n c e C o u r s e
nu
Reentering, Philip Speirs 1
Haiku, Louis J. Rocco 3
My Mecca, Erik Fite 3
True Freedom, Zachariah de la Torre 3
uminaon, Steven Hyman 4
Nobiity, Mike Miller 4
Virtue, Brian Alberer 4
Faith, the Dharma, & the Free Word
Rev. Mujin Karuna
5
Sin vs. Karma, Stefan Crisbasan 6
Sience is Loud, Wilmer Hause 6
Truth, Gregory Howard 6
The Now Choice, James L. Halbirt 7
Contemang nightenment,
James Davie
7
My Buddhist Journey, Angie Oakes 8
Samsara: A Haiku, Chad Frank 9
Leng o, icking ,Jeremy Jones (Tensin Hyon Sek)
9
Sove the robems, Charles Carter 10
Steadfast argoye, Hans Maverick 10
Magic, Zachariah de la Torre 10
uided Meditaon: uanimity,
James L. Halbirt
12
Luck, Myron Stebbins 12
Tibet, Lawrence Jay Hughes 12
Natura nsncts, Willie E. Campbell 11
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
2/12
2
The BCCN is distributed
at no charge to those
taking the Buddhist
Correspondence Course.
This is your newsleer
by you, about you, and for you. You are
the major contributors, so send us your
uesons, problems, soluons youve
found to dicules in pracce, thoughtsyou have on pracce, artwork, poetry,
etc. Due to limited space, some eding
may be necessary. Let us know if we may
use your full name or just your inials. (f
you uote from published books or ar
cles that you have read, please be sure to
include the authors name and the tle
aer the uote.)
Please mail all correspondence to:
Buddhist Correspondence Course
c/o Rev. Richard Baksa
2020 Route 301
Carmel, NY 10512
We welcome your comments on the
newsleer and suggesons for ways we
might improve it to serve you beer.
they lived before their arrest and are not as proacve about seng themselves
up for success. now know that as long as dont get arrested for anything seri
ous and dont do drugsthings have the power to controlprobaon is just a
helpful reminder of why need to move forward with my life.
When was in prison, everyone told me that my meditaon and interest in Bud
dhism would fade away when got out. Similar to the saying, There are no athe
ists in the foholes, prison is seen as a place where there is lile to do but be
spiritual in some way. Spirituality can even be essenal for a person to keep their
sanity. The other side of the consensus that got from most people is that when
you get out you will be too busy for such things. This has not been true at all for
me, and since have goen out of prison my interest in Buddhism and medita
on has only increased. While it is true that there certainly is ample me to prac
ce in prison, prison is actually a very dicult place to pracce the path, espe
cially if there is no opon for Buddhism on your prisons religious designaon and
no one to teach you in person, as it was for me in Conneccut.
When you get out and are not behind bars, you can choose to put yourself
around encouraging, posive people and environments. For me, doing so has
really caused my pracce to ourish. Almost every weekend since got out have
been aending various Buddhist meditaon centers and retreats that found
through search engines on the nternet. tried out many different types of Bud
dhist tradions and while respect them all, recently found a place and tradion of Buddhism that parcularly clicked with me and am in the process of
geng involved there on a regular basis. n fact, this coming endofweek/
weekend will be volunteering to help prepare for a Buddhist fesval taking
place. really cannot emphasie enough how wonderful it is aer being the only
Buddhist knew in prison to have found a Sangha full of Buddhists. recommend
trying to connect with other Buddhists somehow when you are released because
the support you can give and receive is invaluable. So this is something to really
look forward to when you get out, and you will find, as have, that fellow Bud
dhists tend to be very accepng of your criminal history.
The dicules have faced being out have mainly been the creaons of my own
mind. When first got out, literally felt like somehow everyone could tell hadjust goen out of prison and was incredibly anious about it. n my head it was
as if had been physically branded so everyone could see that was a felon. felt
like people would judge me harshly as a goodfornothing criminal and want
nothing to do with me, yet the only one who has judged me harshly so far has
been myself, and ve been working on being kinder to myself. also had an in
tense feeling of alienaon from the world, as if were hopelessly different from
everyone else because of where had spent the last two years of my life. As me
went on this feeling has slowly diminished and is near to dissolving completely.
Connued from age 1)
Connued on age 3)
INFORMATION
AVAILABLE
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
3/12
3
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2)
Before a single step there comes intent.he hisper of insnct. nee.
he iea something somehere must exist
noing hateer comes its me to leae
ing olomons eauful songs lull some
Others the pearl of great price of Joseph mith.
he Buhas Heart utra lures ones loe
Perhaps the ish of Mary Magalenes kiss
Meanering anerers smile aroa
esnaon seconary to aenture
esperate stern-face seekers caste their lot eath preferale to faile ascension
Footprints an track marks alternate as milestones
Its har to tell ho far ones really come
single phone call prouces ial tones
aoos unrael knie scriptures come unone
unoer patches pollinate opmism.
Where stars are gaze an naps are taken
unlight refracts through the mins prison
Refreshe enturing forth re-aakene
Incene seekers seek incene an
ecretly fancy their arrial anquet
For some the pilgrimage itself is essenal
rael y night an arrie unexpecte
ome play it y touch some procee y force
oing forth orers ont e isnguishe
he hearts compass resets its course
nl the Holy rail is relinquishe
A tree in the yard
dhidhara t in
Aer hi rney
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
4/12
4
Illumination
I awakened this morning in a confused malaise. Perhaps an early walk might
soothe my soulmy own lile ision uest. he sun is rising and the coer of
dew uiets my steps. think am alone. look up at the trees and noce some
hae thick trunks while others, thin. Some are straight, others crooked. Some
hae rambling ines, forming a despised alliance that will eentually exhaust
and kill both.
n the sky see a hawk and a crow circle aboe a prey. hey are best of
friends. A wounded fox lies below their flight. hey stare at each other. Who
should hae the first strike upon the poor hapless fox? he two allies argue as
to this concern. hen they turn on each other and fight in the air aboe. he
wounded fox knows none of this. he two mighty warriors bale to the end.
One drops out of the heaens two feet from the defenseless ulpine. Mr. Fox
smiles at his good fortune and leisurely feeds on his unannounced dinner.
Hardy and hale, he cheerfully prances away.
connue on my ourney. come across an opossum. He sees my arrial. nplaying dead, he plays stupid, so many a predator has le him alone. Who
would beliee that such an ugly, unintelligent, nerous lile creature could be
capable of such decepon?
walk on. see two frogs sing in a puddle. listen as they discuss their
plight. Frog number 1 looks at the other and says, Our pool is drying up un-
der the summer heat. Soon we will hae no water or food. We should look for
another home. watch as they hop away. follow not too close behind. hey
pass a deep well amply supplied with water and nourishment. Frog number 2
says to his chum, Let us descend and make our abode here! he smart frog
replies with great cauon, ut suppose the water should fail us. How can we
get out from such a considerable depth? hey hop away in a sophiscated
manner. walk on. see a suirrel with two handfuls of nuts. One lile nut
drops out of his hands. He tries to pick it up and drops 20 more. He tries to
pick up the 21st and drops them all. hen he loses his temper and runs away.
e sasfied with what you had! shout out to his behind.
march on spong a meadow with a fragrant apple orchard. eing hungry
from my ourney, climb a tree and select a red ripe prize. take a minute to
munch my lunch when an opportunisc wasp alights on my apple. swat him
o, not subming to his demand. he angry felon worked himself up into a
iolent rage. He lost all consideraon of penalty and stung my hand. As a re-
sult of his reenge, he was unable to extricate his weapon from its target.
Now he was compelled to tear himself free, which entailed upon himself a
lingering death accompanied by pains much greater than those he had inflict-
ed on me.
Concerned not to obtain any further inury, circle back to retrace my steps.
lue ays are bickering in my path showing each other who is boss. One bold
fellow anuishes his adersaries to fly away. He stomps the ground to show
his strength and glory. Look at me! he shouts. am the ictorious blue ay!
At that moment an eagle dies from aboe and seizes the blue ay in his tal-
ons, pleased to carry him to the nest. leae the woods today a beer man,
only slightly confused.
NOBILITY
strie each day to lie with nobility
o rise about like a supreme deity
want to lie each day exercising the
mind
Maybe een be a philanthropist for all of
mankind.
want to perpetuate irtue in all do
And if youre reading this, maybe can
influence you.
Right speech is a noble truth in itself
Whether youre poor or lie a life of
wealth.
ts neer too late to open your eyesStop hiding from yourself behind a eil of
lies
Right intent starts with your acon
Just lead by example with your compas-
sion.
You will show your irtuous energy to
family and friend
hey will eentually see that you no
more pretend
You will experience happiness and much
beer daysJust neer forget...its nobility that will
change your ways.
VIRTUE
Brian Alberer (Smyrna, DE)
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
5/12
5
In the BCCN Volume 7, Issue 2, I wrote From Prison
Blues to the oe o ieron ine then I ws se
to onsier wrin out how m re hele me
oe with the hllenes o n to the ree worl
er m relese s I sit here onerin how to ormu
lte it in wors, I thin I will just esrie m own jour
ne, s ws se
We ll now tht theres not one onvit tht oesnt
ut themselves throuh it when the eome short,
eseill one loein with their out te The t o
the mer is the me hs nll ome or tht ste
towr resonsiilit Bein le to et, thin, n shit
on our own me n when ou wnt to without n
offier tellin ou To e le to oen our own oors
n unlo them when ou wnt To flush the toilet
without usin our oot Wow!! ie is hnin st,
n theres nothin tht ou n o to sto it! We me
list o r to o when we et outmovies weve
misse, new CDs to u, lothes to etsine we hve
none now tht ll our solle riens hve quire
them, et The list oes on, n we hve tht list
stshe w in our ootloer, hve h it or ers,
n the thin ees rowin, so it woul seem On the
one hn, its some unn shit On the other, its ver
seriousl rel We wnt to o it ll euse we misse
so muh o wht lie hs to offer, or hve we? Thts the
queson, wht hve ouwe misse? nswer, not
mn thin! Beuse ll tht stuff oesnt mer Itswht ot us loeu in the rst lethe wish to
in stuff we ont nee
In the Buhs tehins, he instruts us to not e
ome he to thins tht we ont nee to live our
lives, the thins tht onl rin sufferin, n we lern
this n relie this while in rison er ll, rison is
the retest le to trul ut ones re to the test,
to see i wht the Buh tuht wors To see the Bu
hs Dhrm t its est, in the worl o ul, the Gret
Ctstrohe But wht is it tht hnes when we wl
throuh the min te n into the ree worl? It
wore or ll those ers in rison Wh isnt it now
tht Im in the worl? One wor ene In rison
we h to e ent We h no hoie in the mer
But now its ifferent Where o we strt rst, n with
wht? Wheres tht mn list? Itll hel, n Ill just hill
n see wht or who omes m w rst houl I i it
with m homeos, or shoul I not tell none n hill
lone or while? Get m min riht? Beore we even
strt n et out the te were oome, n weve
one it to ourselves without even nowin rell n i
ou now, or those tht hve een own more thnone, its lie ou now eer ut ou nt sto tht
minset Its mness or rel!
For me, I ws livin in the ree worl lie I ws sll on
C 2 t FP, wlin n orth in m ell, onl now
m ell hs some lss n C, eer view n ool
to o jum in Gen m BCCN n ll the rest o m
mil, tht ws the sme ll Buhist in nture I oul
nt stn to e roun eole I te m oo the sme,
with shovel n lie I h some le to e With m
rior reor I ws ri to o nthin Hell, I sore out
to months without new hre, stnin sll I
oulnt trust none or nthin n thouht I ws
oome I shoul never hve le rison I ws eer off
there It ot to the oint to where I re to o , Iwnt to o to tht shit hole Wow, how r i I
eome? How r i the sstem me me? Well, I
ws wron, theres no the, just me I i ll this to
msel, noo ut msel I ws so sun with the me,
m, n I tht I h lost ous o everthin I elieve,
the Dhrm n who I ws I lost ith in msel, n s
soon s ou o tht, its over! Beuse s Buhists,
(nne n ae 8)
-
8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
6/12
6
Karma
One of the strong points
coo po lgol cllf.
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Wilmer Hause (Cranston, RI)
-
SILENCE IS LOUD
TRUTH
Truth is neither
ier nt seet
Yet a lie is mre
Seet than the
Nectar f the gds .
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
7/12
7
The crossroads in your life are alays places f chice.
Chsing truth means yur decisin ill be based nt n
eternal circumstance epectans udgments r ther
ed beliefs but n yur relanship ith yur inner
Surce. acts dnt cnstute truth. Yu may be factual
but nt tell the truth. acts are created. They are by na-
ture f the past. Truth can nly be knn in the here and
n.
The reasn e dnt kn hat e are is because f ur
aenn t frms. e create labels f near-innite diver-
sity. e generally live unuesningly under the illusin
f ur separate self-eistence. hen e try t make ur-
selves the bects f ur n aareness e cannt. T
d s stps ur minds. e cme t a crucial insight: hat
e call I r me is a kind f default mental cnstrucn
that ur minds autmacally turn t. e assume ur n
eistence is cncrete and becve yet this assumpn
remains valid nly as lng as e d nt lk directly fr
ur I. The mment e d it is gne. hen e remain in
the present e have the pprtunity t decnstruct this
false identy and learn t abide in the essence f the n.
hen ur sense f self is based n hat e see in the
mirrr e are nt cnscius that there is a mre funda-
mental part f urselves that can be aare f ur self-
bservan. e spend ur hle lives chasing aer sme
ideal r imprved image never sased ith h e
lk ithut realizing that in ding s e mve ur
minds elsehere rather than in the present.
hen e all ur minds t gr uiet and recepve as
in meditan e can appreciate the unkning in the
face f beliefs abut urselves and the ay e idenfy
urselves. e can create a mre ferle grund fr discv-
ering mre f h e really are. Everything e are aare
f implies the eistence f smething aare f this aare-
ness and if e try t name that hich is aare then
there is sll anther ne that is aare. This is like standingin a mirrred rm and seeing yur reecn repeang
innitely int space.
hen e turn ur aareness tard self-inuiry e
must remain in the present in the n. Obviusly e
dnt kn h t stay uncndinally in the present
unl e discver that this me is nt h e really are
unl e realize that e are nt the feelings that enter ur
minds. Ideas abut urselves are relave nt abslute
truths.
hen e nally are able t see ur true self it lks at all
e think d and eperience including ur sense f me.
In this lking a relanship is created that has the per
t transfrm ur eperience f urselves and ur rlds.
Thrughut ur lives the mment e bring ur aare-
ness fully int the n e enter the dmain f the true
self. In the n it is ust hat it is. In the n I g back t
my riginal aareness by the ay that I have cme.
e eercise the per f aareness and strengthen ur
spiritual muscle by bringing urselves ver and ver again
int the immediate present. e turn ur aenn direct-
ly t hat e are eperiencing instead f staying en-
meshed in feeling r blindly accepng ur beliefs abut
urselves and thers. e d this in ur meditan prac-
ce and in ur daily lives.
Lve f humanity and all that eists is the backbne f
reality. Nthing is in eile frm this. Nthing in life des
nt belng here. Even fear. Our bsessin ith survival
and security alays ulmately leads us back t fear and all
its mininsper cntrl self-righteusness ealusy
neediness greed blame hate and revenge. e live in
endless hpe f imagined security fr freedm frm an
endless legin f eternal threats. In that very hpe h-
ever is the rt f fear that hich e have nt turned t
meet and hld. Hpe cannt break us ut f that cycle. It
is nly in facing fear that e becme free f the cycle f
fear and hpe. hen e nally face ur egs primal fear
f being uerly and hpelessly enguished e cme t
realize the true surce f ur true nature. It is never in the
past r future. It is alays in the present.
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8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
8/12
8
faith starts with the person. Buddhist faith is not blind faith
and some cop-out to usf the means to the end. ou and
ou alone will be the one to make it or break it.
Shugen Sensei told me while in prison that if I wanted to
come to Zen Mountain Monaster for residenc, I would have
to wait a ear or so unl m re-entr to the free world had
seled. ell, that was too long. I would never make it that
ear. e explained and opened m ees to one of the most
profound teaching in Buddhism paence. ithout paence
we have nothing, not even a real pracce. e talked about
paence and its teachings for a ver long me, and to this da
Im sll learning this harma lesson. ithout paence, we
have nothing, nor can we come to an true realiaon of an-
thing, especiall the harma and the end of suffering. Pa-
ence in and of itself is the harma ate to all the Buddhas
teachings. nd it starts with ou. ou have to be paent with
ourself, with life, and everthing in it, too. See with the True
harma e. To see the inmac of all Things, the Thus of life,
is to see who ou are trul in the light of mpness. In ones
true light of self-nature. Its that ver change that unfolded
over the ears in that cell, that change given to us b the Bud-
dha b means of the harma teachings. That change that
took us from the mind of a criminal to the mind of a Buddhist
with love and compassion for the world and all its suffering.
That for the most part, each and ever one of us here have
had a hand in.
So how did I make it from prison blues to the robe of libera-
on Pracce It was b taking responsibilit as in prison and
using the same point of view one has to realie in order to be
a convict and do me, and not let me do ou. The precepts
are what I live b, at least the best I can. Moment to moment,
in the ever-changing world of impermanence, I keep them to
the front of m mind. nd its b falling that reat oubt
manifests itself. nd when I break a Precept and pick mself
back up, it empowers me in the vortex of mundane condi-
ons to have faith in mself. It allows me to invesgate the
maer and see things ust as the are. hat is ust is, and
theres nothing to add or take awa from that point of entr. I
believe that the training precepts are the ra that will take
ou out the gate and back into the world. So hold them near,as the moonlight that shone for all those ears through that
cell window off the raor wire. The light of hope, the ancient
ee that shines so bright in the darkest of moments. The Mani
that fills our heart to this da, kept safe under the chin of the
dragon.
Im no preacher man, and b far do I have it or anthing right.
ust a small monk taking one step at a me. But if I had to
sum it all up, and give something to take out that gate, it
would be the second precept, ust as it is o not steal. Be
giving. This is the dharma, in which nothing can be obtained,
and that means its impossible to possess anthing. e can-
not step outside to take hold of anthing. e alread contain
everthing.
To possess something means to separate ourself from some-
thing. rom the viewpoint of realiaon, everthing is unob-
tainable, including the Buddha a. rabbing, controlling,
and dominang are an upside down wa of understanding
the nature of the universe and the self. I took a vow to this
precept to take up the pracce of the Six Perfecons
generosit, ethical discipline, paence, eal, meditaon, and
wisdom. Through this wa of pracce Iou will cut the root
of desire.
Zen Master Bodhidharma said, Not giving rise to the thought
of obtaining is called the precept of refraining from stealing.
hen mind and obect are not discriminated, the gate of Lib-
eraon is open. This is the realit, and thats realiaon ood
luck, and keep it real
5)
for about ten ears now. No
all of those ears were eas for me. Being a Buddhist in pris
on has been one of the hardest things Ive had to deal with.
In the beginning of m ourne, I had to deal with m famil
asking me wh I couldnt ust follow a hrisan life. None othem understood that a mainstream religion was not wha
moved me or touched m heart. To this da I sll have famil
who do not accept me or m belief sstem.
M next challenge was telling people I thought were m
friends here in prison of m decision to pracce Buddhism.
was ver hard for me to hear people who claimed to like an
accept me call names like heathen and atheist. s I stud
ied the books from the B and put what I learned to prac
ce, I learned to deal with it. I lost friends and I learned to b
oka with it.
I transferred rom a max prison to a medium prison a ea
aer I started the B. I had enough confidence not to hide
m pracce. Some people have told me at some point Ill fin
the truth and Ill come to follow hrist. There have been peo
ple who have told me Im going to hell for being a nonbeliev
er. I meet their negave views with a smile and sa Than
ou. or the most part, no one reall bothers me about i
here.
bout two ears ago with the help of a Buddhist staff mem
M BUIST OURN
AiOksLicl,IL)
-
8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
9/12
9
ber I started a Sangha here. In all my years of being incarcer-
ated I had never done anything that could help other inmates
on an inmate level. I as pleasantly surprised to nd there
ere other Buddhists here. Having a Sangha to lean on and
turn to has become a comfort to all of us. Our teacher is kind
and giving of his me. I am grateful and honored to be taught
by him.
I as nally able to start receiving a vegan diet. It took me a
hile, but the Chaplain nally decided to allo it. I simply
cannot condone the killing of animals so that I may eat. This
opened the door for other inmates to receive a vegan diet if
their religion calls for it. This has caused people to look at me
funny because I dont eat meat. I have a different tray so
others make negave remarks. I have learned from my prac-
ce ust to be humble. I smile and simply tell them it is
against my beliefs to have a helpless animal die so that I may
eat. It ust doesnt bother me anymore hat other people
have to say about me. I have the support of the Sangha and
those ho understand my choice.
I am no preparing for Jukai. My teacher has performed this
ceremony for male inmates before. I ill be his rst female
inmate. The Chaplain here at incoln Correconal Center
contacted the regional Chaplain in Illinois and asked if I could
have rakusu. He said yes, as long as it ent through personal
property and I as told I could only have it on during private
pracce and hen I as at Sangha. I ill be making my ra-
kusu myself and giving it to the Chaplain so she can do the
paperork so I may have it. lso by compleng Jukai, I ill
obtain a (Sanskrit) Dharma name. Im looking forard to
that.
I am on a nonstop ourney as a Buddhist praconer. I look
forard to seeing here that ourney leads me. I have decid-
ed that for the rest of my stay in prison, I ill be of service to
others. I ill help ith homeork. tutor in math and/or read-
ing, be a shoulder to lean on, hatever someone needs. Pris-
on can be a hard and lonely place. I dont ant to see anyone
suffer needlessly. kind act could be all the difference to
someone. So, yes, Im looking forard to seeing here my
ourney takes me.
Letting Go, Picking UpJeremy Jones, Tenshin Hyon Sek
(Bunker Hill, IN)
If you just stopped thinking for a while and sat back to
reflect on your own mind, you would be surprised to realize
that you are at peace. (, Dr.
Thynn Thynn, page 36)
Put yourself down as you read these words. Let them flow
naturally into your mind. Their truth will penetrate your
existence and saturate your soul. Right now, without ego,
we are at peace, not only are we at peace internally with
ourseles, but we are at peace with the enre unierse.
Thus, we are able to permit the natural order of all things to
carry on without interecng me, mine, and out onto
it.
Being always there, yet seldom being aware of its reality,peace of mind is a lot like a radio signal or a sound wae.
The old American koan, f a tree falls in the woods and
nothing is around to hear it, does it sll make a sound
makes me think of peace of mind. The answer is no. The
tree sends out a sound wae that has to bounce off of an
eardrum to produce sound. The energy is there but the
needs to be something tuned into it.
Radio waes are similar. Right now thousands of signals are
reaching out for a receier to be tuned into them. Find the
right frequency and you get music.
That peaceful mental state is likewise sending out its signal.
Always reaching out to us, it simply awaits our recognion.
e tune into the air around us by praccing mindful breath
ing. Through mindfulegoless obseraon, peace of mind
appears.
f peace of mind is always there, then its opposite is always
there as well, which one are you tuned into right now
hat path were your thoughts and emoons traeling down
before you read this arcle hich road will you choose
once you lay this newsleer aside and walk to chow
challenge you to put on the headphones of spiritual awareness eery day all day. challenge myself to do the same
thing daily as well. Just think about how much peace and oy
we hae already missed out on in our lies. Aer 3 years of
life and 16 years in prison know hae been walking
around with earplugs in and blinders on. No more will
dwell in the dark depths of a pissed off, angry, wae thrash
ing sea. Now will lie and walk the path of the sweet smell
ing, cool blowing breeze. ueson is how long unl my
feet start hurng
-
8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
10/12
10
Somewhere
On the roof of an ancient building
Sits a stone gargoyle
How eny him!He is the ery epitome
Of steadfastness and equanimity
(Though fearsome in appearance,
know he is harmless.)
Come what may,
He remains unperturbed.
inter snows chill him,
Spring rains wet him,
Summer sun warms him,
Autumn winds blow around him,
Yet he keeps his seat.
No maer what,
He is not disturbed
Fire burns him,
Air buffets him,
ater washes him,
Yet he is as steadfast as the Earth
From which he is made.
But look again!
Perhaps he is not so steadfast aer all.
Like all things in this unierse,
Busy electrons whirl within him.
Like all things in this unierse,He is already crumbling, decaying, eroding,
Returning to the Earth from which he came.
Let me respecully remind you, r. argoyle,
Dont waste me!
All of us who are confined, especially those of us who
have put in some years, know something is seriously
wrong with this world we are living in. Everyone is forsome religion, but that isnt coming close to solving the
problems facing mankind. You have heat from the sun
thats geng to levels that have never been seen
before. Why? Our modern society with all our
advancements is the sole problem. You have people
starving in different parts of the world. Why? Mans
greed and mans selfishness.
Human beings are not human anymore. Only someone
who is truly mad or insane can show lile kids on
starving. hen you ask people to send in money. hen
when some people do send money to help, it is stolen. I
dont believe society is advanced like it claims to be.
You have human beings rong away in prisons
because they have been mis-educated by a system that
does not work. Prisoners are a byproduct of mis-
educaon imposed on them at an early age.
We who are grasping the teachings of the Buddha are
in line to become more aware of why things are the
way they are. Yes, karma, but dont be hard on yourself
for being confined. Just look within yourself. Follow the
teachings and come out that new man thats within
you, that hidden person who has the answers to world
problems.
ransformaon is awareness. You know why people
do what they do, because you have taken the me to
know yourself. Before you can help anyone, you have
to see the problem within yourself. Understand
yourself, then go out and really try to save this dying
planet from its destrucve course.
he Dhammapada is an ancient Buddhist text that
ancipated Freud by thousands of years. It says that
what you are now is the result of what you were. Whatyou will be tomorrow will be the result of what you are
now. he consequences of an evil mind will follow you
like the cart follows the ox that pulls it. he
consequences of a purified mind will follow you like
your own shadow. No one can do more for you than
your own purified mindno parent, no relave, no
friend, no one. A well-disciplined mind brings
happiness.
hats the soluon to the world problems.
MAGIC
Zachariah de la Torre
(Okeechobee, FL)
Some people would say that
there is no magic.
That we only live in the reality
of our senses.
I would say that these persons live in delusion.
Myriad delusions.
And all the while, myriad dharmas stare right at them.
WAKE UP!
If you dont believe in magic, please tell me how you
really got here
-
8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
11/12
11
Natural InstinctsNatural InstinctsNatural InstinctsNatural Instincts
Willie E. Campbell, III (St. Gabriel, LA)
You are you, a unique individual. Only by walking, only by
living your life, will you find the Way. This is something of
great value. (From The Spiritual Path: Buddha, Zen, Tao,
Tantra, by Osho)
There are animals trained to serve humansdogs, certain
breeds of primates, cats, birdsand it is a most unique
relaonship at that. Figure that these creatures are sort of
tuned in to our (human) mental and emoonal energies,
our atudes and personalies. So much so that they are
able to, by insnct, grasp our most subtle ways of conduct
be it our tones of voice, bodily gestures, and amazingly,
they can pick up when certain elements about our nature
are about to change before the change occurs. Intriguing
phenomenon this is.
Humans too are able to intuit things about other humans.
Unfortunately, we dont oen take advantage of these
natural gis. Worst of all, we mysfy them and treat them
as something apart from our natural way of being, calling
these natural aspects of our character ESP. Then breaking
ESP down into its smallest parts, separang the parts into
smaller parts, treang them all as if they are something
outside of our natural makeup. The fact is that
clairvoyance, clairaudience, telekinesis, and other gis
are as natural to us as is blinking our eyes, or breathing.
One would think that since these are natural for our
construct as human beings, then we should have lile
trouble being much more in tune with one another, to the
point that we are fully capable of pung forth a much
more focused effort in recognizing when our fellow human
beings are notreceiving our compassionate best.
o our atudes affect non-human beings (viz plants and
animals)? What about inanimate objects like stones, soil,
water air, houses, vehicles, etc.? Simple answer Yes! to allof the above. es. And since we know that our atudes
affect inanimate objects, how much so do our atudes
have an impact on our fellow human brothers and sisters.
Think of it something is seriously wrong with us when we
are kinder, gentler, and more thoughul of plants and
animals than we are toward our fellow man minding how
we conduct ourselves in the presence of animals, but
caring less about our conduct in the presence of other
human beings. ot displaying any negave atudes so as
not to provoke dogs, cats, bears, moose, and snakes, yet
quick are we to find the most hurul, insulng, and
dehumanizing things to say, do, and feel toward other
humansfeeling jusfied in doing sounder the false
noon that such muck is for their own good.
Humanity connues to grow in our understanding of
compassion. One of the areas we are sort of uctuang in
is our understanding of the interconnectedness of all
beings. This is not an easy thing to realize with the depth of
a Buddha, Guru, Christ, or an Avatar. And, unlike the bears,
the alligators, tortoises, and cockroaches, even though we
are born with every insnct necessary for basic survival, as
our caretakers, friends, and life coaches get hold of our
minds, we change into something we later need to learn
that we are not and are not born to be. The struggle to
truly awaken to the god-sparks we are is a long and
arduous adventure that somehow has a way of introducing
us to what we look like when we are not at our human
best. Mainly, when that less-than-the-best part of us has
digressed into something horrendous, and unpleasing to
look upon with our own eyes. Insncvel, we just know
we are much beer than the way we choose to mistreat
others. Like the bears, the poodles, billy goats, andpigeons, were born just as we are made to be. Human
nature doesnt change, We change and twist in our minds
what nature unashamedly is.
Another (and most honorable) gi we are born with is
compassion. We are born blessed with love and trust for
others. With care and concern for the feelings of others.
With consideraon for the effects our thoughts, words, and
deeds can have on one another. There is always that
something inside of us that tells us when we are
conducng ourselves less than our human best toward
others and ourselves. There are no magical incantaons,spells, and no amount of prayer necessary to just stop,
look, listen, and feelbefore we think speak and act toward
others. A genuine love for our fellow man is encoded in the
universe abroad and the universe within our beings. Were
growing, and geng beer. I think were growing closer,
and geng closer to there. Our original nature.
Brotherhood. Universal Brotherhoodnot just as a concept
but a fact of life, living, and being. Peace, Love, and
Blessings.
-
8/3/2019 BCCN Newsletter, Vol 8, Issue 1
12/12
12
quanimity
yuan
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Winged horse, hear my prayers.
Mother Himalaya our homeland lays at your feet.
Lungta, travel far and wide for all ears,
Announce to all those who have ears to hear.
The boots are on our backs, whips that tear.
We are a people who know no violence or fear.
Oppressors hide behind a veil of peace and compassion.
Our blood stains their hands.
How can we have peace when genocide is in fashion?
sat on a corner last night and discussed polics with a
drunken derelict
And couldnt believe his answers to the worlds problems
actually made senseAre those who feel the pain the only ones to understand
its suffering?
A single mother pregnant once again must sell her body
and work dead-end jobs to support her kids
While her significant other sits in prison for trying to
illegally support his family
A soldier laying in a bunker, covered with natures
surroundings
ust commied murder with his military-issued high-
powered assault rifle
He did this without thinking or wondering why
ust following ordersSir, Yes Sir
When he comes home he wishes he didnt because of the
lack of state assistance
The messed up economy, these crazy dreams of death
The state refuses to help him, or help him help himself
He then becomes the drunken derelict was discussing
polics with who had all the answers
Found in homelessness, sorrow, and disturbed reality,
hopelessness, a bole and death
Could you believe his luck?
by The Convicted Poet (Myron Stebbins)e-mail: [email protected]
ConvictedPoet on YouTube
LUCK
TIBET