All entries filed under this archive
Caring and Conviction – HIGHLIGHT
Compassion and generosity let friendship survive through challenging times by Francesca Anton Our minister had called a special gathering right after the service. Steve had been arrested earlier in the week, a horrible picture of him was on the front page of the newspaper with numerous charges (that ... continuePosted February 12, 2016 by CGH
Shambhala Principle to Prison – HIGHLIGHT
The Prison Outreach Affinity Circle was started by Trime Persinger in 2013. On March 10, 2014, a conversation was hosted by Richard Reoch and Adela Sandness The conversation was recorded and transcribed following which the transcript was edited and divided into three parts. Following is Part Three ... continuePosted July 6, 2015 by
No Choice – HIGHLIGHT
A Special Rigden Weekend is Offered at Snake River Shambhala Meditation Group, Snake River Correctional Institution, Oregon by Trime Persinger The Snake River Shambhala Meditation Group is different from any other — it operates entirely inside a prison. In May 2014, Acharya Fleet Maull led a Rigden: Unconditional ... continuePosted September 29, 2014 by
Helping the Corrections Officers too – HIGHLIGHT
Oregon State Penitentiary Corrections Officer Laura Hinkle underwent mindfulness training at the prison, which has helped her in her work with prisoners and her life. photo courtesy of Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian Exploring the Shambhala Prison Program Portland, Oregon article by John David Smith On a recent drive back to Portland ... continuePosted July 21, 2014 by
Funding Cut to Canada’s Prison Chaplains – HIGHLIGHT
Shastri Veit Weber, a Shambhala Buddhist representative in the non-Christian prison chaplaincy in Canada was recently affected by a sweeping government budget cut. In an article on Touch Base, a magazine for Canadians, he says, “I am not a lawyer, but it looks to me that ... continuePosted November 23, 2012 by
A Place to Be Free: Writing in True Notebooks – HIGHLIGHT
Project Pride, a program of the East Bay Community Recovery Project, is a residential substance abuse treatment program for incarcerated mothers of young children. Here, Sandy Miller writes about the True Notebooks class she started at Project Pride after reading a book of the same name ... continuePosted May 13, 2009 by
A Progress Report
On January 21st, 2009, I wrote a letter to the Vajradhatu sangha and the Shambhala community, stating that from this time forward it is my intention to focus on the propagation of the teachings of my root guru, the Great Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, and his ... continuePosted April 27, 2009 by
The Crystal Ball Within: Volunteering at a Prison Meditation Program – HIGHLIGHT
We are all potential criminals, and those whom we have put into prison are no worse, deep down, than any one of us. They have succumbed to ignorance, desire and anger, ailments that we all suffer from but to different degrees. Our duty is to help them. – ... continuePosted April 16, 2009 by
Ratna Prison Initiative Develops Program for Veterans with PTSD
The Ratna Prison Initiative (RPI) is currently developing a secular meditation program for combat veterans, a significant percentage of whom are incarcerated. It is our intention to work with incarcerated vets and to use that as a bridge to the veteran population in general. We have just ... continuePosted March 15, 2009 by Gary_Allen
What is the Ratna Prison Initiative?
With 2.2 million people incarcerated in the US and a 60-70% recidivism rate, the fate of criminals impacts us all, though we may not realize it ourselves until we become more directly victimized. Before that happens, Ratna Prison Initiative tries to replace active ignorance of ... continuePosted February 20, 2009 by Gary_Allen
Prison Dharma Network
Path of Freedom Apprenticeship and other programs For information on our two-year apprenticeship program and other programs, please visit our website here. Terry B., a prisoner from Georgia, USA writes: “I have come to realize what caused me to be here. We inmates love to blame the other guy, the ... continuePosted February 20, 2009 by