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By Incarcerated People

Reflections, essays, and poems by people in prison about their Dharma practice.

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Young man holding a sign that says 'The power to choose... the power to change."
On Cultivating Wisdom

Choice and changing

A courageous look at the selfish mind and the suffering it creates in life.

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The words 'Let go' painted on cable car tracks.
On Self-Worth

Letting go of guilt and shame

Overcoming guilt and shame by cultivating loving kindness for oneself first and then expanding it…

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A worker picking flowers at a very colorful flower fields.
On Mindfulness

The path and the garden

C. M. reflects on the effects on his practice of time spent gardening. Any work…

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Man sitting in meditation with eyes closed.
By Incarcerated People

Daishin, big mind

We can embrace our experiences, whether difficult or pleasant, in a way that is neither…

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A yellow flower growing out of a crack in concrete.
On Mindfulness

The reality of adversity

Learn to smile and let go instead of flipping out, even in the most difficult…

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Path through trees
On Self-Worth

The journey

If looking back is hurtful, it can be a relief to find a way forward…

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A man's handcuffed hands behind his back.
On Love, Compassion, and Bodhicitta

Sitting with difficulty

An incarcerated person describes the benefit of sitting with discomfort and sharing the suffering of…

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Yellow-toned image of brothers walking through a field.
On Overcoming Anger

Them

By understanding the suffering of others, a person in prison was able to forgive himself.

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Hard chair in empty room
On Self-Worth

The pajama room

A person in prison experiences a spiritual awakening unlike any he had anticipated.

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Koi fish swimming.
On Overcoming Anger

Flow

Looking at one's difficult conditions and examining the mind in order to recognize and overcome…

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Vegetables on a prison kitchen counter.
By Incarcerated People

Kitchen Dharma

A person in prison explores opportunities to practice the Dharma in difficult living and working…

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Black and white image of a man thinking.
By Incarcerated People

Thoughts

Two months before his release, a person in prison shares his thoughts on how the…

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