Lama Lena Returns - Rime Buddhist Center

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Dharma I’ve Learned From Inmates I started working with prison inmates 10 years ago when my friend the former Theravadin monk, Santikaro was living in Kansas City and regularly visiting a Buddhist inmate group at Lansing State Prison. He encouraged me to become a volunteer, especially since he was planning on leaving the metropolitan area. This is something that had been in the back of my mind, so with this extra little push, I became a volunteer at Lansing and took over leading the groups when Santikaro left. There were two at groups at Lansing: maximum security and medium security. We had Buddhist inmate groups on both sides of what they called “the wall.” From there, that lead me on a path of working as a part-time staff chaplain at the Leavenworth federal prison in 2004 and 2005. Now, I currently serve as a part-time Chaplain at The United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) at Ft. Leavenworth, a military prison. I correspond with a quite a number of inmates in other states. Each year I write over 100 letters to these inmates seeking spiritual direction. Back in 2001, I was corresponding with several Buddhist inmates housed in prisons in Missouri. When I inquired about starting a Buddhist inmate group at one of the prisons in Missouri I was informed that the Missouri Department of Corrections didn’t recognize Buddhism as a religion. So with the help of Kalen McAlister, a Zen priest friend of mine in St. Louis, and few other Buddhists, we started making our case to encourage the Missouri Department of Corrections to recognize Buddhism as a religion. It took a full year before we even allowed to speak before the board that makes such decisions, but we were successful. Today there are Buddhists inmate groups at nearly all of the prisons in Missouri. The irony is that I now serve on that very board, and my Buddhist friend Kalen was hired last year as the first non-Christian Chaplain at one of the prisons in Missouri. It is amazing what patience and persistence can bring about. Today I also have Buddhist inmate groups at two prisons in Cameron, Mo. I do this work because I’ve learned so much from the inmates I’ve worked with. I find it incredibly rewarding and satisfying because I’ve seen amazing change and transformation by many of these inmates. Prison life is really a microcosm of our own culture. Within prisons meditations By Chuck Stanford, Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje The founder of the Rime Center, Lama Chuck Stanford was ordained in 1998 as Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje. Lama Chuck writes a monthly column on Buddhism for the faith section of the Kansas City Star and is the Buddhist member of the Kansas City Interfaith Council. In addition he is a volunteer chaplain at Lansing Correctional Facility and regularly visits Buddhist inmate groups at five area prisons. Dharma talk given on Feb. 28, 2010 An inmate learns: “Compassion is cool.” you have racism, sexism, classism – and every kind of “ism” you can think of. There is also an incredible amount of injustice that occurs inside of prisons. In general being in prison will usually result in one of two outcomes. The offender either becomes angrier, meaner, and more manipulative. Statistics show that once the inmate is released they usually re-offend as the recidivism rate is about 70% for state prisons. Or – the convict turns to religion – it doesn’t matter the religion. It could be Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Buddhism. But as a result of their religious experience they learn the virtues taught by all religions of: kindness, compassion, generosity and patience. I believe the Buddhist inmates have one added benefit not offered by the other religions and that is the meditation practice. Inmates who get into serious trouble are sentenced to a period of time in what is known as “the hole” or solitary confinement. This is complete isolation 23 hours a day. For many inmates not trained in meditation, they actually lose their minds and become psychotic. Buddhist inmates on the other hand, use that time as an opportunity for doing meditation practice – a kind of meditation retreat – and actually come out better than when they went in. Part of my job at the USDB is visiting the Buddhist inmates in solitary, and when they first arrive I tell them what an incredible opportunity this is for them to deepen their practice. I tell them truthfully that people on the outside actually pay for this same experience! I’ve learned so much from working with inmates and I’ve seen amazing transformation. I’d like to share with you, just one of countless stories of such transformation. Tony was a tough convict I met at Lansing Prison. This was Tony’s third trip to the “big house” on a conviction of drugs and burglary. In prison you really have to belong to a gang to survive and Tony was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, a racist and dangerous gang. Tony’s back was covered with racist tattoos, including a black man hanging from a tree. One night after severely beating up another inmate, Tony had what you might call a “dark night of the soul.” He felt remorse for the first time and didn’t like the life he was living. He thought “What I want to do is, I want to be a man of honor and integrity, most of all.” So, he joined the Buddhist group and he attributes Buddhism with “saving his life.” The day he joined the Buddhist group is when I first met Tony. He took the “Basics of Buddhism” class from me and attended several all-day retreats that I lead, and eventually took refuge vows from me. He made a complete 180 degree turnaround. I remember the last time I saw Tony at Lansing, he was leaving because he had completed his sentence, but he had another year to do on another charge at a country jail out in Kansas. He said to me, “You know Lama Chuck, I’ve decided that compassion is cool.” He completed that year and moved to Wichita, Kansas. He looked into having his tattoos removed by laser but it was going to cost $25 per square inch which would have run into thousands of dollars. So instead he had additional tattoos added, that transformed the horrible racist tattoos on his back into a Tibetan deity. The deity looks like a Mahakala – a wrathful deity. I think this is a beautiful metaphor – his mind had changed and in turn the tattoos on his back changed as well. Tony has visited the Rime Center a few times, and told this story here one Sunday about five years ago. There are so many other stories I could tell you. Inmates who learn to practice patience after being turned down by the parole board multiple times. Many of these inmates actually work to help inmates put down or shunned by the other inmates. As you know Buddhism is all about freedom – liberation from suffering. What I’ve learned from these incredible individuals in prison is that despite your situation you can still be free. It was Gandhi who said, “They can imprison my body but they can’t imprison my mind.” I guarantee you that many of these men feel more free than many of you. This is due to their level of spiritual practice, their daily meditation practice. If a man in prison can dedicate himself to doing a daily practice and change his mental attitude from the afflictive emotions to practicing the Buddhist virtues of: compassion, generosity and patience, then so can you. I hope these stories of change inspired you, as they have me, to continue your daily practice and to make a real effort to practice mindfulness in ALL aspects of your life. 2 The Rime Jewel Newsletter — © 2010 Rime Buddhist Center Summer 2010
Help Update Our Mailing List If you would like to sign up for the weekly e-mail updates, no longer wish to receive mailings from the Rime Center or you have moved, contact us at lama108@aol.com or 816-471-7073. Fax: 816-471-7853 Join a Committee Joining a Rime Committee is an excellent way to contribute to the sangha and to become more involved with the Rime Center. If you are interested in becoming involved and serving on a committee, please contact the following chairs or come to a meeting: Facilities Committee Meets upstairs: 9:30am 4th Sunday of the month Chris McCready buckethat@hotmail.com Programming Committee Meets: 9:30am 2nd Sunday of the month Denise Case denisecase@gmail.com Gift Shop Committee Meets: 9:30am 3rd Sunday of the month Chaplain Mary Stanford marystanford2000@yahoo.com Finance Committee Meets: 12:15pm 2nd Sunday of the month Vickie Cumberland, treasurer vacumberland@aol.com Membership Committee Meets: 9:30am 1st Sunday of the month Chris Mikel chrispmikel@gmail.com and Melanie Mikel melaniemikel@gmail.com Dharma Sunday School Committee Meets: 9:30am 4th Sunday of the month Michael Hart michael_e_hart@msn.com Library Committee Meets: 9:30am 1st Sunday of the month, in library Pete Scott rockywind1@sbcglobal.net Prison Outreach Chuck Stanford lama108@aol.com Rime Board Officers Chuck Stanford, executive director Gabriele Otto, board chair Mary Stanford, vice chair Teri Brody, secretary Vickie Cumberland, treasurer Board Members Bernie Evans, Matt Rice, Toni Wills Special Thanks To Paul Kotz and FRD Communications for donating all of the printing for our newsletter. Newsletter Designer/Volunteer Coordinator Michele Cavin Lowrie oneLmichelekc@gmail.com Permission Articles may be reprinted or reproduced with permission. Please contact Lama Chuck Stanford. Financial Aid Available Workshops and classes, as with all Dharma teachings, are available to everyone regardless of ability to pay. Discounts, a limited number of scholarships and work/study programs are available to those in need. However, scholarship forms must be submitted one week prior to the start of the teachings for review by our scholarship committee. Call the Rime Center at 816-471-7073 or email Lama Chuck at lama108@aol.com for details. Change a Life Become a Tibetan Sponsor • Seeking sponsors for over 50 Tibetan refugees • Sponsors matched one-onone with refugees • $30 monthly contribution is sent directly • $30usd has the buying power of $600 in India • We connected over 40 sponsors and refugees in 2009, with a total of 239 since 2002 More info: Lama Chuck at Tenzin Namdol lama108@aol.com or 816- 471-7073. Half-Day Summer Retreats The Rime Center will have several half-day meditation retreats this summer. All of them will be led by Lama Chuck and Mary Stanford. Designed to be accessible for all levels of learning, each half-day retreat will focus on Developing Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is the altruistic intention to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. This path of selfless and profound compassion is one of the most important aspects of Mahayana Buddhism.The retreat will focus on releasing ego clinging and training the mind in compassion through, mindfulness and tonglen meditation. This retreat will also focus on guidelines for using everyday experiences as opportunities to deepen bodhicitta. Member Profile Vickie Cumberland Hometown: Ponca City, Oklahoma, but I grew up in Wichita and have spent most of my adult life in Kansas City. Role at the Rime: My main role at the Rime is as a student of the Dharma, but I have recently been appointed as the Treasurer and like being a volunteer. Day Job: Accountant Hobbies: For the past year, my grandchildren have been my primary hobby. I also like to ride my bicycle. What led you to the Dharma: I began studying Buddhism as a one year project just to learn something new, but to borrow a phrase from Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, “It was like coming home.” Nothing has ever made more sense to me. Something that most people don’t know about you: I enjoy being old(er). I played my first organized game of baseball when I was 50 and rode a bicycle last year after more than 35 years. Dhasang Nyima Lobsang Rinzin Lobsang Thugche Tenzin Dhaton Tashi Phuntsok Sonam Tenzin Thupten Dhargyal Saturday Morning (Half-Day) Meditation Retreats Time: 9:00a.m. to Noon Dates: June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, 2010 Cost: $15 suggested donation Beginners are encouraged to attend. We will be observing noble silence throughout the retreat. Tea and bottled water will be provided. Please see the class schedule to register. Member and Services Directory The Rime Center plans to publish a membership directory this spring. If you would like to be included in the directory, complete the information below and send to the center or email it to RimeDirectory@gmail.com. If you would like to advertise in our directory, please send an email with “Advertising Information Request” as the subject and we’ll provide information for listing your business or services. Member(s) Information First name: ______________________________ Last name: _______________________________ First Name: ______________________________ Last Name: ______________________________ Address: ________________________________ City:____________________________________ State: ________ Zip code:__________________ Home phone: _____________________________ Cell phone: ______________________________ Email: __________________________________ Children to be included in directory: ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ 3 The Rime Jewel Newsletter — © 2010 Rime Buddhist Center Summer 2010
Page 1: in this issue page 2 Meditations: D
Page 5 and 6: Losar The Rime Center held a Losar

Lama Lena Returns - Rime Buddhist Center

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