I have a habit of swearing at myself when I make a mistake, for example I overlooked the car to my right at a four way stop and did not wait my turn. I silently cursed myself. I make many mistakes every day and curse myself for several of them. The news is full of our anger and we feel …
John – Darker than dark
May 15, 2017 As for me…well how to begin. Change of life? Tired of life? Tired of being so lonely? Tired of the world and/or all the hate I feel emanating from it? Maybe a mixture of it all and more. If not for C.Q. (Chris Davis), I believe I would of gone mad already. I express loneliness such as, …
Christopher – Confirming two or more of the seven elements of kindness
May 17, 2017 It’s a common practice of mine to assist prisoners coming to the hole on behavior control even with individuals I don’t care for when its cold I’ll send them socks, a shirt, toothpaste, toothbrush all due to the fact I know how it feels I know how they feel to be in a cell freezing no way …
Chris – Mr. M takes up kindness
May 24, 2017 A new I/M moved into the BK’s and Mr. Munoz asked me who it was. I couldn’t tell him b/c I didn’t know and so he went out of his way to find out his name. Where he came from, if he needed a few shots of coffee! Munoz didn’t have very much to begin with. So …
Bradley – Two Poems: Samadhi & Toxicity
June 19, 2017 *Samadhi* Sitting lotus Watching the rise of the incense I feel my mind void of thought everything slows down I see the wind outside move through the trees I hear my nieces outside playing, time and I are totally still without my senses I’ve entered Samadhi I understand Zen practice now but this is only a …
Tad – Still finds time to be kind
August 2017 As I sit here writing this letter I’m watching two inmates fight. One about 22, the other mid 30’s. The young was playing catch with a balled up piece of plastic with another inmate, when he mistakenly hit the older dude in the face. The young one’s pride was soo thick he couldn’t humble himself to apologize properly …
Christopher – Profound Kindness
May 15, 2017 When my oldest daughter Alissa was born premature weighing 1pd 5oz she was in a neonatal unit over 100 miles from myself from my wife and mines home with us both being under the age of eighteen and with a small child already we were severely strapped for cash to pay bills let alone make the daily …
Ernesto – Pay it forward
Ernesto and Buddhism: I was in the hole when I got ahold of a Buddhist book called “Zen”. Studying Buddhism within the confines of solitary confinement in my early 20s was a real eye-opener for me. It put into perspective illusionary perception of the worlds we got lost within … Our self-image, or ego, or human nature, our artificial emotions, …
Christopher’s Responses to Questions in HOW LOVE WINS
Question about accomplishments “Im happy with my recent acomplishments/success being able to reign in my anger. Put my negative thoughts to the side, focus on accepting my circumstance. Ive been 30 days disciplinary free which is a true achievement. I haven’t exploded gone over the edge lately THESE ARE ALL RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS I CAN HANG MY HAT ON. MAY NOT …
Ernesto – I could not tell him we were his secret admirers
March 20, 2016 A kid, 23 years old, was talking to me the other day and expressed that he stays with his ear on the vent. Why? He says he loves listening to the music I play. As you recall, I have a CD player and I got some speakers and play CDs music that some of the many buddies …
Steven – Topics that can kill
May 16, 2017 Over the years I have found there are two topics that are VERY sensitive topics that can lead to stabbings and killings, one is religion the other is politics. So I am careful to whom I approach and carry on discussion of this nature with. I do try to share my practice with all who ask and …
John in Solitary
Older letters from John Just got off behavior control. What they do is put in solitary confinement with your boxer shorts and one blanket with the blowers on full. That all you get. Nothing else. No Beanie. No shirt. No socks. No shoes. Nothing. No soap. No toothpaste. No cups. Nothing for (72) hours. I bundled up in a ball …
Christopher – Meditation: loss of body and mind
May 23, 2017 I took a few breaths inhaling and exhaling from the abdomen. Focusing on my breathing it was quiet in the isolation I was quickly zoned out with no thoughts or anything I’d even stopped focusing on my breath. After approx 10 minutes I came back and focused on my breathing as I continued to meditate. May 26, …
Ernesto – “Fishing” people’s homework
Sept 21, 2016 I am leaving behind a lot of things. A CD player. A bunch of CDs. Radio. Speakers. Winter Clothes, and my positivity to these guys so they don’t lose hope in kindness. Many people became saddened that I am leaving because they do not experience the kind of positivity I put out in the form of kindness, …
Steven – First year anniversary
“I have been in my practice for over a year now and boy have I seen some good progress. I guess the best thing of all is I used the tools I have learned from you and my practice and I have not smoked a cigarette in over a year!! 🙂 !! The urge and desire for a cigarette is …