PARIYATTI. This ebook is offered freely. If you wish, you may donate and help us continue offering our services. May you be happy!

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2 This ebook is offered freely. If you wish, you may donate and help us continue offering our services. May you be happy! To make a donation, please visit: PARIYATTI 867 Larmon Road Onalaska, Washington USA Pariyatti is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the world by: v Disseminating the words of the Buddha v Providing sustenance for the seeker s journey v Illuminating the meditator s path

3 Letters from the

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5 Letters from the Jenny Phillips Pariyatti Press

6 : Meditation Behind Bars. Copyright 2008 by Jenny Phillips. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Pariyatti Press, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, write to Pariyatti Publishing, 867 Larmon Road, Onalaska, Washington 98570, or First Edition, Pariyatti Press, ISBN (print) Ebook: Library of Congress Control Number: The publisher gratefully acknowledges Judith Fox Lee for substantive editing and the many others who have helped bring this book to completion, including LeRoy Allen and Andy Kukura for providing photographs, Ron Cavanaugh for his help in obtaining photo releases and Candace Ohanessian and Pamela Solarz for transcribing the letters. Cover design based on The Dhamma Brothers film poster, courtesy Northern Lights Productions. Pariyatti Press 867 Larmon Road, Onalaska, WA

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9 CONTENTS FOREWORD INTRODUCTION INSIDE DONALDSON Graduation The Journey Inside Sowing Seeds of Change Introducing Vipassana Dhamma Takes Root Setting Up the Vipassana Retreat Free Worlders Move Inside Working Deep Within THE DHAMMA BROTHERS 33 ix xiii Grady Bankhead 34 Torrence Barton 35 Michael Carpenter 36 Willie Carroll 37 Wayne Finch 38 James George 40 Charles Ice 40 Edward Johnson 42 John Johnson 47 Leon Kennedy 49 Benjamin OB Oryang 50 Omar Rahman 53 Larry Singletary 56 Rick Smith 58 Johnny Mack Young 60

10 THE LETTERS 63 Before and After: The First Two Ten-Day Courses 64 Interview with Benjamin OB Oryang 72 Interview with Leon Kennedy 76 Shut Down: Courses and Group Sitting Privileges 79 Dhamma Brother Transferred 89 Interview with Edward Johnson 90 The Addict s Mentality: Not Just Another Fix 94 Support Letters to Pardon & Parole Board: Request Declined 98 After One Year, How Does Dhamma Fare Inside? 100 Wishes to a Dhamma Friend on a Course 111 Vipassana and Christianity and Islam 115 Interview with Omar Rahman 118 Interview with Larry Singletary 123 Underground: Group Sittings by Any Other Name 126 Cell Course Rings in the New Year 133 Ups and Downs of Dhamma: Donaldson and Other Camps 139 Life and Death: Dhamma Brothers Lose Loved Ones 162 Legal Again: Vipassana Reinstated; A Three-Day Course 168 Interview with Wayne Finch 170 Appreciation to the Wardens; Dhamma Rolls On 180 Parole Denied 197 CONCLUSION 199 POSTSCRIPT 205 Address by S.N. Goenka at Donaldson 208 More about Vipassana 212 Glossary 216 Resources 218 About the Author 220

11 FOREWORD Robert Coles IX

12 x Foreword

13 xi Foreword

14

15 INTRODUCTION Lucia Meijer XIII

16 xiv Introduction

17 xv Introduction

18

19

20

21 INSIDE DONALDSON Graduation

22 4

23 5 The Journey Inside

24 6

25 7

26 8

27 9

28 10 Sowing Seeds of Change

29 11

30 12 Introducing Vipassana

31 13

32 14 Dhamma Takes Root

33 15

34 16

35 17

36 18 Setting Up the Vipassana Retreat

37 C CP DPMK FC 0 F K K. PMFCP

38 20 Free Worlders Move Inside

39 21

40 22

41 23

42 24

43 25 Working Deep Within

44 26

45 27

46 28

47 29

48 30

49 31

50 32

51 THE DHAMMA BROTHERS

52 34 Grady Bankhead

53 35 Torrence Barton

54 36 Michael Carpenter

55 37 Willie Carroll

56 38 Wayne Finch

57 39

58 40 James George Charles Ice

59 41

60 42 Edward Johnson

61 43

62 44

63 45

64 46

65 47 John Johnson

66 48

67 49 Leon Kennedy

68 50 Benjamin OB Oryang

69 51

70 52

71 53 Omar Rahman

72 54

73 55

74 56 Larry Singletary

75 57

76 58 Rick Smith

77 59

78 60 Johnny Mack Young

79 61

80 62

81 THE LETTERS

82 64 February 18 July 8, 2002 Before and After: The First Two Ten-Day Courses

83 65 Dear Bruce,

84 66 John Johnson Dear Dhamma Warrior John,

85 67 Bruce

86 68 Dear Bruce, John

87 69 Dear Jenny,

88 70 Edward Johnson

89 71 Dear Jenny,

90 72 OB Interview with Benjamin Oryang (OB)

91 73

92 74 To my dear Donaldson Dhamma brothers:

93 75 Bruce

94 76 Interview with Leon Kennedy

95 77

96 78

97 79 July 9, 2002 Shut Down: Courses and Group Sitting Privileges

98 80 Dear Jenny,

99 81 OB Dear Bruce,

100 82

101 83 John Dear John:

102 84

103 85 Bruce Greetings my Dhamma Sister,

104 86 James George Dear Jenny, OB Dear Jenny,

105 87 OB Dear Jenny,

106 88 John Dear Bruce,

107 89 James July 28, 2002 Dhamma Brother Transferred Hello Jenny,

108 90 Edward Interview with Edward Johnson

109 91 Dear Jenny,

110 92 Edward Dear Edward,

111 93 Bruce Dear Bruce,

112 94 Edward September 11 - October 22, 2002 The Addict s Mentality: Not Just Another Fix Dear Dhamma Sister,

113 95 James Dear Jenny,

114 96 Metta, James Dhamma Brother,

115 97 James Dear James:

116 98 Bruce October 30, 2002 Support Letters to Pardon and Parole Board: Request Declined

117 99 Edward Dear Edward:

118 100 Bruce March 2003 After One Year, How Does Dhamma Fare Inside?

119 101 Dear Bruce,

120 102 John Dear John:

121 103 Bruce

122 104

123 105 John Dear Jenny,

124 106 Rick Dear Jenny,

125 107 Edward Dear Jenny, Edward

126 108

127 109

128 110 John Dear Jenny,

129 111 Edward June 24, 2003 Wishes to a Dhamma Friend on a Course Dear Jenny,

130 112 John Jenny, Michael Carpenter

131 113 Greetings Jenny, Edward Hello Jenny,

132 114 John

133 115 October 2003 Vipassana and Christianity and Islam Dear Jenny,

134 116 Edward

135 117 Dear Jenny

136 118 Omar Interview with Omar Rahman

137 119

138 120 Dear Jonathan,

139 121

140 122

141 123 Omar Interview with Larry Singletary

142 124

143 125

144 126 November 2003 to November 2004 Underground: Group Sittings by Any Other Name Dear Jenny,

145 127 John My Dear Friend,

146 128 OB Dear Jenny,

147 129 OB Dear Jenny,

148 130 Edward My Dhamma Sister,

149 131

150 132 Edward Dear Jenny,

151 133 Benjamin Oryang December 28, 2004 January 1, 2005 Cell Course Rings in the New Year Dear Bruce,

152 134 John Dear John,

153 135

154 136 Bruce Dearest Jenny,

155 137

156 138

157 139 John January 1 - August 10, 2005 Ups and Downs of Dhamma: Donaldson and Other Camps

158 140 To a dear & special friend: Mrs. Jenny Phillips

159 141 Leon

160 142 Dear Jenny, James Dear Jenny,

161 143

162 144 OB Dear Bruce,

163 145

164 146 John Dear Jenny Grady

165 147 Dear Jenny, Charles X Ice

166 148 Dear Jenny,

167 149 Charles X Ice.

168 150 Dear Jenny,

169 151 Charles X Ice Dear Jenny, Grady

170 152 Dear Bruce,

171 153 John

172 154

173 155 Willie Carroll Jr.

174 156 Dear Jenny,

175 157

176 158 Omar Dear Jenny, OB

177 159 Dear Jenny,

178 160 Edward Dear Jenny,

179 161 Rick Dear Jenny,

180 162 James Timeless ( ) Life and Death: Dhamma Brothers Lose Loved Ones

181 163 Dear Jenny, OB Dear Jenny,

182 164 OB Dear Jonathan, OB

183 165 Dear Jenny, Grady

184 166 Dear Jenny, Grady Dear Jenny,

185 167

186 168 Johnny Mack January 2006 Legal Again: Vipassana Reinstated A Three-Day Course in the Gym

187 169 Dear Bruce,

188 170 John Interview with Wayne Finch

189 171

190 172

191 173 Dear Jenny,

192 174 Rick

193 175 What s up Jonathan, Torrence Barton

194 176 Dear Jenny,

195 177 John

196 178 Dear Jenny, James

197 179 Supreme Greetings Jenny!

198 180 Willie Carroll February November 2006 Appreciation to the Wardens; Dhamma Rolls On

199 181 Dear Sirs:

200 182 John W. Johnson

201 183 Dear Jenny,

202 184 OB Supreme Greetings, Jenny! Willie Carroll

203 185 Dear Jenny,

204 186 Rick Dear Jonathan,

205 187

206 188

207 189 Rick Dear Jonathan,

208 190 Rick Dear Jenny,

209 191

210 192

211 193 John Dear Jenny,

212 194 John Dear Jonathan,

213 195

214 196 John

215 197 November 29, 2006 Parole Denied Hello Jenny,

216 198 Willie

217 CONCLUSION

218 200

219 201

220 202

221 203

222 204

223 POSTSCRIPT

224 206

225 207

226 208 ADDRESS TO INMATE STUDENTS May 16, 2002, W.E. Donaldson Correctional Facility Bessemer, Alabama S.N. Goenka, principal teacher of Vipassana

227 209

228 210

229 211

230 212 MORE ABOUT VIPASSANA Historical Background

231 213 The Practice

232 214 Course Finances

233 215 A Nonsectarian Technique Course Timetable

234 216 GLOSSARY Adhiµµh±na Anatt± Anicca Anapana Anapana-sati Bala Bh±van±-may±-paññ± Brahma vih±ra Cint±-may±-paññ± Dhamma Dosa Dukkha Five aggregates Five hindrances Free-world Four causes of the arising of matter Four elements Kamma (karma) strong determination non-self, egoless, without essence, without substance; one of three basic characteristics along with dukkha and anicca. impermanence respiration awareness of respiration strength, power; the five mental strengths are faith, effort, awareness, concentration and wisdom. wisdom developing from direct personal experience sublime or divine state of mind in which four pure qualities are present: selfless love (mett±), compassion (karuº±), sympathetic joy (mudit±) and equanimity (upekkh±); the cultivation of these four qualities by meditation practice wisdom gained by intellectual analysis teaching of an enlightened person, the path, the way; phenomenon; object of mind; nature, natural law, truth aversion suffering, unsatisfactoriness the basic, impermanent components of a human being: matter (r³pa), consciousness (viññ±ºa), perception (saññ±), sensation (vedan±) and volition (saªkh±ra) craving, aversion, mental-and-physical sluggishness, agitation, doubt non-incarcerated atmosphere, nutriment, present volitional actions and past conditioned volitional actions water (cohesion), air (movement), fire (temperature) and earth (solidity) action performed by oneself that will have an effect on one s future; deep conditioning of the mind

235 217 Karuº± Maraºa½ pi dukkha½ Mental formations Mett± Moha Mudit± Namasté Nibb±na Paññ± P±ram² Saddha Sam±dhi Saªkh±ra Sangha Sati S²la Storms Suta-may±-paññ± Sutta Nip±ta Upekkh± Viriya compassion because of the arising of death, suffering arises as an effect conditioned volitional actions manifesting as states and contents of mind; see saªkh±ra loving-kindness; selfless love ignorance sympathetic joy traditional Indian Hindi greeting meaning I honor the light in you. the unconditioned; the ultimate reality; freedom from suffering experiential wisdom developed through meditation that purifies the mind of underlying negativities perfections, virtues, wholesome mental qualities that help dissolve the ego and lead one to liberation; the ten param² are: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, effort, tolerance, truthfulness, strong determination, selfless love, and equanimity faith, one of the five mental strengths concentration; control of one s mind volitional activity, mental formation, reaction, mental conditioning; one of the five aggregates community of seekers awareness morality; abstention from physical and vocal actions that cause harm to oneself and others. For a lay person s²la is practiced by following five precepts in daily life: abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, harmful speech and intoxicants. mental or emotional disturbances that arise during meditation wisdom derived from listening to others; received wisdom one of the collections of sayings found in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the P±li Canon equanimity, one of the four Brahma vih±r± effort, one of the five mental strengths; see bala

236 218 Organizations RESOURCES Films Articles and Sites

237 219

238 220 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

239 PRAISE FOR LETTERS FROM THE DHAMMA BROTHERS

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242 ABOUT PARIYATTI pariyatt paµipatti