Lawsuit by Christians against Yoga Practitioner

My correspondence with my pen pal (Pal) is going well.  She's awesome, but she is struggling as best she knows how.

Here is her situation:  

After having a hearing regarding custody of her little girl who is in a foster home, she was sent back into a previous tier--where lifers are "housed."  She is sharing again the cell with previous cell mates who are fundamentalist Christians.  They have torn up her Buddha photo and other spiritual materials in the name of demonology.  Now they have filed a lawsuit against the prison because they are being exposed to her devil worship!

Consequently, the yoga and tai chi classes she was teaching were suspended and the guard removed whatever else was of a spiritual nature removed from her possession.  Pal is going to try to get a copy of the lawsuit.

That is all I know.  

One more thing.  Pal went to the chaplain to see if she could reserve one hour in the chapel to do mantra recitation.  She was told she needed to find a volunteer, but I'm not sure what that means. I've asked her in my current letter for clarification.

Any advice--legal and spiritual that I can pass on?  

Tags: Christian, persecution

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Permalink Reply by Beth burton-Krahn on June 4, 2010 at 3:56pm
Wow, what a difficult situation. I'm sorry I don't have anything to really offer, but wanted to let you know I am wishing her well, and you as well, as you both navigate this difficult time. I'm thinking at the very base of it, nothing can prevent her from practicing mindfulness. As that resides within her and as such, her roomates cannot remove it from her. Maybe that is some small source of empowerment or comfort?
Permalink Reply by Zang-thal Odsal on July 12, 2010 at 8:17pm
Yes, this has been my advise to her....giving her the tools.
Permalink Reply by Tam An Kinh Tran on July 2, 2010 at 4:28pm
Such news can be so discouraging and disheartening for your pen pal. Surely there is a law against such discrimination and persecution or perhaps she is in a country that religious freedom does not exist? I can understand that you need clarification of what this all means. How can she possibly be in such a place in this country? I may be naive as I realize that their is injustice in prisons in this country and that, in fact, we do cause unnecessary and excessive, cruel harm to prisoners and others in the U.S. I am beginning to correspond with someone in a federal prison and hear about such unjust treatment from his sister living in France.

One thing perhaps she could do immediately is to practice visualization of the Buddha, etc in her own mind, realizing that in some countries, e.g. Tibet under the control of China, having pictures of His Holiness, Tenzin Gyats, for example could mean hard labor or evens the death penalty! We can be in prison and still be free within our hearts, as well as be 'free' in terms of not being incarcerated and yet be under bondage and in hell. Perhaps you could pass this on to her?

Tam An
Permalink Reply by Zang-thal Odsal on July 12, 2010 at 8:15pm
Thank you, Tam An.

These are good and wholesome thoughts to share with her. I am trying to keep her afloat. She mentioned she had once tried to hang herself and feels that my letters keep her from doing it again.

She mentioned that women in prison in the United States are "forced" to have babies--especially in Arizona.
Permalink Reply by Carter (PDN Admin) on July 16, 2010 at 3:27pm
Wow, what a horrible situation. I appreciate the responses from everyone. I wonder, Zang, have you tried writing to the chaplain? Letting him/her know that mantra recitation is a part of her practice, and that you support her in all her spiritual endeavors, therefore making it more OK for her to be in the chapel without a volunteer. Or check out our network and ask a local dharma group to write the chaplain saying that her practice is legitimate. And/or asking him to help protect religious freedom, and the true teachings of Jesus, spreading love etc. How is tearing up other another persons pictures and stopping them from their spiritual practice loving another person? Maybe ask her to ask her roommates if their treatment of her is following another Christian teaching "do unto others as you would do to yourself"...I wish humans would be more kind to each other.
Permalink Reply by Zang-thal Odsal on July 29, 2010 at 10:09pm
I think I'll get the address to write the Chaplain. She'll have to agree to this.

There are possibilities here for some interesting results.

I will have to get a status report from her. She's been involved in lawsuits involving her sentence and custody of her daughter who is in a foster home. The foster parents want to take her daughter away from her permanently.

We have no idea what great obstacles she is experiencing. She doesn't always open up....she writes when she can. I can tell when she stops and resumes at a later time. I can read her moods change and sense her depression.
Permalink Reply by Tam An Kinh Tran on July 28, 2010 at 5:10pm
How can women in prison be 'forced' to have babies? It's criminal! I would have thought the prejudice would have been the other way around, i.e. women in prison would not be allowed to become pregnant due to the 'bad' karma of bringing a child into the world. This 'law' needs to be very seriously challenged. How can we do it without spending a lot of money? Go to the media? This may be the only way.

Tam An
Permalink Reply by Zang-thal Odsal on July 29, 2010 at 9:57pm
I agree wholeheartedly. I wouldn't be surprised that it got media attention on some obscure cable program.

Unfortunately, I have no facts, only hearsay of hearsay; otherwise, I would write letters.
Permalink Reply by Tam An Kinh Tran on July 28, 2010 at 7:04pm
Wow! This is good to know! Thanks Stephen for your contribution. It's encouraging and hopefully can be used in this situation. I very much appreciate this opportunity to be involved in discussion in this way and I look forward to the time I am connected to a prisoner here in Oregon so that I am able to visit with her and share in this way with other members.

Tam An
Permalink Reply by Zang-thal Odsal on July 29, 2010 at 10:13pm
I agree with you about selfless service. This is the best practice--something I try to instill on her so that she can still feel she has control over her situation and condition.

Thanks for sharing.
Permalink Reply by Zang-thal Odsal on July 29, 2010 at 10:03pm
I shall pass on your experience.

I wish I were in the same state, but she's about 2,000 miles away. She was once teaching yoga; it's not clear what happened to get her off track.

I'm gradually exposing her to dream yoga....she seems to have a propensity for this type of practice.
One thing she said to me what that the letters keep her from taking the noose as she once tried.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

May all sentient being be happy and know the causes of happiness.
Permalink Reply by Carter (PDN Admin) on July 30, 2010 at 6:47pm
Thank you Zang-thal, for being there for a woman who once felt that her only choice was death. It's beautiful what humans can do for each other.

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