The Latest from K.C. Walpole & the Gateless Gate Sangha

Greetings:

Thought I would share this because it is a little out of this world. As y’all know, am doing my 21^st MBSR retreat and the newly constructed women’s prison called…

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Today, I taught a meditation program at Mokotów Prison, the infamous Warsaw prison where the Gestapo detained, tortured and killed political prisoners during World War II and where the KGP and Polish communists detained, tortured and killed political prisoners from 1945 to 1955. At the street side entrance on a busy street in Warsaw, there is a memorial to the political prisoners killed there by the Nazis and the communists. This is a reflection of the tortured history of Poland,… Continue

With the help of my friends Andrzej Krajeski and Rober Sudol, I led meditation workshop for about 30 prisoners in their 20's and 30's at a large jail outside of Warsaw, Poland near the airport. We talked about how our conditioning drives our behaviors unconsciously until we awaken an awareness that can see the operation of this conditioned mind and not go along with it, awareness that leads to new choices and freedom. We practiced body scan, close placement mindfulness and counting breaths… Continue

The May issue of Bearing Witness: the Free Newsletter on Western Socially Engaged Buddhism explores the role of online technology in the…

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Tricycle: The Buddhist Review is partnering with theZen Peacemakers to promote Socially Engaged Buddhism by filming interviews with presenters of the The First Symposium for Western Socially Engaged Buddhismhttp://www.prisondharmanetwork.net/profiles/blog/new, which ZP will host this summer, and posting them on… Continue

Our justice system isn't set up for transforming our karma. It's not about reconciliation between people, it's not about restoring the community to balance, bringing wholeness, after someone

has offended. It's patriarchal, and hierarchical and it does not bring

us together to talk directly. One of the things that's wrong, is that

our system doesn't help either the victims or the offenders to reach

any kind of wholeness.

As… Continue

During the month of April, we invite you to join us exploring Buddhist activism. This month's issue of the Bearing Witness Newsletter features peace, environmental and criminal justice activism. In the Bearing Witness Blog, we will highlight one article at a time from the issue of the newsletter, inviting your comments and… Continue

The prison issue of Bearing Witness: A Newsletter for Western Socially Engaged Buddhism (FREE subscription) contains stories of inspiring successes…

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Here in Boulder, we work a lot with the pain meditations of Shinzen Young in our inside prison programs. Prisoners report that these practices are very helpful for them dealing with the high levels of emotional and physical pain of life in prison. Here is a link to an article by Shinzen about working with discomfort in meditation.



Excerpt:

"Is there something else we can… Continue

Greetings:



Hope everyone is doing well. We just finished our second five day MBSR prison retreat this month at a women’s prison, It was in Gadsden, Florida which is about 40 or so miles west of Tallahassee. It is a CCA prison and I have to say that all things considered, we got a tremendous amount of support from the entire staff that we came in contact. This was their first five day retreat and there were a host of unknowns but they… Continue