DISRUPTING SUFFERING at RIKERS ISLAND No One Escapes Suffering in America’S Most Notorious Jail

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DISRUPTING SUFFERING at RIKERS ISLAND No One Escapes Suffering in America’S Most Notorious Jail Loving-Kindness: Buddhist and Is My Job Antidote to Hatred & Fear Transgender “Wrong Livelihood”? Train Your Mind Transform Your Brain The Science of Buddhist Meditation The Dalai Lama Richard Davidson Daniel Goleman + Prison Dharma: Finding Peace at Rikers Island The radical Buddhism of Rev. angel Kyodo williams Why the U.S. Needs Love CONTENTS FEATURES SPECIAL SECTION TRAIN YOUR MIND, TRANSFORM YOUR BRAIN: THE SCIENCE OF BUDDHIST MEDITATION 34 DISRUPTING SUFFERING AT RIKERS ISLAND No one escapes suffering in America’s most notorious jail. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong profiles Justin von Bujdoss, the 52 HOW MEDITATION CHANGES YOUR BRAIN— first-ever Buddhist chaplain at Rikers Island. AND YOUR LIFE When neuroscientists tested expert meditators, they 40 SHIT HAPPENS IN FOLSOM PRISON discovered Buddhist meditation can alter deep-seated Tony Bernhard isn’t afraid to get real when he teaches in Folsom traits in our brain patterns and character. Daniel Prison’s Psychiatric Services Unit, where men inside cages learn Goleman and Richard Davidson tell the story of this to meditate. revolutionary breakthrough in our understanding of how meditation works. 45 BUDDHISM BEHIND BARS Many dedicated volunteers offer Buddhist teachings and 58 MIND & BRAIN: THE TWO SCIENCES practices in prisons across the U.S. The Dalai Lama explains why conventional science isn’t enough—we also need the inner science of mind 46 LOVE AND JUSTICE that Buddhist meditators specialize in. “I just want people to be liberated”: John DeMont on the radical Buddhism of Rev. angel Kyodo williams. 62 WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE DON’T While people have believed for thousands of years 68 WHY AMERICA NEEDS LOVE that meditation works, the search for scientific proof Love doesn’t mean we have to agree, but we don’t have to be is just beginning. The team at Greater Good Science enemies. CNN’s Van Jones and Buddhist teacher Lama Tsomo Center assesses the current state of the science— PHOTO BY LIZA MATTHEWS BY LIZA PHOTO on how love lays the ground for real dialogue and change. what we do, don’t, and might know. CONTENTS THE MOMENT 15 FROM WHERE I SIT 30 BEGINNER’S MIND Why We Must March • Buddhism by the Numbers: Dena Merriam The 5 Buddha Families • FAQs: Unmet Teachers, Bowing, Drowsiness 19 THIS DHARMA LIFE & Agitation Where I Make Sense • Who, What, Where: Finn Enke The Rubin Museum of Art 22 ADVICE FOR DIFFICULT TIMES 33 MEET A TEACHER My Livelihood Noah Levine Doesn’t Seem Right Michael Carroll 23 HEART & MIND DEPARTMENTS Music Night Ryan Winger 13 EDITORIAL Yes, But Does It Work? 26 SHARE YOUR WISDOM Melvin McLeod How do you express your Buddhist values 73 HOT OFF THE PRESS through political, social, or What Now? Meditation for Your environmental activity? Twenties and Beyond By Yael Shy 27 HOW TO PRACTICE Metta for a Troubled Time 76 REVIEWS Mushim Patricia Ikeda 81 MARKETPLACE 84 BUDDHIST DIRECTORY 88 JUST SO Pema Chödrön Cover art by Liza Matthews. Source images from: Alexandr Mitiuc / Alamy Stock Photo and Nikki Gensert / Shutterstock FIND MORE ONLINE: LIONSROAR.COM VOLUME TWO, NUMBER 6 • Lion’s Roar (ISSN 2369-7997, USPS 009-651) is published bimonthly for $34 year USA, $44 Canada & $54 (US) International, by Lion’s Roar Foundation, 1790 30th St, Suite 280, Boulder, CO 80301 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Lion’s Roar, PO Box 469095, Escondido, CA 92046-9095. Printed in U.S.A. © 2017 Lion’s Roar Foundation. All rights reserved. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40018157. Canadian Postmaster: Send undeliverable copies to: 1660 Hollis St., Suite 701, Halifax, NS B3J 1V7 Canada. 6 LION’S ROAR | JANUARY 2018 MINDFUL. CONNECTED. ENGAGED. 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Quantum Dreaming: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science MARCH 2 – 4, 2018 Ignite ROLF GATES Faith and Flow: your heart. A Vinyasa Weekend MARCH 2 – 4, 2018 ALANIS MORISSETTE Exploring self and Self Harmonize your mind, body, and spirit at 1440 Multiversity, MARCH 9 – 11, 2018 an extraordinary new learning destination in the redwoods JOEL FUHRMAN near Santa Cruz, California. Experience weekend or fi ve-day Advanced Nutritional Study: Reverse Disease, programs from renowned faculty in mindfulness, authentic Increase Longevity leadership, integrated health, neuroscience, and more— MARCH 9 – 11, 2018 all accompanied with daily meditation, yoga, healing arts, LYNNE TWIST and nourishing, locally sourced cuisine to help you renew, Soul of Fundraising: recharge, and reconnect with what’s most important in Raising Money from your life. the Heart MARCH 16 – 18, 2018 SHARON SALZBERG Schedule your fi rst visit at 1440.org/lions Real Love: Know Yourself MARCH 16 – 18, 2018 ALBERTO VILLOLDO One Spirit Medicine: The Mind of God, the Brain of Man, the Heart 1440.org/lions of the Shaman Dh armaCraf t s THE CATALOG OF MEDITATION SUPPLIES since 1979 dharmacrafts.com meditation cushions statues . incense contemplative garden jewelry & gifts Sign Up for Email & Request a Catalog Call Us for Volume Pricing on Meditation Cushions 866.339.4198 | dharmacrafts.com | key code SSA EDITORIAL MEGUMI YOSHIDA Yes, But Does It Work? SOME YEARS AGO I was talking with Sojun Mel Weitsman, thought for a moment, and said a third were good people, a one of the senior figures in American Zen. I noted to Weitsman third weren’t, and the rest were in the middle. About the same Roshi, whom I had just met, that many longtime Buddhists as humanity overall, it seemed to me. weren’t sure the practice was working for them. So we Buddhists can’t take a “holier than thou” attitude, nei- “How would they know?” was his tart reply. ther personally nor collectively. But spiritual practice, like life, He was right. It is hard to know what effect spiritual practice is a never-ending work in progress. The standard is not perfec- is having on us—whether it’s really making us kinder and wiser tion, but the kind of day-to-day human goodness exemplified people. We may never know. by some of the people you’ll meet in this issue. We often think of spiritual realization as a kind of lightning Consider the heart and courage of Justin von Bujdoss and bolt, dramatic and obvious. It can happen that way, but more Tony Bernhard, doing their best to bring some love and help often it’s said to be like walking through the fog.
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