Comments on: Authorized list of Buddhist books for prisons is short on numbers, high on repetition, and contains non-Buddhist titles

By: Katherine

Katherine — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:57:25 +0000

I would be more concerned that there are no titles in Spanish, as I believe that the Spanish speaking population is somewhat larger than those that speak other languages, like Vietnamese. AND, some people just aren’t readers, either don’t know how or were never very good at it, so won’t read about Buddhism even if there are books. CDs, MP3s, and practice groups could be more important for them.

By: Bodhipaksa

Bodhipaksa — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:57:50 +0000

Welcome, Kavita!

I think it does matter. I’m not particularly bothered about my own tradition being accorded a place amongst other Buddhist traditions (that would be kind of ridiculous given how small we are in the US) but I am concerned that inmates have access to the Dharma (at least in book form). In federal prisons that’s suddenly become much harder. Remember that prisons are not being issued with the books on this list, but that instead all books that aren’t on this list have been removed (for supposed “national security” reasons) from prison libraries. This means that many prisons will have no more than a handful of Buddhist books available. In some cases no Buddhist books will be available.

I’d say that “concluding that Christianity is being favoured above other religions’ is dangerous” only if it’s not true. I don’t know if you have experience of working in prisons, but virtually 100% of prison chaplains are Christian, and many in the US are evangelical and believe that other religions are inherently evil. This mindset is just a fact of life across vast swaths of the US. And yet these are the people who are responsible for deciding whether or not inmates of other faiths are even allowed to meet together, whether they can hold services or practice-gatherings, whether they will have access to literature, etc.

I’ve heard from inmates who have been told by chaplains and wardens that Buddhist groups are simply not going to be allowed to meet. In some cases groups of inmates have had to sue to be allowed to practice together. However taking legal action is difficult, expensive, and can even open inmates to reprisals (it’s hard to pursue a legal case when you’re in solitary confinement or have been transferred to a prison hundred of miles away).

There are of course good chaplains. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some. I’m not saying that all chaplains are bad. But it’s certainly not “paranoid” to say that Christianity is more favored by many Christian wardens and chaplain, and even that other religions are actively discriminated against in many cases.

I do indeed think that we should celebrate that inmates have access to something they wouldn’t have had in the past, but I don’t think we should do this “instead” of campaigning for greater religious freedom. We can do both.

By: Kavita

Kavita — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:06:09 +0000

Does it matter? The beauty of Buddhist thought – in all its traditions – is that it can take us where we need to go if we choose to go there. More importantly, being concerned about our rightful and fully represented place as the FWBO amongst other traditions and further concluding that ‘Christianity is being favoured above other religions’ is dangerous. It is the same borderline paranoia which has blighted the good in many faiths and begun many a war. Buddhism, especially that represented by the FWBO has to be – indeed usually is – above this religious one-upmanship and ‘what about me?’ concern with other faiths getting a bigger piece of the pie.
Should we not instead celebrate that prisoners will have access to something they would not have received even twenty years ago?
With much Metta.