All those being incarcerated are paying the karma of what they have committed in the past. However, they are still regarded as human beings who possess a Buddha-nature like everyone else. No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, but their mistakes happen to be more serious than others. As a bodhisattva practitioner, we should not give up on any sentient beings. As such, propagating the Dharma like other similar activities in the prison is one of many important activities that is considered as an integral part of the rehabilitation program.
A. Starting Condition.
The abbot of IBS, Master Hueiguang, taught Buddhism in English on the weekends when he was enrolled as a student at UCSD thus providing a golden opportunity for those who only spoke English to learn more about Buddhism. Upon graduating in 1994, his condition to become a monk led him to settle in Taiwan and eventual ordination. Every year, he would come to the US to visit his students and family. One of his former students from his class happened to work as a DJ in one of the radio stations in San Diego. When she realized that Master Hueiguang had returned from Taiwan, she scheduled an on-air interview by phone that was broadcasted on the radio. She inquired about many subjects including how meditation could be helpful in a hectic and competitive world. One of the incarcerators at Calipatria State Prison incidentally heard the interview and subsequently wrote a letter to him. He earnestly requested Master Hueiguang's presence at the prison to teach about Buddhism and meditation which was desperately sought and which the inmates could truly benefit from. Master Hueiguang, who just became ordained as a monk, was studying at a Buddhist college at that time and therefore was unable to administer such a program. However, he was determined to fulfill the humble request, which subsequently resulted in Danny and Shirley's participation in initiating the program. To this day, the program has been active for 17 years.
B. Progress in Program.
The IBS program has been ongoing since 1995 beginning at Calipatria State Prison. Since then, the program has been extended to the following prisons: Pleasant Valley State Prison, Chuckawalla State Prison, Centinela State Prison, Chino State Prison, and R.J. Donovan State Prison. In all, there are six state prisons in which the program is established in. The brothers in the prisons have been very keen and dynamic in learning and practicing the Dharma. With devotion and genuine compassion, Master Hueiguang made a fateful decision to send his disciple, Ven. Xianzhong, to the US who at that time was studying the Dharma in India. With Ven. Xianzhong's involvement, the Dharma brothers in prison had been extremely fortunate to have gained much knowledge and insight about the Dharma and meditation which gave them the hope of having a second chance to experience a new start in life.
C. Prison Library Program
Ven. Xianzhong came to the United States at the end of 2007 and soon afterwards joined the IBS Prison Program in 2008. He eventually realized that a monthly visitation was deemed insufficient for Buddhist inmates to diligently practice and cultivate the teachings of the Dharma. Therefore, he initiated a new program - the prison library program. The program was started in 2010 which garnered much publicity via postings on the official IBS website and Facebook. Gradually, many people became interested in this program which eventually led to IBS being the fortunate recipient of generous donations of all kinds of Dharma books, CDs, and DVD's in various languages from different organizations including the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in San Francisco, the Abhayagiri Monastery also in San Francisco, the Amithaba Association in Los Angeles, the Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego, and the Dharma Bum Temple in San Diego. IBS also received many books from abroad including countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada. So far, there are a total of 11 libraries in four different prisons. Each locations contain approximately 700 Dharma books at present.
D. Program Supporter
IBS is continuing to extend the program to other prisons every year due to its apparent popularity, effectiveness, and overall benefit to society. For many years, IBS was fortunate to have had a few dedicated supporters who took full responsibility for all expenses incurred such as car rental, routine maintenance, and repair. However, due to the recent economic downturn, some of our sponsors had no choice but to end their support for this program. IBS is reluctant to stop the program since there are many Dharma brothers who desperately need the help to further their spiritual and ethical development. Therefore, another support program was initiated in September 2012 known as the "$10 per month" to enable the IBS Prison Program to continue its ongoing efforts. One of the benefits of starting this program is to provide everyone an opportunity to acquire positive karma and in the process sow the seeds of merit. In these difficult financial times, this program will enable everyone to be able to participate in such a meaningful project.
Following is our address and contact information if you are interested in this program. Please feel free to forward this letter to your friends if you think this is for good cause.
International Bodhisattva Sangha (IBS)
12584 Sora Way San Diego CA 92129
Phone: +1-619-450-3699
Fax: +1-858-484-1889
E-mail: zhongibs@hotmail.com
E-mail: zhongibs@hotmail.com
