buddhist correspondence course

newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 1 Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt,
January-March 2010 so also this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste,
the taste of liberation.
Uposatha Sutta

INSIDE THIS ISSUE... The Concept of Emptiness

Articles
The Concept of Emptiness, Carlee
Hines
Does a Buddhist Practitioner Have
Faith?, Julie
What Is Enlightenment?, Bill Ritter
Untitled, Michael Collier
Foolishness, Christopher Brainerd
Watching Your Company, Ariya Bantu
Carlee Hines (St. Louis, MI)
W hat is emptiness? Emptiness is the heart of the Dharma, what elevates you
to Buddhahood. That entities have no fixed or independent nature is a
fundamental Buddhist concept; nothing exists independently. It rejects as false the
belief of one who envisions himself as being absolute and independent of all oth-
er existences. People think emptiness means nothingness, but it is not “empty” or
being empty. It means that all things are changing every moment. If things truly
had a definite, enduring substance or entity, then no change or flow would be
possible. Because nothing has self-nature, everything is possible.

Poetry Emptiness teaches how to destroy the mental fantasy and hallucinations brought
Haiku, James Davie on by ego. It brings you an entirely different experience of reality. When you
Untitled, Willie E. Campbell have strong contact with your senses, your ego arises, incredibly strongly. For ex-
Contemplating Enlightenment, James ample, this morning, the hungry “I” went to breakfast and ate. Even when “I”
Davie was eating I still thought “hungry me is eating.” However, whatever you have ex-
perienced in your life right up until this moment is not you. The moment you identi-
Art
fy yourself as something, you are something else. You will really begin to
Untitled, Brian Alberer
experience emptiness only when you look simply and practically at your own
Orchids in the Wind, Travis L. Adams
Ancient Eye, Travis L. Adams ego’s view. It is not our sense perceptions that cause us to grasp, it’s our mental
consciousness, the conceptions of our ego. Ego is at the root of separateness.
Letters How do you practice with emptiness? Disciples should be on their guard to keep
Cesar Correal Henao
the mind under constant control. They should neither grasp nor become attached
Travis L. Adams
to the passing things of the senses or concepts and moods of the mind.
James L. Halbirt
Ronald Couch, Jr. With mind training you can easily experience emptiness and thereby release
Minister Willie Campbell your ego’s fantasy, for example, releasing your concrete projection of “I”, which
is in fact completely nonexistent, opposite to the vision of emptiness. With intens-
ive awareness, you will see the strongly hallucinatory projection, which then dis-
appears. At that moment, you experience emptiness. When you realize the
non-self existence of the concrete projection of “I,” it completely disappears into
nothingness. Everything becomes “empty” when you realize emptiness—all con-
crete concepts of ego vanish. When you realize emptiness, you can truly realize
attachment, delusion, ego, impermanence, nonexistence, the nature of reality,
etc. You will stop thinking of the way things should be and start seeing them as
they really are. Thus, emptiness is the vehicle to the path of liberation.

Emptiness is symbolized by a sword, the wisdom sword of emptiness. It penet-

rates all obstacles and cuts through all delusions.

page 1 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter


The BCCN is distributed at no
charge to those taking the
Buddhist Correspondence
Course. This is your newslet-
ter–by you, about you, and for
you. You are the major contribut-
ors, so send us your questions,
problems, solutions you've found
to difficulties in practice, thoughts
you have on practice, artwork, po-
etry, etc. Due to limited space,
some editing may be necessary.
We also welcome your comments
on the newsletter and sugges-
tions for ways we might improve
it to serve you better.
Please mail all correspondence to:
Buddhist Correspondence Course
c/o Rev. Richard Baksa
2020 Route 301
Carmel, NY 10512
Let us know if we may use
your full name or just initials.
To receive copies of any of the
resources listed below, please
write to Rev. Richard Baksa at
the address above.
• A listing by state of Buddhist
groups that may be able to
send volunteers to your prison
to conduct Buddhist activities.
• The "Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act of
2000." This guarantees equal
access for all religions to prison
facilities for the purpose of reli-
gious meetings.
• “What is the Religious Land
Use and Institutionalized Per-
sons Act?” This explains the
Act and how it is to be applied.
page 2
Does a Buddhist Practitioner Have Faith?
Julie
M any Westerners who come to Buddhism
were raised in a different religious tradi-
tion, such as Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. In
those religions, the role of faith is relatively straightforward; faith is directed to-
ward God. But how do we think about faith in the context of a non-theistic reli-
gion like Buddhism? Is faith wholesome or unwholesome? What did the Buddha
say about faith? How does faith develop?
In different teachings, the Buddha lauded different sets of qualities as conducive
to enlightenment. An often cited set of wholesome qualities that he taught are
called the ‘five spiritual faculties.’ Faith is one of these five spiritual faculties. The
faculties are:
1. faith or conviction or belief (saddhā)
2. energy or persistence or perseverance (viriya)
3. mindfulness or memory (sati)
4. concentration or focus (samādhi)
5. wisdom or understanding or comprehension (pañña)
In Buddhism, faith is directed toward the Buddha’s awakening, toward the
Dharma, which is the truth of his teaching, and toward the sangha, the com-
munity that practices together. These are called the three jewels or triple gem.
Faith in Buddhism is also a belief in our own Buddha nature; a confidence in our
own capacity for spiritual development and liberation. So from this perspective,
faith is wholesome
However, we are also cautioned against one spiritual faculty overpowering and in-
hibiting the other faculties. To prevent one faculty dominating another, it is recom-
mend that the five spiritual faculties be developed in counterbalancing dyads.
Faith and wisdom are one of these dyads.
One strong in faith and weak in understanding has confidence uncritically and
groundlessly. Faith that is not balanced by wisdom is blind faith. We can see this
in religious fundamentalism of all sorts. Indeed, in the Kalama Sutta the Buddha
himself argues against "blind faith." This kind of faith is unwholesome.
On the other hand, one strong in understanding and weak in faith may become
cunning and scheming. Such a person may be a good debater, but their heart is
hard and their reasons for learning lack compassion.
In one sutta, Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s beloved disciples says this about the
five faculties: “These five faculties, if cultivated and regularly practiced, lead to the
Deathless, are bound for the Deathless, end in the Deathless." In other words,
practicing these five faculties can lead to enlightenment. So, we are instructed to
strive for a balance of faith and wisdom.
For me, my faith was sparked the first time I saw a bikkhuni (nun). She was so
beautiful and happy. I could see that she knew how to lead a good life. She in-
spired faith in me. Now my faith is strong. I entrust myself to the triple gem.
continued on p. 3
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
 What is Enlightenment? Faith, cont'd from p. 2
Bill Ritter (Eloy, AZ) We are all at different places on our
spiritual paths. Your faith in the begin-

W hat is it to obtain enlighten-

ment? In our Sangha, few oth-
er topics have inspired such intimate
and intense discussions and caused
such thought and contemplation as the
meaning of the term “to reach enlight-
enment.” Is it a sudden spark of clarity
in which a person is able to under-
Brian Alberer stand the true reality of the world in
which we exist? Is it a sudden insight
into ourselves which in turn leads to the ability to understand the connectedness
of all sentient beings? Is it the ability to realize, like the Avatamsaka Sutra says,
“The entire universe is created by mind alone”?
We are taught that to search for enlightenment is to only put our goals further out
of reach. It is said that enlightenment is indescribable and unimaginable. It is de-
scribed as a state which takes many lifetimes to achieve. In the Seeker’s Glossary
of Buddhism, a description of enlightenment is “to achieve Buddhahood.” Accord-
ing to the Mahayana view this is the true, immutable, and eternal nature of all be-
ings.
ning may be very small. You may
come from a background where clev-
erness and scheming was valued
more than faith. Enlightenment may
seem a long way off. But, we can
head in that direction.
What about you? How can you water
the seeds of faith that lie deep in your
consciousness? The truth is, you are
already watering those wholesome
seeds. You are cultivating faith by tak-
ing this Course, reading this newslet-
ter, taking up a practice that will lead
you in toward truth and beauty. You
have cultivated good karma that has
brought you to the Dharma, and that
is already very good.

After much contemplation and thought, I can’t help but wonder that since the
word “Buddha” means one who is awakened, that maybe enlightenment isn’t a
state of mind or consciousness at all. Maybe enlightenment is the never-ending
search for more wisdom, more compassion, and more personal insight. Maybe to
become enlightened really means to become truly aware that as humans we
need to constantly keep trying to better ourselves by becoming more compassion-
ate with each other and the world around us. Maybe it is the search for never-end-
ing wisdom in a time when so many are content to stay stuck in a state of
ignorance and egoism. If so, enlightenment is an unobtainable state, a daily jour-
ney to better ourselves for the selfless reason to benefit others. Maybe this is the Travis L. Adams (Raiford, FL)
true meaning of god-like state.

No matter what the true meaning of enlightenment is, it is useless to spend much Haiku
energy on what might be or what might happen. Instead, as one member of my James Davie (Brent, AL)
group said, we should put our efforts into the present moment by continuing to
better ourselves, and being ever more conscious of the suffering of those around
From chaotic clouds
us. We should stay focused in the present moment, because only in the actions
To a sea of sadness
we make in the present moment do we change our future for the better.
Venomous visions fall

It’s often said that the Buddhist way is not to grasp. But that can be-
come just another statement that we grasp and hold on to. It’s a Catch 22: False impressions
No matter how hard you try to make sense out of it, you end up in total Invented imaginary things
confusion because of the limitation of language and perception. You have
Nothing is real
to go beyond language and perception. And the only way to go beyond
thinking and emotional habit is through awareness of them, through
awareness of thought, through awareness of emotion. ‘The Island that you Falling from grace
cannot go beyond’ is the metaphor for this state of being awake and Stepping into dukkha
aware, as opposed to the concept of becoming awake and aware.
My shoes are messy again.
Ajahn Sumedho

page 3 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

Untitled
Michael Collier (Iowa Park, TX)
I tendency to want things to be
am not a Buddhist, but I do seek
truth through an inner way. I also
seek peace within myself and with my
brothers. Many of the concepts I’ve
found in Buddhism I believe are more
clearly stated and better understood
by its teachers and students than in
other religions. But still it’s just a reli-
gion, a system that depends on our un-
derstanding and the quality of our
interpretation of the principles the sys-
tem embodies. Just as religion is made
up of a universal principle or truth, we
each are made from a single source
as well. This source has no beginning
or end, encompassing the whole of
creation of which it is not only a part
but the whole of what we really are.
Whether rich or poor, male or female,
white, black, brown, yellow, or red,
we are all a single entity. The spark of
life in every living thing is the same.
Only in the lower realms of expression
do we see this difference—or rather
its appearance—and have the ability
to be fooled by it. To understand the
spiritual teaching of the Buddha, one
must think and apply these concepts
to his or her own life. You can do this
in any physical location, loud or not,
by turning inward, by thinking about
what you have studied, your own life,
and the world around you. The physic-
al world is an illusion and as long as
we are fascinated by the illusion, we’ll
be bound to it. Let us look to what is
the same for all of us and to our
struggles to turn inward to that same-
ness and the wellspring of knowledge
shared by one and all rather than to
the esoteric differences that are a part
of our suffering.
page 4
Foolishness
Letting Go
Christopher Brainerd (Eloy, AZ)
The easiest way to work on letting
go and letting be is to notice your
I need this body to pursue the Way.
different from what they are and I must not risk harm.
to practice giving up that strong
preference. The Third Chinese
Patriarch of Zen sang, "The Way I need this mind to seek the Way.
is not difficult for those who have I must not risk unwholesome influences.
few preferences."
There are many means to letting
go, from surrendering to God's
I need time to practice precepts.
I must avoid distractions.
will, if that is your faith, to
undertaking the mind-training
techniques of Buddhism. The
I need a wholesome mind to clear the
following are a few simple steps
that aid the practice of letting go, Way.
regardless of your beliefs or I must avoid evil.
religious affiliation.
Fundamentally, letting go I need material things to live and give.
requires just two steps: (1) I must not waste.
becoming aware of whatever
arises within the field of your
experience or consciousness, and I need this life to progress towards
then (2) becoming aware of how Enlightenment.
you relate to it.
I must not squander it.
Because our minds cycle through
so many thoughts in the course of
a day, or even a minute, they are
Anything that deters me from the Way
a good place to start in the must be avoided. Not for my sake, but
practice of letting go. for the sake of my future lives, the
First, practice being aware of goal of Enlightenment, and the
whatever arises in your eventual relief of others’ suffering.
experience--a physical sensation,
thought, or emotion--rather than
repressing, suppressing, or Be selfless but don’t be foolish.
ignoring it.
Second, try to observe whatever How do I know when I am acting
arises, without judgment or wisely?
reaction. Ask myself:
Third, investigate and examine 1) Does this serve my Path to
the feeling, thought, or emotion, Enlightenment?
without bringing external or
2) Is it selfless?
internal activity to bear on it.
3) Is it not an undue burden, following
Fourth, if the thought, feeling, or
the Middle Way?
sensation requires that you act,
decide how to channel your
energy into action, or How do I prepare myself to act wisely?
Fifth, simply release the 1) Nurture a clear mind through
sensation, thought, or feeling, meditation.
recognizing the transitory, empty
2) Expel intoxicating emotions through
nature of all experiences.
mindfulness.
Lama Surya Das 3) Learn selfless behavior by
practicing the Precepts.
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
Watching Your Company
Ariya Bantu (Chippewa, MI)
I t is extremely important to guard
your mind. This means watching
your company, for they can disrupt
and poison your mind and spiritual en-
ergy. The Dhammapada, verse 61,
specifically states: “Avoid companion-
ship with the foolish.” “If as the dis-
ciple fares alone, he meets no
companion who is better or equal, let
him firmly pursue his solitary career.
There is no fellowship with the foolish.”
Verse 76 specifically states: “Associate
with the wise who try to correct you.”
“Should one see a wise man, who,
like a revealer of treasure, points out
faults and reproves; let one associate
with such a wise person; it will be bet-
ter, not worse, for him who associates
with such a one.” This reminds me of a
wonder story regarding the assimila-
tion of the mind as it concerns compan-
ionship.
A lion cub can never really be like a
donkey; in its claws, its head, its
whole body, it is completely a lion. But
if it were to spend all its time with don-
keys, it would start to lose its bravery,
and the donkeys would begin to think
it was one of them. It would gradually
change its own spirit, its nature, and
its habits, and take on the characterist-
ics of a donkey. It would start to bray
like a donkey, eat filthy things, and
bathe in dirty water in the streets, as
donkeys do. If it did this for long, then
only its body would be a lion's. All its
inner characteristics would be a don-
key’s. It would slowly forget its bravery
and courage, its love of the forest
solitude, its species, its habits, and all
the ways of a lion. It would live in the
streets of villages and towns. And then
one day a washerman would come
along looking for a beast to carry the
dirty clothes of the town, and along
with all the donkeys, the lion would
have to journey to and from the wash-
ing place carrying dirty clothes. But it
page 5
would never think it was a lion that and talk ill of them; it can make you in-
had turned into a donkey. It would discreet, arrogant, impure, full of anim-
think that, since donkeys are in the ma- osity; it can make you behave
jority, it had improved itself. dishonestly; it can draw you to movies
and plays and to eat impure foods in
Just as the lion in the story spent all his
restaurants. Siddha students must be
time with donkeys and began to con-
extremely careful to avoid bad com-
form to the donkey’s way of life, hu-
pany, for it reduces the momentum of
mans, too, when immersed with
the inner shakti.”
negative people tend to assimilate,
over time, that negativity. Perhaps the Please, my Dharma Brothers and Sis-
Mahasiddhas said it best: ters, guard your minds by watching
your company. Otherwise, you will de-
“You should not undermine your
generate, descend from the pure land
sadhana by listening to the opinions
to the hell realms. Yours in the
of evil, leering types of people whose
Dharma.
minds are perverted and whose habits
are bad. If you do find yourself in the
company of some hypocrite who dis-
torts everything, don’t let yourself be
dragged down into his world.”
“Never disparage the Guru. This will
deflect you from your sadhana and
lead you into delusion. If there is
enmity, jealousy, falsehood, and gos-
sip among brother disciples so that the
code of conduct of the Guru’s family is
broken, and if instead of meditating
and studying you allow your minds to
become agitated by quarrels, then the
I find it wrong that in our modern
inner shakti will gradually become
society we tend to reject people
weakened. Weeping, shouting, con- who have committed crimes -
ceit, and hurting other people are not prisoners, for example. The result
the marks of service to the Guru.” is that often the people
themselves lose hope. They lose
“There is one thing that you must re- their sense of responsibility and
member: The shakti that is active and discipline. The result is more
growing within you is the Guru him- tragedy, more suffering, and
self. You should therefore be careful more unhappiness for all. I think
about the company you keep, so that
that it is important for us to
convey a clear message to these
the purity of your sadhana is main- people: "You are also a part of
tained. Bad company is dangerous, our society. You also have a
even fatal, so make a firm resolve to future. You must, however,
avoid it. When a man keeps the transform your mistakes or
wrong company, all the bad features
negative deeds, and should no
longer make these mistakes. You
of a demon are automatically fostered must live responsibly as good
in him, and he behaves like a demon. citizens."
The noble qualities are destroyed.”
from An Open Heart:
“Just as a drop of sour curd can spoil Practicing Compassion
in Everyday Life,
a whole ocean of milk, so bad com- by H.H. the Dalai Lama
pany can lead to every kind of evil. It
can make you gossip about everyone
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
 Untitled
Willie E. Campbell (Angola, LA)

We dance a tune to Nature’s eternal form and

grace. Tis no limit to time

– No limit to space.

From afar we’ve come

to manifest as sparks upon this canvas of life.

We’re yet to truly know and understand

our eternity

– to fully grasp our eternal light.

Sojourners along this path are we

– temporarily houses in materiality.

The moment of our entry

Will be with blinding likeness in the end –

for when and where this illusion of life will stop

Orchids in the Wind The explosion of Reality will begin.
Travis L. Adams (Sarasota, FL)

Contemplating Enlightenment
James Davie (Brent, AL)

I contemplate Enlightenment –

for the welfare of all beings

And give thanks to the Buddha –

for all that I’m seeing

I’m seeing a new way –

to live out each day

As I get ready for another –

and begin to pray

I pray for peace –

for everyone’s mind

Loving kindness –

is what I hope they will find

To find it and hold it –

close to their hearts

May it stay and grow –

may it never depart

page 6 Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter

Dearest Dharma friends:
Years ago I was the most miserable
person you can imagine. I was full of
anger, hatred, attachment for women,
money, and I could not love anybody,
not even myself.
However, it took coming to prison to
find the best gift I have ever had in my
whole life - the gift that I am talking
about is the precious teachings of
Buddha “Dharma”.
By studying Dharma, I came to realize
the importance of mindfulness.
Through mindfulness I can understand
the wrong concept of “I” or “me”. This
labeled “I” or “me” have been the
cause of my evil deeds that I have
done to others, and obviously it has
harmed me as well.
Through practicing the Path, we gradu-
ally rid our mind of all its false concep-
tions, dualistic attitudes, and
negativities. This achievement is pos-
sible because the delusions obscuring
the mind are not one with the mind.
The mind is temporarily afflicted with
these delusions. The nature of the
mind is clear and vast, limitless like a
cloudless sky.
I send my love and prayers to each
one of you.
Cesar Correal Henao.
Garden City, GA
This is in response to Elton Houston
(BCCN Vol. 4, Issue 2), who
responded to Carlee Hines
(“Buddhism and It’s Purpose” [BCCN
Vol. 4, Issue 1]).
Elton Houston stated that the end of
suffering is not the final goal, that the
ultimate objective is the experience of
Nirvana. I would like to comment on
that.
page 7
To speak the truth is very important in
this area. Although Mr. Houston may
be correct in this view, it’s to be noted,
and very important to be made crystal
clear, this is the view of the Hinayana
tradition and not that of the higher
scope of the Mahayana. The sole pur-
pose for one’s enlightenment is in fact
to finalize all suffering. This is the true
teaching of the Tathagta within the
higher Tripitaka of the Mahayana
tradition, as taught by the Yogacara
and Madhyamika schools. Nirvana is
not enlightenment and is a selfish state
of being. It is merely a state of awa-
kening of the third eye, the first
glimpse of enlightenment. And yes,
Mr. Houston, even Buddhism, the
Dharma, in order to have a direct
realization of emptiness, to see
emptiness directly and everything in
one moment of existence, it must be let
go of. Please refer to the middle-way
teachings of the great Nagarajuna,
also the Ornament for Clear Real-
ization by Maitreya. This is also
supported by the Great Shantideva in
“Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds.”
Mr. Houston, sir, the ultimate goal of
the Buddhist practice is far from the
state of nirvana, and yes, per the
Tathagata and everything ever taught
in Buddhism, it is to end all suffering.
And if this could be done without
enlightenment, then so be it. Plain and
simply put, if there were no suffering,
there would be no Buddhism, thus no
Nirvana. I will stop here, sir, before
we go into 800 chapters of emptiness
and true reality. As for the limitations
of the bodhisattva within the teaching
skillful means, a bodhisattva may
work for the benefit of another, to end
suffering, participate in deeds of non-
merit, and then enter into the puri-
fication of the Tantric Vajrasattva. This
is due to his understandings of not
only the workings of karma in relation
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
to emptiness, but the true under-
standing of the entrance to the great
Mahayana Path of “Great Com-
passion” – it is different than mere”
compassion.
I wish you and your practice well, Mr.
Houston. Gassho.
Travis L. Adams
Raiford, FL
In an earlier issue of the BCCN (Vol.
5, Issue 1, pages 8-9) Sanderson Beck-
er wrote in response to an article by
James Halbirt in Vol. 4, Issue 4 (pp. 1-
2), “Prison Doesn’t Work Unless You
Make It Work.” Mr. Halbirt now re-
sponds to Mr. Becker.
Dear Sanderson,
I accept your apology while none is
really needed. No. I have never been
in a hard level #4 prison, but I have
been in hell and I can sympathize with
your predicament. And I will not pre-
tend to make a judgment about it. I
can and will feel empathy and compas-
sion for all those who suffer, including
you.
After 38 plus years in prison, I have a
knowledgeable understanding of pris-
on life; which would include dropouts,
including some from Pelican Bay State
Prison.
I’ve found in my studies of life that
when we forgive, we tend to have less
misery in our lives. Who knows what
karmic obstacles you have created in
a past life, and has matured in this
one? I have no idea what you did to
get in such a super-max prison, but
still I can have empathy for your situ-
ation. I have had some hellish mo-
ments that I will not elaborate on, but
being whipped with fan belts and oth-
er abuse tends to influence your atti-
tude.
My position today is to change that at-
titude by living in a grateful world.
Sometimes we just have to find it, but
it lies within your reach. As for bed
space, come to CMC-E and you will
find you have less bed space than
where you are. And yes, you’re right, I
am fortunate to be where I am, but
even this place is getting worse. You
can pursue a path of wisdom by medit-
ation, accusing you of being less a per-
son than me. This was not my intent. I
have some knowledge of some in-
mates that have no soul and appear
on the surface to be unchangeable. If I
could change places with you I would.
Maybe I could teach the Dharma to
your keepers who are making you
miserable. I am also sure that many in
your situation are there because they
made choices that landed them there.
Further, I hope you have it in you to
find the path to wisdom, to eliminate
any affliction you may have. Some in-
mates cannot even make it in this type
of prison. Far too many are in PC and
would rather live in confinement. I
wish you peace and happiness in your
search to be what you can be. In clos-
ing, I have the privilege and honor to
remain, yours in Dharma, in metta
and Gassho.
James L. Halbirt
Crescent City, CA
This is in response to James L. Hal-
birt’s article, "Hands," in the BCCN
(Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 3).
Wooowww – that was a profound
compilation of realized thoughts. I’m
looking forward to your advancing
the question from “How have they
[your hands] served or hundered you?
To the context of the “mind”. Gassho.
Ronald Couch, Jr.
Beaver, WV
page 8
This is a comment for Abner Cham-
bers Old in Madras, OR, who asked
“A Question for the Sangha” (BCCN,
Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 11).
First, I’d like to offer you a suggestion
regarding your fasting practice being
limited by institutional mandates. Co-
ordinate your meditation and fasting
schedule through the Chaplain so he
or she may notify the appropriate staff
of your nontraditional religious prac-
tices. Should you require lawful author-
ities, in addition to the “Religious
Land Use and Institutionalized Persons
Act of 2000” and the “What is the Re-
ligious Land Use and Institutionalized
Persons Act?” provided by the BCCN
upon request, try 544 U.S. 712, as
well as the United Nation’s Declara-
tion of Human Rights. The former is a
U.S. Supreme Court case concerning
nontraditional religions’ practitioners
and rights of institutionalized persons.
The latter provides that a human has
the right to say/declare that their reli-
gions, and practices thereof, are
whatever believed to be so by the ad-
herent.
Secondly, not to be critical of your
statements, but on the one hand, you
say you don’t earn enough to “eat-in-
cell” as an alternative to avoid the dis-
tractions of the “visually pleasing boys
… in prison and after on the streets,”
yet you open your question revealing
that you face the threat of suicide-
watch for going days without a meal
because of meditation. That said, I’d
like to share the famous anecdote of
“Severing an Arm for the Pursuit of the
Dharma” of the Second Chan Patri-
arch Lineage.
Huei-ko reached the cave at Shao Lin
Temple where the renowned Master
Bodhidharma was meditating. At the
gate of the cave, he earnestly be-
sought the Master’s permission to ask
a few questions concerning Dharma
practice. The Great Master, however,
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
simply kept on sitting there silently
and motionlessly, and did not appear
to notice that anything was gong on.
Huei-ko knelt on his knees patiently
and perserverently at the cave’s en-
trance, waiting for a response for a
long, long time. Gradually, as night-
fall came, it began snowing very
hard. In no time, Huei-ko was covered
up to his ankles, calves, and knees; ul-
timately being buried from his thighs
down. Still, Huei-Ko didn’t stir, and as
gradually as nightfall arrived, so it
passed.
At dawn, finally the Great Master Bod-
hidharma suddenly spoke sternly,
“What are you trying to do over
there?” Surprised and overwhelmed
with joy, Huei-ko implored anxiously,
“I would like to ask Your Mastership
to instruct me concerning the Essen-
tials of Buddha’s Dharma.” To this,
much to Huei-ko’s surprise, Bodhid-
harma snapped gravely, “The
Dharmas of the Buddhas are so pure
and precious, and so hard to come
upon! And now, with all those impure
Karmas of yours, your overriding
haughtiness, your outstanding pride,
your unbearable arrogance together
with that slighting attitude of yours –
how could you ever expect to hear
anything of it? How could you ever
wish to obtain the deepest secret in
such a causal and offhand fashion?”
By these remarks, the Master meant
that Huei-ko had not endeavored
enough to purify his Karma.
Huei-ko was confounded and des-
paired for a while. He would not
know what more he could do to con-
vince the Master about his faith and
sincerity, nor did he know what merits
or qualities he would need, and what
deeds he should accomplish so as to
be accepted by the Master. All of a
sudden, Huei-ko had his mind made
up: producing a camping knife from
his bag, he chopped off his own left
arm, and presented it to Bodhidharma.
After the arm had been presented
(which symbolizes relinquishing even
one’s own dearest and most cherished
body for the sake of Enlightenment),
the Master then inquired, “What now
do you want of me?” Huei-ko immedi-
ately went down on his knees and en-
treated “Master, my Mind is ill at
ease. Please, Great Master, help me
ease my Mind!” At this, Bodhidharma
quickly responded, “Fetch me your
Mind, and I will ease it for you!”
Quite taken aback by such a reply,
Huei-ko hesitated and mused to him-
self for quite a while, and then re-
marked, “Master, I have searched all
over my being, and yet my Mind is
nowhere to be found!” As soon as
Huei-ko had uttered these words, Bod-
hidharma snapped, “Quite so! I have
already eased your Mind for you!”
Quite so, Abner Chambers Olds, with
all that impure Karma of yours, e.g.,
fear of succumbing to your attraction
for “visually pleasing boys,” fear of
the consequences of what other prison-
ers may do to you in the chow hall for
succumbing to your latter attraction,
lust for “visually pleasing boys” be
they “in prison and later on the
streets”, and, essentially, attachment to
the human form – finding it most beau-
tiful and desirable (and loathsome?),
and your overriding haughtiness, out-
standing pride, and unbearable arrog-
ance, together with that slighting
attitude of yours (e.g., just read over
your preceding article addressing Mr.
Dehart writing of the ego and emo-
tions that are born thereof, and then
read again the entirety of your ques-
tion for the Sangha) – how could you
ever expect to hear anything of the Es-
sentials of Buddha’s Dharma when
your tea cup is full?
Indeed, Abner Chambers Old, fetch
me your Mind, and I will ease it for
you! – showing you how one just eats
in a chow hall. And since your tem-
perament uses the expedients of visual-
page 9
izations to “release you from your dis-
tractions,” then dispense with torment-
ing yourself with meditations on the
hell realms, as well as the channeling
of primal ignorance through the anim-
al realms, and complete the circuit of
antidotes when you meditate on the
loathesomeness of this human body.
For instance, your latter meditations re-
sound in “The Nine Visualizations on
a Corpse.” If this is the case, then this
antidote demolishes lust and all kinds
of attachments. However, you seem to
end up with a lingering aversion for
“now discernably disgusting bodies.”
Because our path is one of equanim-
ity, try adding “The White Bone Visu-
alization” to cure your Illusive
Differentiations, enabling you to see
through the superficial layer of skin
and flesh, and to see the “Ultimate
Reality” of the Bones – that all men
are fundamentally alike or equal …
meaning, no more visually pleasing
boys in prison or on the streets, and
no more discernibly disgusting bodies
… just the ridiculous delusions of anim-
ated skeletons caught up in perform-
ing the same acts of individuation
expecting different results. Gassho.
Ronald Couch, Jr.
Beaver, WV
Dearest friends:
Recently, I was presented the follow-
ing to ponder upon and respond to:
“In remembering the past, what will
you do to contribute to a brighter fu-
ture?”
It is my pleasure to share my thoughts
with you:
In remembering the past, an attempt
is made toward linking what has
been to what occurs today. Thinking,
which isolates transpiring manifesta-
tions as a thing (or things) strictly un-
folding in the instant, erases away the
longstanding fact of interconnected-
ness between events that have left
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
seeds of evidence substantiating the
theory of ongoing experience from
one generation to the next.
It is often sensible to revisit the old ad-
age: “Those who do not learn from
the mistakes of the past are doomed
to repeat them in the present.”
Contributing to a brighter future?
Who can say that fifty years ago in
the past wasn’t a step forward into a
brighter future by those of that time
who believed themselves to be cultivat-
ors of their knowledge, themed by the
results of their sowing and reaping?
Or, that the founders of any past soci-
ety didn’t see that: each and every
flaw was nothing more than a swing
downwards of the karmic pendulum –
resulting, sooner or later, in a inevit-
able upward swing into lessons well
learned, capitalized upon, and given
them (that society they founded) as ne-
cessary steps to growth and a bright-
er future for those who were to come
after them?
Like any other torch, we pass the light
of our experiences to the generations
succeeding us. Today’s efforts around
the globe to uplift humanity from
every personal slumber will have bril-
liant effects for an impersonal, univer-
sal realization of brotherhood.
Knowing no bounds, no limitations,
no selfish borders on seeing in others
the strand of divinity we see in
ourselves, along with a gentle song of
productive progress that will look
back on the pains of the past as
blessed stepping stones – for our col-
lective growth and higher level of un-
derstanding.
It is with the aforementioned realiza-
tions that we who are incarcerated
can leap into the ocean of human pro-
gress – remembering the past and its
lessons learned without anger about
any former suffering we have not the
power to change. For we are each a
tiny speck of divine radiance shining
throughout time, with other specks like
ourselves: an illumination of today’s
wisdom within each of us thrives as an
undeniable testament of all that we
are from the cradle to the grave...
along with all that we are here to be
in the universal family of sojourners liv-
ing, learning, experiencing, and even-
tually sowing seeds of continual life.
The past is present today in the future;
being made brighter with each step
we take.
There is, truly, RIGHT now. This very in-
stant. Humanity is right now. Universal
Brotherhood is right now. Human Kind-
ness is right now. Loving one’s neigh-
bor as one’s self is right now.
Understanding past mistakes is right
now. Recognizing the common good
in all mankind/humankind is right
now. Acknowledging the very best in
ourselves for the sake of those who
will come stumbling along in our once
wayward footsteps is RIGHT now.
I remember the past. I remember it
NOT in terms of failures alone, but as
a necessary step forward realized in
heart, soul, and mind. I remember the
trials, the errors, the agony(ies) of hu-
man injustice, the perils of human mis-
understandings throughout time that
now serve as atrocities we can learn
from and hope never to repeat again.
Right now, the opportunity is given to
me to be the change I want to see in
the world. From being a living bless-
ing to my family and friends, to doing
what I can to enhance love in the
world.
I can only carry the load I’m given,
but will not fail to see the conditions
of others as my own as well. I’ll want
for myself a heart big enough to share
my light with everyone.
That’s the key. That’s the magic of re-
membering where I’ve come from.
That is the truth I humbly embrace: a
brighter future in this very instant; envi-
sioned for those who come after me to
collect the torch of Universal Brother-
page 10
hood and compassion I carry. And
when it is time that I leave this plane
of being, I will do so with hope that I
have said and done things that have
contributed lovingly to brighter tomor-
rows – seen in the todays thereof.
With peace, love, and many blessings.
Minister Willie Campbell
Angola, LA
DEFINITIONS
Some students have asked for
definitions of terms used in
Buddhism. We'll offer a few from time
to time. Please write if you have
particular terms you'd like us to
cover.
Buddha: An epithet of those who
successfully break the hold of
ignorance, liberate themselves from
cyclic existence, and teach others the
path to liberation. Derived from the
Sanskrit root budh, "to awaken," it
refers to someone who attains
nirvana through meditative practice
and the cultivation of such qualities
as wisdom, patience, and generosity.
Such a person will never again be
reborn within cyclic existence, as all
the cognitive ties that bind ordinary
beings to continued rebirth have
been severed. Through their
meditative practice, buddhas have
eliminated all craving and
defilements. The buddha of the
present era is referred to as
"Sakyamuni" ("Sage of the Sakyas").
He was born Siddhartha Gautama, a
member of the Sakya clan.
--from A Concise Encyclopedia of
Buddhism, by John Powers
Dharma: As doctrine, Dharma means
the teachings of Buddha, and
Buddhism in general. Dharma is a
moral imperative for a Buddhist, for
it is through observing the Buddha’s
teachings that one can reach
enlightenment and nirvana. By
following the Dharma one will see
immediate results; one will
experience it at once, without lag.
Dharma in this sense is a means
toward salvation. This then is the
religious imperative behind
Buddhism as a whole. Dharma is
Buddhist Correspondence Course Newsletter
what makes Buddhism relevant,
today as well as in the past. The
dharmas of existence: Early
Buddhism used the idea of dharmas
to mean elements of existence. The
idea embraced all aspects of reality,
including mind. Some schools also
included unconditioned aspects of
reality, such as those found in the
state of Nirvana, while other schools
meant the term dharmas to apply to
only the objects of consciousness.
--from The Encyclopedia of
Buddhism, by Edward A. Irons
Sangha: The Buddhist community,
especially those who have been
ordained as monks (bhiksu) and
nuns (bhiksuni) but originally
referring to the ‘fourfold sangha’ of
monks, nuns, laymen (upasaka), and
laywomen (upasika). The minimal
requirements for admission to the
Sangha are faith in the ‘three jewels’
(triratna) of the Buddha, the
Dharma, and the Sangha, usually
demonstrated in the act of ‘taking
refuge.’ Laypeople are expected to
keep the Five Precepts while monks
and nuns follow code of over 200
rules.
--from A Dictionary of Buddhism, by
Damien Keown
Three Refuges and Precepts: The
‘three refuges’, namely the Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha, particularly
when used as a profession of faith.
The formal procedure by which a
layman becomes a Buddhist is by
‘taking refuge’, which involves
repeating three times the formula ‘I
take refuge in the Buddha, I take
refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge
in the Sangha’. The utterance of this
formula is followed by recital of the
Five Precepts. The three refuges are
also referred to as the ‘three jewels’
(triratna).
--from A Dictionary of Buddhism, by
Damien Keown