Related Interest
The Buddha in Jail
about the book
This is a book of 52 vignettes—stories and teachings about Cuong Lu's six years as a prison chaplain. Lu shares insights into the prisoner's mindset, something with implications for us all, whether or not we are in a conventional jail. As a prison chaplain, Cuong discovered that when the men inside allowed themselves to feel their pain-including remorse from committing crimes-knowing and feeling the truth became a source of strength for them. And when the inmates felt listened to, understood, and not judged, it transformed their sense of who they are, and as a result changed their attitudes and their behavior.
This book is not just about the prisoners. It's about all of us. We're each caught in distorted and limiting ideas of ourselves. We don't believe freedom and happiness are attainable. But when we come to believe in ourselves, we discover the freedom and happiness already within.
"In The Buddha in Jail, Cuong Lu demonstrates how to be in a helping relationship without getting caught in roles. As a prison chaplain, he did not attach to the idea of being a helper, or even of ‘helping.’ He sat quietly, deeply present with each inmate, and saw each of them as a soul, not just their personality or their troubled past. By dwelling in love with each person, accepting them without judgment, one by one they transformed, and their recidivism was close to zero. I congratulate Cuong Lu for the depth of his prison ministry and this beautiful book." - Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now and Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying
"Let us read these stories carefully, a few at a time, and apply them to our encounters with those who have acted badly, those we don't particularly like, and ourselves, for all these dialogues are taking place within each of us all the time." - Roshi Joan Halifax
"To free ourselves, we have to unlock the doors from within. Chaplains like Cuong Lu play an essential role in freeing those in prison from their inner demons, offering guidance, support, and loving kindness, teaching stillness and self-reflection, learning to connect with their fierce and loving hearts. I highly recommend The Buddha in Jail, a good read and a great resource for understanding prisoners and for finding the keys to the prisons in our own minds." - Spring Washam, author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment
About The Author / Editor
Read An Excerpt
#26 from The Buddha in Jail
26.
Every day, I went to work grateful for the opportunity to help. Being a chaplain was a joy for me, even though I saw a lot of suffering. That kind of negative energy enters your body and mind. Many of my colleagues couldn't stand it and asked for my help finding happiness in their work.
How can we experience happiness in life? It's often thought that Buddhism offers exercises that help you relax and solve problems. This is the way the Buddha's four truths are generally taught. According to this understanding, the first truth is suffering; the second is that suffering has a cause; the third is the possibility of removing the cause of suffering; and the fourth offers eight steps to do this.
Suffering is seen as a problem, and so the cause of the problem must be addressed. To me, the first truth of Buddhism isn't suffering per se, but suffering as a truth. At a glance, these might not seem different, but they are. The problem with suffering is when we can't see it. When we can, touching our suffering can be liberating. When Hans, for example, saw the reality of his anger, it was freeing.
The Buddha didn't say suffering, dukkha, is a problem to be solved or eliminated. He said it's something to be seen. Nothing is more dangerous than invisible suffering. This is a huge problem in prisons, because suffering there is seen as a weakness.
The second truth in Buddhism is not about problem solving, unearthing and removing the cause of suffering. The literal meaning is suffering arises, dukkha samudaya. Samudaya means both origin and arising. Suffering not only arises, it also dies, dukkha nirodha, which is the third truth. It doesn’t last forever. It remains as long as it’s not seen and held onto. Suffering arises and goes away. Removing suffering is a superficial translation. Suffering doesn't need to be removed. It only has to be seen. Buddhism is about understanding, not about getting rid of anything, even suffering.
in the media
Related Interest
Related Interest
The Buddha in Jail
about the book
This is a book of 52 vignettes—stories and teachings about Cuong Lu's six years as a prison chaplain. Lu shares insights into the prisoner's mindset, something with implications for us all, whether or not we are in a conventional jail. As a prison chaplain, Cuong discovered that when the men inside allowed themselves to feel their pain-including remorse from committing crimes-knowing and feeling the truth became a source of strength for them. And when the inmates felt listened to, understood, and not judged, it transformed their sense of who they are, and as a result changed their attitudes and their behavior.
This book is not just about the prisoners. It's about all of us. We're each caught in distorted and limiting ideas of ourselves. We don't believe freedom and happiness are attainable. But when we come to believe in ourselves, we discover the freedom and happiness already within.
"In The Buddha in Jail, Cuong Lu demonstrates how to be in a helping relationship without getting caught in roles. As a prison chaplain, he did not attach to the idea of being a helper, or even of ‘helping.’ He sat quietly, deeply present with each inmate, and saw each of them as a soul, not just their personality or their troubled past. By dwelling in love with each person, accepting them without judgment, one by one they transformed, and their recidivism was close to zero. I congratulate Cuong Lu for the depth of his prison ministry and this beautiful book." - Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now and Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying
"Let us read these stories carefully, a few at a time, and apply them to our encounters with those who have acted badly, those we don't particularly like, and ourselves, for all these dialogues are taking place within each of us all the time." - Roshi Joan Halifax
"To free ourselves, we have to unlock the doors from within. Chaplains like Cuong Lu play an essential role in freeing those in prison from their inner demons, offering guidance, support, and loving kindness, teaching stillness and self-reflection, learning to connect with their fierce and loving hearts. I highly recommend The Buddha in Jail, a good read and a great resource for understanding prisoners and for finding the keys to the prisons in our own minds." - Spring Washam, author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment
About The Author / Editor
Read An Excerpt
#26 from The Buddha in Jail
26.
Every day, I went to work grateful for the opportunity to help. Being a chaplain was a joy for me, even though I saw a lot of suffering. That kind of negative energy enters your body and mind. Many of my colleagues couldn't stand it and asked for my help finding happiness in their work.
How can we experience happiness in life? It's often thought that Buddhism offers exercises that help you relax and solve problems. This is the way the Buddha's four truths are generally taught. According to this understanding, the first truth is suffering; the second is that suffering has a cause; the third is the possibility of removing the cause of suffering; and the fourth offers eight steps to do this.
Suffering is seen as a problem, and so the cause of the problem must be addressed. To me, the first truth of Buddhism isn't suffering per se, but suffering as a truth. At a glance, these might not seem different, but they are. The problem with suffering is when we can't see it. When we can, touching our suffering can be liberating. When Hans, for example, saw the reality of his anger, it was freeing.
The Buddha didn't say suffering, dukkha, is a problem to be solved or eliminated. He said it's something to be seen. Nothing is more dangerous than invisible suffering. This is a huge problem in prisons, because suffering there is seen as a weakness.
The second truth in Buddhism is not about problem solving, unearthing and removing the cause of suffering. The literal meaning is suffering arises, dukkha samudaya. Samudaya means both origin and arising. Suffering not only arises, it also dies, dukkha nirodha, which is the third truth. It doesn’t last forever. It remains as long as it’s not seen and held onto. Suffering arises and goes away. Removing suffering is a superficial translation. Suffering doesn't need to be removed. It only has to be seen. Buddhism is about understanding, not about getting rid of anything, even suffering.