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Observations Regarding the Teaching of Yoga and Buddhism to Prisoners in Cambodia
JohnC.Kimbrough
Explorer
The Monk, The Prisoner, The Buddha
During this writer’s two recent thirty - day stays of volunteer work in Cambodia, he has had the interesting opportunity to teach English to Cambodian Monks immediately followed by a trip to the local provincial prison to teach Yoga and Buddhism to groups of inmates there.
The contrast has been made more interesting as I have come to think of the prisoners as being monks more then the monks themselves.
Of course, Buddhist teachings as put forth in the Dhammapada remind us again and again that just because a man wears a yellow, orange or red robe, it does not make him a monk.
A monk is defined as someone who is making a constant, mindful and diligent effort to develop his mind through an understanding and practice of the Buddhist teachings and disciplines.
This can be done by a prisoner, a man in a robe, a housewife or househusband, a policemen, a prison guard or anyone anywhere.
In many respects, the prison environment is ideal for developing the mind if the men and women in that prison are given adequate food, medical care, shelter and rest, and a routine of behavior that brings stability.
This is unfortunately far from being the case in Cambodian prisons.
On the other hand, the Buddhist temple may not offer the environment that is necessary for a man or woman to develop his or her mind, whether they wear a robe or not, as how it is managed may not be based on Buddhist teachings or disciplines but may instead be something that caters to the cultural needs and interests of the culture and environment that it finds itself in.
Also, different temples may allow or disallow various actions, activities and behaviors on the part of the monks who stay there, which may also serve as hindrances to a monk’s understanding and practice of Buddhism and the progress that they make in developing their minds.
In fact, if monks are put on a pedestal, as they are in many countries, there may be problems that are allowed to develop or monks may not be held accountable for their actions or continually held to the course of Buddhist disciplines that they have taken a vow to learn, follow and practice.
What this writer has seen is that prisoners have the same mind and defiling impulses as monks do and to differentiate between the two because of culture and their perceived status is a mistake.
It is not where one stays or lives, what one wears or how one cuts their hair that leads to mind development.
It is the understanding and practice of the teachings and disciplines of Buddhism and this can be done by anyone at anytime and in anyplace.
We all can be monks and boddhisattvas through getting started with the work and practice that is involved in Buddhism and continuing onward with that work and practice.
©2007 John C. Kimbrough
During this writer’s two recent thirty - day stays of volunteer work in Cambodia, he has had the interesting opportunity to teach English to Cambodian Monks immediately followed by a trip to the local provincial prison to teach Yoga and Buddhism to groups of inmates there.
The contrast has been made more interesting as I have come to think of the prisoners as being monks more then the monks themselves.
Of course, Buddhist teachings as put forth in the Dhammapada remind us again and again that just because a man wears a yellow, orange or red robe, it does not make him a monk.
A monk is defined as someone who is making a constant, mindful and diligent effort to develop his mind through an understanding and practice of the Buddhist teachings and disciplines.
This can be done by a prisoner, a man in a robe, a housewife or househusband, a policemen, a prison guard or anyone anywhere.
In many respects, the prison environment is ideal for developing the mind if the men and women in that prison are given adequate food, medical care, shelter and rest, and a routine of behavior that brings stability.
This is unfortunately far from being the case in Cambodian prisons.
On the other hand, the Buddhist temple may not offer the environment that is necessary for a man or woman to develop his or her mind, whether they wear a robe or not, as how it is managed may not be based on Buddhist teachings or disciplines but may instead be something that caters to the cultural needs and interests of the culture and environment that it finds itself in.
Also, different temples may allow or disallow various actions, activities and behaviors on the part of the monks who stay there, which may also serve as hindrances to a monk’s understanding and practice of Buddhism and the progress that they make in developing their minds.
In fact, if monks are put on a pedestal, as they are in many countries, there may be problems that are allowed to develop or monks may not be held accountable for their actions or continually held to the course of Buddhist disciplines that they have taken a vow to learn, follow and practice.
What this writer has seen is that prisoners have the same mind and defiling impulses as monks do and to differentiate between the two because of culture and their perceived status is a mistake.
It is not where one stays or lives, what one wears or how one cuts their hair that leads to mind development.
It is the understanding and practice of the teachings and disciplines of Buddhism and this can be done by anyone at anytime and in anyplace.
We all can be monks and boddhisattvas through getting started with the work and practice that is involved in Buddhism and continuing onward with that work and practice.
©2007 John C. Kimbrough
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Comments
I am sure that some individuals may object to this writer using this newsgroup or online or print publication as a forum to ask for donations, but the donation of money and material goods is one of the things that we practice when we are walking a religious and spiritual path, and also part of what is involved in living as one with others on this earth.
This writer is requesting donations in order to provide men and women in a local provincial prison in Cambodia with health and educational resources.
These resources can be divided into those things that are purchased one time and those things that need to be bought on a frequent and ongoing basis.
Those health resources that need to be purchased on a one -time basis, their price and why they are needed are:
• Mats – These are needed so that the men and women will have something to sleep on at night. The price for one mat is about 90 cents and we need to purchase one hundred of them.
Those health resources that need to be purchased on an ongoing basis, their price and why they are needed are:
• Toilet Paper - So men and women can blow their noses. The price is 12 cents for one roll and we need fifty rolls.
• Medicinal and Regular Talcum Powder – To apply to the skin to prevent skin problems and diseases. The price for one canister of talcum powder varies from 50 cents to 1.50 depending in its size. We need about fifty of these.
• Cream for Skin and Crotch Problems – To apply to the skin and crotch in order treat unhealthy and itching skin conditions. The price for one tube of this cream is $1.50 and we need fifty tubes.
• Instant Noodles – To provide extra and needed nourishment for the men and women in the prison. The price for one package of noodles is 12 cents and we need about 200 packages
• Powdered Milk - To provide extra and needed nourishment for the men and women in the prison. The price for one can of powdered milk varies depending on its size, ingredients, purpose and production point. They can be rather expensive though, averaging around 3 dollars. We need about fifty of these cans.
Those educational resources that need to be purchased on a one - time basis, their price and why they are needed are:
• Whiteboards – The men need new whiteboards of a decent quality in order to assist in their study of English and Khmer. The price for one whiteboard is about 4 dollars. We need nine of them.
• Educational games (Scrabble) – We think that scrabble will be an excellent way to improve their vocabulary plus use their time in a way that allows them to grow intellectually while at the same time improve their English and be involved in something that is both constructive and enjoyable.
There are also other educational games that we wish to purchase in the near and long – term.
The price for one game of scrabble costs between 5 and 15 dollars. We wish to get eleven to twenty such games. Other games range in price from two to five dollars depending on where they were made and the quality of materials used in the making of them.
We are also involved in an ongoing attempt to make games for the men and women in the prison. The cost for such an endeavor is minimal but it rather time consuming and the games are not professionally made and may not be long lasting.
• English – Khmer Dictionaries – These are needed to assist in the teaching of English. The cost per one is S1.50 and we need twenty of them.
Those educational resources that need to be purchased on an ongoing basis, their price and why they are needed are:
• Pens – For learners to take notes. The price per one is 12 cents and we need two hundred.
• Notebooks – For learners to take notes in. The price per one is 12 cents and we need two hundred.
• Whiteboard Markers – For teaching using the whiteboard. The price per one is 25 cents and we need one hundred.
• Ink for Whiteboard markers – For refilling whiteboard markers. The price for one small container is 90 cents and we need fifty.
• Pencils – Longer lasting then pens though not as clear and easy to read. The price per one is 10 cents and we need fifty.
To assist people in their lives is not an inexpensive or easy thing, but it is a worthwhile thing to do.
Having taught these men in prison Yoga and Buddhism on a part - time and volunteer basis for close to two years, I have found that they want to improve their conditions and lives, are open and willing to learn and are also appreciative and respectful of any support that they get.
The reasons for them being in prison are not of concern to those of us who walk a religious, spiritual or charitable, compassionate and merciful path in life to others.
The experience of those who have been in or worked with prisoners shows us again and again that men and women can change for the better and that Yoga and Buddhist teachings and disciplines certainly can assist in bringing about a positive change in their minds and life.
If anyone wishes to assist in this through making a donation that will be used to purchase these items, one should contact this writer at the following E-mail address.
johnckimbrough@yahoo.com
Thank you for taking the time to read and think about this and perhaps assisting me in facilitating such a change.
©2007 John C. Kimbrough
Prisoners and Monks
I would like to say a few words to you before we start our Yoga practice session for today. First of all, as we always say in the west, Happy New Year.
I know that things can be very difficult for you while in this prison but we want to remind you that you still need to make an effort to respect yourself by working to and making sure that your body and mind is in the best possible condition that it can be.
It is for this reason that I come here each day and try to teach you about Yoga, Buddhism and meditation.
If you can make these teachings and practices part of your life, you can develop yourself and your mind and in ways that you never thought possible previously.
As I have told you previously, there is not much difference between you and monks. They are not any better then you nor you any worse then them.
Developing your mind is not about what you where and where you stay but more about knowing how to do it and then doing it.
In fact, and it is strange to say it, you actually have a better opportunity to develop your mind here then when you are not in prison because there is not any opportunity to be lured by sensual pleasures here.
The Buddha does not see or look at you as being bad people. He does not care what you have done in order to get in here. He has compassion for you and your situation as he does for all beings in this world. But the best thing that he can do for you and me is what he has done, that being to give us a set of teachings and practices that both purify our being and develop our mind.
These teachings and practices are his gift to the world. They came to him through great and a steady effort on his part. It is for this reason that we can worship him, not as a God but as an enlightened being and a great teacher.
I wish you good effort and fortune in today’s practice and for the coming year and thank you for coming to the class today.
That Bill Board in Skun
Before we begin our class for today I would like to share something with you.
Hopefully it will not take long and we can get on with our Yoga, Buddhism and meditation class in a few minutes.
Some of you may know that last year I went to various cities and provinces in Cambodia in order to attempt to start Yoga, Buddhism and meditation classes in the prisons located there.
We did not have any real success but we think that we will be able to make greater progress in this endeavor during this coming year.
After staying in Kampong Cham for four days I left for Skun on my bicycle. We all know that Skun is an important junction with roads leading to Phnom Phen, Kampong Cham and Kompong Thom and then onto Siem Reap.
As I arrived in Skun the first thing that I really saw and noticed was a large billboard that was positioned to face all of the incoming traffic from Kampong Cham.
It showed a sexy and healthy looking young man who was also well dressed. In his hand was a bottle of a well known liquor that is for sale here in Cambodia. And standing behind him was a sexy and beautiful woman wearing a sexy skirt.
The idea and concept that such an advertisement can consciously and unconsciously leave on all who see it is it not clear, but the idea that it is putting across is clear, that being that if we drink this particular kind of liquor we will be and have all of the things that we think of as signifying happiness, satisfaction and success in this world.
Of course, businesses want to promote those things that they wish to sell all over the world and for those in a developing country, things that signify a better and modern life can be more appealing to them or perhaps more deluding.
Unfortunately there was not a bill board alongside or near this one that reminded us of the Buddhist teachings regarding drinking and such or the fact that drinking can lead to social and domestic abuse and crime.
And of course drinking can be used as an escape from life’s real and imagined stresses and anxieties and lead to an addiction that can hurt both ourselves and others.
The Buddha asks that we make an attempt to keep our mind clear and focused.
Why?
So we can see both ourselves and others as we really are and act on that in ways that are skillful and wholesome.
We all understand that life can be difficult, challenging and painful, but we sometimes fail to see that the greatest challenges are those that are presented by our feelings, those very feelings that make us run to drink, to sex, to drugs and those things that may not be wholesome to pursue.
The Buddha asks that we attempt to be still and silent and through that make ourselves stronger. So let us begin our practice today with sitting meditation.
(These talks are given in both English and Khmer with the assistance of a translator. The translator is a prisoner in the Banteay Meanchey provincial prison. His name is Mr. Bun Hean and he is 28 years old)
Don’t You Be One Who Does It Also
Before we begin our Yoga, Buddhism and meditation session for this morning, please allow me a few minutes to review something with you that I have talked about frequently in the past.
Our life is a gift. Our mind is a gift. Our body is a gift.
Various things happen that lead us to not see these things as gifts anymore so that we not only do not know how to use and appreciate them, but we also let forces both within and outside of us to make us less then we can be.
We all want to be respected, we all want to be liked, we all want to be loved, but in order to both achieve and have these things we need to know how to live our life in a manner that is healthy.
Our mind needs to be clear in order to get to this state.
We need to both know and have habits that get us to that state.
Practicing Yoga, Buddhism and meditation is a good habit but we need to know what their teachings consist of and how to practice them correctly.
It is for this reason that I come here everyday, so at the very least you will have an opportunity to learn.
But please remember that the real effort come from you, not from me.
I know, understand and practice these things already.
It is you that have to make the effort.
You have lots of time, but what do you do with that time. Do you sit around and complain or feel sorry for yourself?
I have found many people who are not in prison who do that everyday of their life.
Don’t you be one who does it also.
Learn About Oneself, Learn About Others
When we practice Yoga, Buddhism and meditation we awaken to a new experience of living. Because of our effort, an effort that is consistent, this new experience of living is marked by clarity and calmness.
When we consistently experience this state, we become more mindful regarding what we think and do.
This is the process of learning about ourselves.
The Buddhist teachings, when both taught and understood correctly work in conjunction with this change of consciousness so that the learning process regarding ourselves is made more complete.
As we see, sometimes with joy, sometimes with fear and shame our own weaknesses, we begin to realize that these are states of being that all beings possess.
This is where we start to learn about others.
But what happens as we learn about both ourselves and others.
Regarding ourselves, we begin to see and practice how to live in manner that both heals us and allows us to evolve in a manner that is positive and constructive.
Regarding others, we begin to think about and act toward them in a manner that is compassionate and assist them in their healing practice.
Our fellow man, be he a prisoner, guard, judge or teacher may scoff at such a thing, as many do, saying it is all bullshit.
But there is correct way to live, there is a healthy way to live.
We don’t accept this or believe it to be true as we seek out pleasure, comfort and status.
As we continue down the path of life though, we may awaken that even after we are free from prison, we suffer and feel confused just as beings throughout the world always do and always have.
We are all looking for better way to live. Yoga and Buddhism offer us a way, but we have to work hard in order to get their benefits.
So please try to keep these things as we practice this morning.
Work hard and steady, but do not force yourself or compete against others.
Please sit in a meditation posture as we begin our practice for today
The Teacher is Inside of You
Before we begin our practice for today, let us all try to understand what the Buddha teaches us with more clarity.
If we meditate and make an earnest and ongoing effort to both understand and practice the Buddhist teachings, we grow as a human being.
We become more mindful about our own wisdom, ability and potential as we access and develop the teacher inside of us.
We could say that there is a teacher inside of you. In the Khmer language we would say “Krubongreeun tutnou klouun aing”.
But many times the strength, insights and wisdom of the teacher inside of us, inside of you is blocked by negative energy and forces. When we practice Yoga and Buddhism we work to remove those blockages and as they are removed, they are replaced by a positive and wholesome energy.
Those teachers who you admire or respect or think of as being wise were not always that way. They because that way through an ongoing effort that involved applying their energy in the correct manner.
Yoga and Buddhism teach us what this correct manner consists of.
It involves meditation and speaking gently and honesty.
It involves having healthy and wholesome habits and engaging in work that is honest and honorable.
It involves being mindful about what we think and what our intentions are in every endeavor that we do.
So since much of generating wisdom comes through practicing meditation, please sit in a meditative posture as we begin our class for today.
Poisons are Everywhere
You may understand this when I say it in the Khmer language. “T’num Pul Nou Krooptee Gonlaing”. It means in English “Poisons are Everywhere”.
I think you know what these poisons are because the Khmer people, be they prisoners or guards, or monks, teachers, sellers and housewives are all very intelligent.
But of course, poisons can be well hidden by beautiful disguises and their appearance.
Sometimes we are using a poison and we do not even know it.
Is watching a lot of television, even though it is relaxing, comfortable and pleasing to the senses poison?
How about eating more then we need to eat or talking excessively?
What if we always need to buy new things or worry a lot about impressing other people?
See, those things that poison us can be very subtle.
The Buddha wants us to understand that the workings and tendencies of our own mind can be poisoning us also.
He teaches us what these poisons are. They are things such as greed, anger, restlessness, worry, laziness and doubt.
Through his teachings we become more mindful about these poisons and just as importantly, we become mindful about how to weaken and destroy them.
So as you perhaps struggle at times with practicing Yoga postures and meditation today, remember that we do these things to destroy the poisons that are always in our mind and can also enter into our life from other sources and make us and others sick.
Those Feelings Are Everywhere
As I have told you men previously, in some of the other classes that I have done with you over the last three years, as a young man I spent about three years in prison.
I looked forward to getting out and when I did get out I was very happy for a short time.
But soon I faced new challenges, the same challenges that all people face, those being that I did not know how to live or understand and deal with my feelings.
My feelings confused me as did the people that I met and the situations I encountered.
In prisons I had a routine and friends but on the outside people had their own lives and were very involved in it and busy.
Later I became more mindful that the people that I was meeting in every school that I studied and taught at, or country or home that I visited, or man or woman that I was involved with at different times, was dealing with a powerful force similar to yours and mine, that being the feelings.
Buddhism teaches us that these feelings that we have, things that we ignorantly can consider to be the reality are in all of us and can be very harmful and dangerous to both the existence of ourselves and others.
The Buddha wants us to see above and beyond these feelings to something that is more wholesome and healthier.
The Buddha wants us to be mindful about how to weaken and destroy those mental tendencies and states that lead to confusing and harmful feelings.
The Buddha wants us all to reach our potential in life as human beings, that being to be enlightened. It is reachable. It is doable.
The feelings that you have are everywhere. In the Khmer language we can say “Arrum dtayong noohnou kroop kroop gomlaing”.
We all possess them.
But we can all weaken and destroy their harmful and destructive tendencies so that we are more content and appreciative with what we have and less likely to live a life where we need to please or satisfy others.
Lets start today’s session with some standing postures so please stand up.
We All Have Faults
One thing that I have noticed during my five years of doing both part and full - time volunteer work in Cambodia is that the Cambodian people seem to enjoy criticizing other people.
This happens through gossiping about others or sometimes using harsh and slanderous words to their face.
This happens in all places and countries of the world and it is most unfortunate that people do such a thing.
The Buddha teaches us that we all have faults.
In the Khmer language we say that “Yerng tayong ohkneea meeun gumhaws”.
The Buddha is both telling and teaching us that we need to look at and work on ourselves and not look at others, especially with a critical view.
We should not be ashamed that we have faults.
In addition we also need to be mindful of the damage that we may be doing to others and our community as a whole when we gossip about others or use harsh and slanderous language to talk to them or about them.
We are now doing well in Cambodia.
We have lots of food to eat and for sale in the markets.
We have money to buy the things that we need and want.
We have the opportunity to learn and work.
Yes, there are still problems, but most importantly we have peace and we are creating opportunities for both ourselves and our children for both now and in the future.
Why do we need or want to disturb this peace by saying bad things about others.
Let’s look at ourselves as the Buddha asks and instructs us to do.
Let’s learn about ourselves so that we can make changes that will make us healthier and happier.
Remember that we all have faults and the best thing that we can do with our time and energy is to work on those faults.
Please let us sit for meditation practice as we begin our class for today.
How Does The Buddha Guide Us?
Even though I have been coming to and teaching in this prison for almost three years I am still sometimes confused about where the entrance to it is.
But it is funny and somewhat symbolic I suppose that across the street from the prison is a place where Buddhist statues of varying sizes are made.
In front of this store are a number of very big Buddhist statues and one that is finished and painted always guides and directs, and also reminds me that I am close to the entrance of the prison.
Yesterday, after delivering some material for study and pictures for some of the prisoners, as I left the prison I passed by this large Buddhist statue and looked closely at it. It had a smile on its face.
I had not noticed this before. Did I notice this because I looked more closely that day or was just more mindful?
Did this statue smile because he was pleased with my work or effort? Perhaps but most likely not.
It is good to see smiling faces on Buddha images and statues.
Why does he smile? Why would he smile?
Can we smile with the same benevolent smile, mind and wisdom that he has?
Of course we can.
The Buddha smiles because he has used his own mind and ability, the same that we all possess or can develop, to deliver himself from the bondage of mental states and conditioning that cause pain.
Perhaps he also smiles because he knows that his path can guide us all to that same kind of wisdom, freedom, joy and compassion for others that he has experienced.
The Buddha guides us in many ways. He guides us about how to think correctly. He guides us about how to speak correctly. He guides us about how to act correctly.
You know, many of us can use and benefit from his guidance. It is not just those of us who are in prison in Cambodia. It can be those who are in prison everyday but live freely.
Because real freedom means being free from anger and fear.
It also means being free from having the habit of judging, criticizing and condemning others.
It means being free from habits that weaken or demean ourselves and others.
The development of this freedom comes from having knowledge of the Buddhist teachings and applying them to our life.
It also means that we look at ourselves through the practice of meditation.
So I would like you to please sit down and we will begin our session and class today with a short meditation practice.
Are You Wise Enough To see The Need?
Having taught Yoga and Buddhism for a number of years, I have always felt a degree of respect for the people that I have met who have been able to express their vulnerabilities about themselves and life.
So many of us walk around with a false courage or confidence, one that is beset with fear, anger and anxiety.
In Cambodia and Asia this kind of anxiety may be even more pronounced then in the west, as these countries, societies and cultures seem to place much, some might say too much, emphasis on status and wealth.
Regardless I have always thought that those who are wise enough to see the need to improve their minds and life in some manner are worthy of a great deal of respect and also the finest teaching that can be given.
I have also known that it is not for me to be that finest teacher but instead for me to assist those who do see the need and wish to have some assistance to see the wisdom in the Yoga and Buddhist teachings and practices and if I do not teach them in a manner that suits them, then they can find someone more to their liking.
Our objective is not to become famous teachers but to explain the letter of the Yoga and Buddhist teachings to the best of our ability.
If you are wise enough to see the need in you to attempt to learn, understand and apply the Yoga and Buddhist teachings into your life, I congratulate you.
And perhaps by coming to the class and experiencing the development of your mind and body, the doubt inside of you may be weakened and you will grow to a place where you do see the need for what we teach, learn and practice here each weekday.
Today, because you spend so much time sitting in cramped and unhealthy rooms, we will start with the practice of some standing postures, so please stand up.
How Does The Buddha Guide Us?
Even though I have been coming to and teaching in this prison for almost three years I am still sometimes confused about where the entrance to it is.
But it is funny and somewhat symbolic I suppose that across the street from the prison is a place where Buddhist statues of varying sizes are made.
In front of this store are a number of very big Buddhist statues and one that is finished and painted always guides and directs, and also reminds me that I am close to the entrance of the prison.
Yesterday, after delivering some material for study and pictures for some of the prisoners, as I left the prison I passed by this large Buddhist statue and looked closely at it. It had a smile on its face.
I had not noticed this before. Did I notice this because I looked more closely that day or was just more mindful?
Did this statue smile because he was pleased with my work or effort? Perhaps but most likely not.
It is good to see smiling faces on Buddha images and statues.
Why does he smile? Why would he smile?
Can we smile with the same benevolent smile, mind and wisdom that he has?
Of course we can.
The Buddha smiles because he has used his own mind and ability, the same that we all possess or can develop, to deliver himself from the bondage of mental states and conditioning that cause pain.
Perhaps he also smiles because he knows that his path can guide us all to that same kind of wisdom, freedom, joy and compassion for others that he has experienced.
The Buddha guides us in many ways. He guides us about how to think correctly. He guides us about how to speak correctly. He guides us about how to act correctly.
You know, many of us can use and benefit from his guidance. It is not just those of us who are in prison in Cambodia. It can be those who are in prison everyday but live freely.
Because real freedom means being free from anger and fear.
It also means being free from having the habit of judging, criticizing and condemning others.
It means being free from habits that weaken or demean ourselves and others.
The development of this freedom comes from having knowledge of the Buddhist teachings and applying them to our life.
It also means that we look at ourselves through the practice of meditation.
So I would like you to please sit down and we will begin our session and class today with a short meditation practice.
Are You Wise Enough To see The Need?
Having taught Yoga and Buddhism for a number of years, I have always felt a degree of respect for the people that I have met who have been able to express their vulnerabilities about themselves and life.
So many of us walk around with a false courage or confidence, one that is beset with fear, anger and anxiety.
In Cambodia and Asia this kind of anxiety may be even more pronounced then in the west, as these countries, societies and cultures seem to place much, some might say too much, emphasis on status and wealth.
Regardless I have always thought that those who are wise enough to see the need to improve their minds and life in some manner are worthy of a great deal of respect and also the finest teaching that can be given.
I have also known that it is not for me to be that finest teacher but instead for me to assist those who do see the need and wish to have some assistance to see the wisdom in the Yoga and Buddhist teachings and practices and if I do not teach them in a manner that suits them, then they can find someone more to their liking.
Our objective is not to become famous teachers but to explain the letter of the Yoga and Buddhist teachings to the best of our ability.
If you are wise enough to see the need in you to attempt to learn, understand and apply the Yoga and Buddhist teachings into your life, I congratulate you.
And perhaps by coming to the class and experiencing the development of your mind and body, the doubt inside of you may be weakened and you will grow to a place where you do see the need for what we teach, learn and practice here each weekday.
Today, because you spend so much time sitting in cramped and unhealthy rooms, we will start with the practice of some standing postures, so please stand up.
We Are All Ignoble Men
If we as human beings, be we guards or prisoners, teachers or students, doctors or nurses, businessmen or street cleaners, or any of the other social and life roles and jobs that we might find ourselves in take some time to study and learn the Buddhist teachings, we will gain a knowledge that enlightens us and brings us as individuals a greater understanding about both ourselves and others.
One of the words that we see and hear frequently in the Buddhist teachings is the word “Noble”. It is used to refer to the Buddha’s path to liberation, that being The Noble Eightfold Path.
We also hear it used to refer to individual people who have achieved a disciplined and wise mind.
The Buddhist specifically teaches us what the characteristics of the Noble man are.
The Buddhist teachings also tell us what those characteristics are of one who is ignoble. The ignoble man is defined as being one who is shameless or not worthy.
If we study what the characteristics are of one who is ignoble are, we will find that we are all or can be ignoble, some of us once in a while and many of us every moment of every day.
One of the characteristics of the ignoble man is to criticize other people or constantly look for faults in others. Such an individual is not only ignoble but also most likely not happy or at peace with him or herself.
What can the self – esteem and focus be of someone who spends some or much of their mental and physical energy looking at and criticizing others?
What good does such an action do?
What benefit does such an activity bring to all?
What is achieved for anybody when we do such a thing?
Another characteristic of the ignoble man or woman is to always say good things or boast about themselves. They are good or the best while all others are somehow inferior to them in some manner.
Such a person as expressed in the modern vernacular is insecure and most likely living with fear and anxiety in order to keep up his or her charade.
We are all ignoble from time to time, or have been that way in the past.
The practice of Buddhism has and is making us noble.
We evolve from being ignoble to noble through our practice.
Let’s begin our session for today with a brief meditation practice
Mr. Jackie Got Out
Well, I have just been told that Jackie was freed from prison yesterday.
We all know that he suffered a lot during his time here and I imagine that he is very happy to be out.
The thing about Jackie getting out and all of us when we get out of prison is that we think that with this physical freedom we will be happy again and happy all of the time.
But that is not the way that life and our mind works.
In the freedom from prison there are new challenges to face.
Sometimes people will reject us.
We may have a difficult time finding new friends that accept and understand us.
We may have a difficult time adjusting to the changes that have taken place in the outside world or among those that we were once close to.
We may also fall back into those same habits, ways of thinking and acting, and situations that got us into prison in the first place.
In fact, if freedom was so good in the first place, or we were so wise, why did we get into trouble at all?
Perhaps because we were confused, or had a lot of anger and hatred in our mind, or just had an unwise desire that we acted on.
Life and our mind can present a lot of challenges and obstacles to us being able to live with peace, contentment and wisdom.
Why do you think that there are individuals such as myself who wish to or see the need to teach Yoga and Buddhism to others?
Why is it that the Buddha realized that the path of life that he had discovered within himself was something that should be shared with and taught to others?
Why is it that so many people in the world these days learn and practice Yoga, Buddhism and meditation?
The answer to all of these questions is that there is a better way to live then just following our thoughts and feelings for the moment and day.
The answer is that we can develop into someone who is better then we are at present.
The answer is that the physical freedom that we enjoy once we are released from prison is not enough though for many of us the experience of having served time in prison can
provide us with a strong impetus to treasure freedom more then those who have never been to prison.
We wish Jackie good fortune in his freedom and you good effort in learning and practicing Yoga, Buddhism and meditation, both today and in the future.
Remember that these teachings and disciplines are a gift that will bring you great rewards if you are sincere and dedicated to your practice throughout your life.
One reward is that you will have a focused yet relaxed calm that leads you to wise thoughts, words and actions for both yourself and to others.
Think of what a treasure this is?
What Will You Strengthen Today?
It seems that in this modern world we have become more interested and perhaps conditioned to being made to feel excited or tantalized then to be given anything that is really long lasting or develops us in a positive manner.
We chase and experience the same thoughts and feelings each day but do they really lead us to anywhere or place that is worthwhile or wise?
When we do such a thing, we are likely to be strengthening those aspects of our mind and consciousness that have for the most part been conditioned into us.
If that is the case, we may be very well strengthening the negative or those things that limit our ability to enjoy life and be at peace and focused with it more difficult.
On the other hand, with a little bit of knowledge and effort, we can strengthen something that will make our mind and consciousness one that is more focused and mindful.
We do have a choice but many times we are not interested in being mindful or making an effort to pursue that choice, while other times we just think that it is not important.
Many times we do not know what that choice is and consists of.
So I ask you today to work hard and work to strengthening yourself.
You can do this by doing these Yoga postures that we will do shortly with full attention and enthusiasm. Remember to focus on your breathing as we move and are still.
You can also strengthen yourself by making a sincere effort to practice meditation. This includes being still and focusing on your breathing.
There are other things that you can do also today, such as do some reading about Buddhism or just practice thinking and speaking in a new way to and about others.
If your mind is strengthened, your ability to live a healthier, happier and better life is also strengthened.
That is something that many of us, whether we are in prison or not can benefit from working to.
What Will You Strengthen Today? (Continued)
When we talked with you yesterday, I mentioned to you something from my own past, that being that I at one time made the pursuit of drugs on a daily basis my sole aim in life.
I used this story to illustrate the point that in being such a way, I was strengthening a habit and desire in myself that was not wise or correct.
Though the use of drugs is considered by most people to be a very unskillful and unwholesome way to live, we can also have other habits and through not being mindful about them or seeing how they hurt us and others, be strengthening them each day.
These can be things such as greed, anger, fear, impatience and having a judgmental or critical attitude to others.
We may be strengthening our habit of gossiping about other people or slandering or using harsh words to their face.
We may be strengthening our habit of thinking that we are somehow inferior or superior to others.
We mat be strengthening our tendencies to worry, restlessness, laziness, and ill – will and not even know it.
We can strengthen ignorance in ourselves each day or we can strengthen wisdom.
We can do it in a prison just as we can do it in our home or apartment or a temple.
It is not about where you are or who you are.
It is only about knowing how to do it.
We can weaken ignorance and strengthen wisdom when we meditate because the peace, stillness and firmness of our posture and practice plus an attention to our breath changes how our mind and consciousness functions and perceives things.
With this in mind, let’s begin our session this morning with a brief meditation practice.
The Freedom To Strive For
As anyone who has ever spent time in prison will tell you, and as you unfortunately well know, freedom is what we want.
The freedom to move around as we wish, eat when, where and what we wish, visit the people and do the things and have the habits that are our own is something that we want to both experience and pursue once again.
But once we have that again, and the initial elation, joy and perhaps satisfaction of it wears off, what do we do?
What Buddhism teaches us is that there is a higher kind of freedom that we should strive for that being a freedom from the unskillful and unwholesome.
Many times we do not know what these things really are or consist of.
Buddhism informs us that they are a number of mental states that have been conditioned into us by our experiences and own ignorance.
Buddhism seeks to educate us so that we can attain a higher kind of freedom, one marked by balance, mindfulness, tranquility and a concentrated state.
The Buddha realized that just being free from a physical prison was not enough and that we had to become free of the mental prison that can lead us to actions that may very well lead us to spending time in a physical prison such as this one.
If we can make an attempt to concentrate our mind each day through learning and practicing the Buddhist teachings, this more concentrated mind will come about and with it a joy and satisfaction, and yes, peace and focus that few or no other things can give us in life.
With this in mind, please let’s come into a meditation posture and start today’s class with a short meditation practice.
Restrain, Abandon, Develop, Perfect
Today we want to be patient with John, ourselves and our translator for the day, as we wish to expose you to some new words in English which when translated into the Cambodian language may represent concepts that you have not thought about previously.
These words are restrain, abandon, develop and perfect.
When we learn and practice Buddhism, or perhaps it is more accurate to say, when we work to bringing the Buddhist teachings into our life, we work to restrain words and actions that are built on what the Buddha teaches us are unhealthy, unwholesome and unskillful mental states.
This is not easy work because first of all we need to know and understand clearly what those states are.
We must make an effort to restrain those states
from arising.
When and if they do arise, and they will, we should not feel shame or like we are a failure in our practice.
Instead we should just notice them and then let them go. This is where we abandon them.
But not only do we need to be mindful about the arising of those states that we should restrain or abandon, but we need to be mindful about those states that we wish to develop and perfect.
The Buddha and the Buddhist teachings also teach us what these are.
We want to work to developing them and then we are involved in the ongoing effort to perfect them, this being a verb which means “to make perfect”.
Meditation is the key process and practice which both increases our mindfulness and allows us to put forth this effort to restrain and abandon, and also develop and perfect.
So, let’s start our session this morning with a brief meditation practice.
Come Tomorrow
It is mentioned again and again by the commentaries and teachers of Yoga and Buddhism that the practice of these disciplines clears up an individual’s mind. This process of clearing up one’s mind also affects the ability of individuals to remember things more clearly from the past.
For some of us such a thing can assist in the healing and enlightening process that one experiences from either Yoga or Buddhism while for others it can bring up things that can disturb or distract us in the present.
One thing that I find each day or once in a while is that after a morning meditation practice and also after having finished my teaching with you fine men in this prison each day is that a song from the past might all of a sudden come into my mind and consciousness.
Such a song came up the other day and I decided to research the song and its lyrics on the internet.
The name of the song was “Shapes of things” and there is an interesting line in it that is relevant to our life, your life and my life.
It goes “come tomorrow” and then lists the things that the singer of the song may become as a human being.
One of these things is “Come tomorrow, will I be bolder”.
It makes sense to those of us who learn, practice or teach either Yoga or Buddhism.
We do want to become bolder, not in a manner that is arrogant or offensive to others, but in manner where we are less fearful and more able to face and deal with the things that we need to face in order to be more focused and productive in our life.
Certainly any kind of fear of the unknown, or anxiety about people and life, or impatience and anger can not do us or any one else any good.
We all can wish for a tomorrow where we are bolder, where we are stronger, where we are more focused in dealing with everything and also hopefully more loving and compassionate to others, not just our family and friends, but to all mankind.
In order to achieve such a thing, both Yoga and Buddhism suggest that we meditate each day.
So, with this in mind, let us come into our meditation posture for today and begin our meditation practice.
Making the World “Right”
The Buddha does not concern himself with why you are in prison.
He and we all know that men wind up in a prison for any number of circumstances.
The Buddha only wants to share with you his teachings and practices so that you can elevate you mind and consciousness, develop wisdom and compassion and lead a healthier and more focused life, both in and out of prison.
We all know that there are a number of problems and injustices in this world and in Cambodia.
Many times we wish to make the world right, though many times how we define right may in reality mean to make the world to suit our desires and needs.
The world can not be made right. We can only make ourselves right or try to live in manner that is right.
But as is often pointed out to me, what we perceive as right will differ among different people and many people do not like to be told how to live, or how to think, speak and act.
These are the things that the Buddha suggests that we look at and make changes in, so that we live in the manner that he suggests.
If you are not ready to be told such a thing or make an honest attempt to do such a thing, you may not like this class or appreciate the Buddhist teachings.
Maybe later in your life you will, or maybe you will continue to think of them as being unimportant.
This is something that you have to choose or evolve to.
But we can make the world right if we make ourselves right and the Buddhist teachings will certainly help one achieve that.
To be right means that we are relaxed and focused.
It also means that we are healthy and have a mind and energy that is directed in a productive way.
We are also mindful and balanced.
If we have lived a life confused by all sorts of forces, when we experience this new state that Buddhism brings us to, we well quickly and easily see that it is “right”.
So let’s begin our session today getting right with some meditation practice.
Being Thankful For What We Have
Most of you know that as a young man I spent some time in prison.
One of the realizations that I had from that experience was that I did not know, when I was free, just how good life was and how good I had it.
I also did not know about all of the opportunities and options that I had available to me each day.
Part of this was because of my own ignorance, though the words and actions of some others also added to my confusion and ignorance.
I tell you this story because just recently in my guesthouse here in Serey Sophon we had a very sad incident where there was a big argument and fight that led to the police coming to the house and taking someone away in handcuffs.
Even though this person may have very wrong in his words and actions that led up to his arrest, I did feel sad to see him taken away in such a state.
But what is sadder is that he had and has a good life, but his tendency to drinking and anger is what got him into trouble.
This is why the Buddha and also the Christian teachings teach us to be mindful about our anger and to try to deal with it or restrain it.
This is not an easy thing to do because we do for the most part blindly follow our mind and feelings.
If we meditate and make some attempt to learn and practice the Buddhist teachings, we will be able to control our mind in such a manner that instead of blindly following it down to its inherent and conditioned ignorance, we will make it clear and sharp.
With a clear mind we can make things in our life better because we will be calmer and be more appreciative of the things that we have in our lives. We will also know how to use those things better.
Please try to take some time to learn the Buddhist teachings and also meditate each day.
Ducks
Some of you know that while doing my work here in Cambodia I ride a bicycle everywhere that I go.
I also try to make a one hour bicycle ride through the countryside everyday. You may also know that this is the time of year when people are raising ducks to slaughter and sell later in the year.
I like the ducks and to see them swim and walk is one of the reasons that I like to ride my bicycle in the countryside each day.
When we watch groups of ducks, we can see that they can be very similar to human beings in that they blindly follow each other and in being such a way, they can all get into trouble together.
This is how we are as human beings many times, that being that we follow each other instead of thinking for ourselves.
In many ways the Buddha was very much an individual, who did not do or follow others.
He forsook comfort, luxury and pleasure in order to learn more about man, his mind and how to live wisely.
With this in mind it can seem strange to some to see people who call themselves Buddhists longing for comfort, luxury and pleasure instead of really making an effort to learn and practice the Buddhist teachings.
When we see the ducks blindly follow each other we can also be reminded about how we blindly follow our minds and feelings.
When restlessness is present we blindly follow it instead of see it, understand it and abandon it.
The same holds true for ill – will, doubt, sloth and torpor and sensual desire.
The Buddha does not wish us to do this as he knows and teaches us that it can lead to all kinds of suffering.
Instead he wants us to develop mindfulness.
We do this by learning and understanding his teachings to a degree that we can apply them to moment to moment thoughts, feelings and experiences.
We also develop mindfulness by practicing mediation, so let’s begin our session for today with a short meditation practice.