世界上沒有所謂的壞人，
但有一時的無明犯錯的人。
There are no any bad people in this world but there
are people who make mistake out of ignorance.
古語云: 人誰無過, 過而能改, 善莫大焉.
菩薩寺從1995年開始從事監獄佈教活動. 在2006年正式成立為州立政府核淮的非牟利慈善團體.宗旨是將佛陀珍貴的教法傳送到鐵圍內被人遺棄的法友們. 希望透過講授與聽聞佛法,讓他們能夠獲得身心的平靜與精神的安慰.
International Bodhisattva Sangha (IBS) started the Prison Program since 1995. IBS was formally established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in November 2006. One of our main goals is to educate inmates in the state prisons about Buddhism, meditation, and the right way of life. Through Dharma education, many inmates found their inner peace and spiritual comfort.
截至2017年年中, 菩薩寺前往加州，俄勒岡，華盛頓和安大略省（加拿大多倫多）佈教的監獄共有33所. 巳經成立的監獄圖書館共有21所. 我們計劃在2017年的其餘時間再設置20多個佛教圖書館。展望將來在各方熱心人士護持下,能夠在加州36所監獄內均成立佛教圖書館. 讓受刑人士有机會學習佛法.
As of mid-2017, IBS has been visiting 33 state prisons California, Oregon, Washington, and Ontario (Toronto, Canada). We are planning to setup 20 more dharma libraries for the rest of 2017. With the help of passionate supporters, IBS is planning to set up libraries in all 36 state prisons in California in the future.
菩薩寺是一個小團體, 一切經費來源自各方善心人士捐贈. 由於你的慷慨解囊, 讓我們有更多机會去幫助受刑人士來改過自新. 使他們有勇氣再面對社會.做一個有貢獻者.
IBS is a small organization, and all the funding comes from generous donations from our supporters. With your generous gift, we will have more opportunity to reach more inmates with our prison program, giving them strength and courage on their path in becoming a contributor to the community when they are released.
為了能夠順利推行監獄佈教各項活動, 菩薩寺成立一個每月$10捐贈運動. 有意參與者, 請按這裡.
IBS introduced a $10 Monthly Donation Program for anyone who would like to support the activities included in the Prison Program. If you would like to make a donation, please press here.
連絡地址 / Contact Information:
International Bodhisattva Sangha (IBS)
9715 Carroll Centre Road Suite #105
San Diego, CA 92126, USA
Shirley Tam (Secretary)
Telephone: +1 619 450 3699
FAX: +1 858 484 1889
E-mail: [email protected]
Articles:
Voice of the Volunteers
It was coincidental that I saw Ven Xian Zhong’s article in FB requesting for on-line volunteers. Normally, I would just glance through articles posted in FB without going into details. Maybe it’s Buddha’s calling or shall I say infinity. Somehow it caught my attention and without hesitation, I dropped Ven Xian Zhong a line offering to type brothers letters (the only category that I am good at, hahaha) not really knowing what I was going to type or do but now, I am glad that I am part of the IBS Prison Program volunteer family!
It’s about 3 months now since I signed up as an on-line volunteer. It gives me much joy and at the same time guilty as I continue not only to listen and hear but to learn while working through the brothers’ letters. You can feel their gratefulness after each visit by IBS and they are yearning/ looking forward to the next visit.
They are so knowledgeable in their Buddhist study, their meditation and their Dharma & daily practice that really put me to shame! Recently, I came across a term “The Ten Oxherding Pictures”. Ah! What is this? It may be something very basic to some of you but I’ve not heard/ seen this before so I have to goggle for answer! I have a long long way to go compared to what the brothers are doing. I feel guilty and embarrassed because I have so much opportunity to access to the Dharma resources and yet I am not making full use of what I have.
Another interesting event that worth sharing was they celebrated the Buddha’s Day (Vesak) inside the Iron Temple. It was mentioned in one of Chuck’s letter that he was planning for a special bathing of the Buddha Ceremony where no one there has ever done it and requested Danny of IBS to burn him a CD of the music use for bathing the Buddha. Chuck also took the trouble to arrange the prison kitchen to prepare for vegetarian food. They have the Refuge taking and Five Precepts ceremony done by Ven Master Hueiguang for the more committed brothers. Wow! it really gives me a sense of awe that the Dharma activities are so ‘alive’ in there.
Like what Ven Xian Zhong used to say “there is no bad people in this world but there are people who make mistakes out of ignorance, so don’t give up on anyone who is willing to learn Dharma”.
This IBS Prison Program is really an eye opener for me and I personally felt that this is a good program for Dharma education and propagation to the incarcerated brothers. I hope more people will see the invaluable benefits and the gift of Dharma offers by this IBS Prison Program which can change lives. One very good example is Chuck who has been transferred from a high security prison (Level 4) all the way down to a less security prison (Level 2). Let us share this with our friends and practice our generosity (dana) to keep this program going, to bring light into darkness ……
With Metta_()_
Py Cheong
My Journey to Bodhi
When I started volunteering for IBS, I thought, as a volunteer, I would be helping IBS with the inmates’ Dharma education program. My first project was to type letters from Marco into Word documents. I was very touched by Marco’s letters as he was describing his learning progress in Dharma which was actually very similar to my own journey in learning Dharma. He said it took him about 20 years to finally really understand the Dharma teaching. I thought about it and I realized that it also took me about 20 years to finally have some understanding of Dharma as well. His body has been locked up in a prison for more than 20 years and my mind has been locked up by myself for many years. It really proves true that all sentient beings possess the same Buddha nature. Although the Buddha nature is in everyone, it is not obvious nor does it manifest because it is covered up by various thoughts and defilements which are blocking our Buddha nature. I realized at that time that no matter who we are and where we are, we are all equal in terms of traveling down the journey of our lives. There may be twists and turns in our journey and it is really up to us what kind of attitude we want to take and which route we want to take in our journey.
Later on, Venerable Xian Zhong gave me a project to type up the “Liturgy for Refuge and Five Precepts”. While I was working on the project, I felt like I was taking a refresher of the Three Refuge and the Five Precepts. I took my Three Refuge and Five Precepts almost 20 years ago and I knew very little about Buddhism at that time. Therefore, when I took my three refuge and five precepts, I was simply repeating after my Dharma Master so it didn’t really register in my mind. After practicing Dharma teaching for many years, I had very different feeling about the three refuge and the five precepts when I was typing them recently. I feel that I understand them so much better now and I have learned how to become a good disciple of the Buddha.
Venerable Xiang Zhong had mentioned to the inmates that the life in the prison is very similar to the life in a monastery. You live with a group of people in the same place and the daily life follows certain routines, etc. The inmates live a life very similar to the Buddhist monks in a sense. It can also be viewed as the inmates are practicing Buddhism in the “iron temple” supported by the tax payers. Their bodies may not be free to go to places they want to go, but their minds are as free as anyone else’s. They can attend the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss just like anyone else. If I lock up my mind and my heart, I would have no more freedom than the inmates.
The projects have taught me way more than I expected. I thought I would be contributing to IBS as a volunteer but I actually learned much more than I contributed. When we help others, we actually benefit ourselves from helping others. It’s not just one way, but both sides benefit from it.
Amituofo!
Jing Chao _()_