Donate Here

Letters

What I Learnt About Buddhism

By
George

George writes from a Victorian prison.

Mattia Faloretti

I stumbled across Buddhist meditation in 2017 where I met Hojun, the Buddhist chaplain/monk who led the meditation and spiritual discussion. Since then, thanks to Hojun, I feel I have changed mentally and spiritually in nearly every way.

Some of the important changes I reflect upon are things like the acceptance of chance, and that everything is in a state of flux. This means we all change, with the difference being that I am now aware of the change, so I can manifest this in skilful ways.

Some other more challenging concepts include: I am not the story that I tell myself; I am not my possessions, friends, crimes, name, age or sex. I am not my past, or my future; and we are all here witnessing consciousness though our human senses. It is through this understanding I can truly begin to see life and how it truly is, letting go of the concepts I have of myself and therefore the judgements I have of others, allowing me to free myself from how I think others should act.

Being spiritual means to go beyond; which for me means to go beyond the beliefs I hold on to, the strongest of which make me suffer most. Some would say the goal is enlightenment, but there really is no goal; the path or the journey to non-self, freedom, liberation or enlightenment is where the work is. This work means letting go, practicing compassion, confronting my beliefs, and being rewarded for it.

Thank you, Hojun, for your inspiration, guidance, patience and your time.Thank you for guiding me through the changes I needed in my life, and by throwing the web of connection I know you have changed the lives of many in the most positive ways.

Kindest regards,

George … AKA Shin Zen

I stumbled across Buddhist meditation in 2017 where I met Hojun, the Buddhist chaplain/monk who led the meditation and spiritual discussion. Since then, thanks to Hojun, I feel I have changed mentally and spiritually in nearly every way.

Some of the important changes I reflect upon are things like the acceptance of chance, and that everything is in a state of flux. This means we all change, with the difference being that I am now aware of the change, so I can manifest this in skilful ways.

Some other more challenging concepts include: I am not the story that I tell myself; I am not my possessions, friends, crimes, name, age or sex. I am not my past, or my future; and we are all here witnessing consciousness though our human senses. It is through this understanding I can truly begin to see life and how it truly is, letting go of the concepts I have of myself and therefore the judgements I have of others, allowing me to free myself from how I think others should act.

Being spiritual means to go beyond; which for me means to go beyond the beliefs I hold on to, the strongest of which make me suffer most. Some would say the goal is enlightenment, but there really is no goal; the path or the journey to non-self, freedom, liberation or enlightenment is where the work is. This work means letting go, practicing compassion, confronting my beliefs, and being rewarded for it.

Thank you, Hojun, for your inspiration, guidance, patience and your time.Thank you for guiding me through the changes I needed in my life, and by throwing the web of connection I know you have changed the lives of many in the most positive ways.

Kindest regards,

George … AKA Shin Zen

This
letter
was originally printed in the
November 2024
edition of About Time.

Staying Out Is the Hard Part

By DJ

Why would anybody want to come back to the system and add to that statistic?

Letters

ISSUE NO. 25

2 MIN READ

Recognising Veterans on the Inside

By Colin

We have an active veterans’ affairs type meeting here every month and an outside group called “Buddy Up” that sends two of their volunteers in.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 25

1 MIN READ

Staying Out of Politics and Working on Myself

By Dylan

I’m only 23 years old but I feel like I’m 43. Being in prison definitely preserves your body but makes your mind and soul feel so much older if you know what I mean.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 25

1 MIN READ

How Do You Cope With Lockdowns?

By Darren

I’ve been in prison for 14 years now, and lockdowns have always been a feature of prison life, but I have also noticed that over the years they have gotten worse and worse.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 25

1 MIN READ

Welcome to About Time

About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

Your browser window currently does not have enough height, or is zoomed in too far to view our website content correctly. Once the window reaches the minimum required height or zoom percentage, the content will display automatically.

Alternatively, you can learn more via the links below.

Donations via GiveNow

Email

Instagram

LinkedIn