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Buddhism in prison - a good idea?
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Buddhist monk in Thailand
Photo by Tevaprapas Makklay
The struggle for minds, hearts and souls in American prisons is an old one, marked in recent times by a competition largely between the Abrahamic faiths, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Not a few convicts over the years have accepted the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into their hearts and become "born again" enough to impress the public and parole boards alike, whether or not their efforts are sincere. In the past couple of decades, there has been a concerted effort to Islamize our prisons, with Muslim chaplains and preachers popping up like mushrooms to proselytize prisoners on a large scale. These efforts have had some disturbing results, including producing scores of violent convicts and ex-convicts who justify their past and future crimes using scripture.
Recent examples of ex-convict Muslim converts who have gone on allegedly to commit crimes include Michael C. Finton, also known as Talib Islam, who was arrested in September 2009 for plotting to bomb a federal courthouse in Illinois, and the imam in Michigan, Christopher Thomas, also known as Luqman Ameen Abdullahborn, who was killed in a shootout with the FBI in October 2009. There have been many more known examples of Muslim converts justifying crime sprees in the name of Islam, both in the U.S. and abroad. Undoubtedly there are numerous others who are not known but who are actively involved in jihadist cells around the world. A report in 2005 concerning the amount of Muslim converts in American prisons set the estimate at some 250,000 or a quarter of a million, the bulk of whom are black. The situation of Islam in prisons, with the potential of "radicalizing" violent convicts, is worrisome enough for law enforcement and political agencies both in the U.S. and elsewhere to study the "potentially toxic mix of extremist ideology and a criminal past." All things considered, it would seem that Islamizing our prisons is not a good idea, although some inmates claim to benefit from Islamic spiritual practices.
What about Buddhism?
Another option for inmates who would like to develop a greater spirituality, but without the potential antisocial behavior and national security threat, may be the Eastern religion of Buddhism. It is entirely understandable that someone in prison would want to make the most of his or her time there, including doing penance for any crimes and engaging in intense self-reflection for relief from "sins," to use religious terminology. In order to escape from or thwart possible criminal or "sinful" behavior, individuals in the East at times have volunteered to confine themselves for long periods away from human society. During these times, they have engaged in self-awareness and meditation, potentially to the point of "enlightenment," which includes an improved morality because of increased empathy.
Hence, it is sensible and logical to introduce such "self-help" concepts into prisons, even if they are not part of an organized religious tradition. In this regard, Buddhism may turn out to be the most satisfying of the various religious ideologies in terms of fostering introspection and moral improvement. It is uncommon to find a Buddhist fanatical enough to harm others, and this state of respect for oneself and others is intrinsic to Buddhist belief.
Historically, Buddhism has not presented itself flawlessly, and the same atrocities we find in other faiths have manifested themselves in Buddhism as well, including deadly intolerance of other religions and virulent sexism. However, compared to other religions, especially Christianity and Islam, these atrocities have been relatively rare. Moreover, by its nature Buddhism has always been open to reform, and what we find in Western cultures (and prisons) is the mildest and, possibly, most enlightened form of the faith.
As a major example, a scrutiny of Buddhist literature that influences the population at large, particularly in the English-speaking world, reveals a heavy emphasis on peace, peace within and outside of oneself, as the ultimate path to Godhood. While Buddhism does not foster the idea of a giant man somewhere outside of oneself, it does focus on understanding the divinity within all creation. Again, Buddhism is not perfect—and it has had its fierce detractors over the centuries—but its main focus really is peace, because it does not emphasize the differences between peoples or individuals, other than that some are "awake" while others "asleep."
"There simply is no need to spread Buddhism by the sword, no Buddhist god to champion through invasion, rape, pillage and slaughter, no holy book or prophet to riot over."
Yet, even in its depiction of "other"—those who are "not like us"—Buddhism emphasizes understanding and empathy, not divisiveness and hostility. Buddhism also runs the gamut of human perceptions, since, while Tibetan Buddhism maintains a raucous display of deities, Zen requires little more than water and wood. Importantly, Buddhism has no jealous gods—and that is a major difference between it and the Abrahamic religions. There simply is no need to spread Buddhism by the sword, no Buddhist god to champion through invasion, rape, pillage and slaughter, no holy book or prophet to riot over.
Buddhism in English prisons the "fastest growing religion"
The news may come as a surprise that in Great Britain—where the dramatic Islamization of British prisoners has been noted—it is Buddhism which of late is considered the fastest-growing religion in that nation's prisons. The numbers are small but, surprisingly, as Martin Beckford relates in the Telegraph, the "rate of growth in the Buddhist jail population outstrips that of Muslims, whose numbers have more than doubled from 3,681 to 9,795 over the past 11 years." American prisons are also experiencing an increased interest in Buddhism.
Ultimately, there is a reason we rarely hear about Buddhist terrorists, murderers, rapists, thieves and so on. In consideration of this fact, it might be wise to increase the availability of Buddhistic thought within prisons, the realm often of the most difficult and hardened individuals on the planet. Increasing difficulties and hardening via fanaticism that teaches supremacy of the faithful and hatred for unbelievers—to be manifested in a myriad of aggressive, hostile and violent ways—is certainly not the answer. Nor is proselytizing the projection of one's life and responsibility on a giant man in the sky an appropriate solution. Teaching how to create a peaceful mind, body and soul represents the most productive path for all human beings, whether incarcerated or not. For, in the end, if we do not develop our own innate morality and integrity, we remain in a prison of our own making.
Sources & Further Reading
IL Federal building targeted by Muslim convert
Detroit Jihad
I see Richard Reids in jail every day
Islam in America's Prisons
Muslim Converts in Prison
Buddhism is fastest-growing religion in English jails over past decade
Prison inmates turn to Buddhism
Prison Dharma
Is Buddhism all it's cracked up to be?
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