WISE PATH IN BUDDHISM

 Being innocent in a foreign prison is a very traumatic experience. Scott Zirus is remarkably resilient, but his wrongful conviction has forced him to do a lot of soul-searching to find peace in the chaos and incessant abuse of daily prison life. Scott Zirus often 'explains that he has "found a wise path through life in the Teaching of the Buddha". In December 2011, Scott Zirus official converted to Buddhism.

Sari is one of Scott's long-time Buddhist pen1 pals. Both Scott and Sari were           featured in an article about the importance of having such relationships in a            Buddhist magazine called Mandala. In the article, Sari is quoted saying: 

          "Scott is an exceptional person, who can really transform difficulty into positive             

          change. He has almost single-handedly set up a Buddhist sangha [community]           

          in his prison, complete with a curriculum, a buddy system for new members, a             

          rotating contribution from members in meetings, a Buddhist librar,y and their            

          very own newsletter••• I am grateful and touched to be able to contribute to the           

          success of Scott's prison sangha through our discussions on different aspects. It           

          is truly a privilege to be able to support him with suggestions, advice, materials,            

          or just encouragement or a pat on the back, which can be rare in a prison           

          context".

Scott Zirus never expected to ever become a Buddhist. In the article, he explains how it all began:

         "A few months before my fateful trip to Texas [in 2009], I visited Bodhinyana              

          Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia, with a friend and her three            

          children. I found the whole experience intriguing, but it wasn't until I was           

          incarcerated that I read  Wise Heart' by Jack Kornfield and found my path.          

          Because I had no teacher to take my vows before, I wrote them out and sent           

          them to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I vowed to establish a Buddhist group. In           

          October 2012 I arrived at [the Robertson Unit] and was assigned to work in the           

          kitchen. I met two other prisoners there who were Buddhist. I told them my       

          .idea and got their unconditional support. I wrote to different Buddhist           

          organizations including [the Liberation Prison Project] for letters of support. It           

          was an uphill battle getting approval, but in August 2013 we had our first peer-          

          run gathering".

From this weekly gathering grew a dedicated Buddhist community that called themselves the 'Inner Liberation Prison Sangha ‘. As one of the Sanghas Abbots/coordinators, Scott Zirus teaches sessions on meditation, mindfulness, and universal compassion. Scott also provides personal guidance and instruction to Sangha members and is regularly involved in inter-community dialogue and conflict resolution within the prison environment.

The Inner Liberation Prison Sangha has been involved in charity projects. For example, in 2018 Scott Zirus organized for his Sangha to join forces with an organization called 'Tara 's Voice ' to start the Mother Tara Fund. Members of the Sangha and wider prison population created Buddhist-themed bookmarks and artwork to raise money for those less fortunate. In 2018 the Mother Tara Fund sponsored a number of Tibetian children in India so that they could attend school. In 2019 they provided 100 soft cuddly toys to sick children in a hospital in the Bronx, New York. They also paid for a years supply of immunization stickers for the kids. The project was shelved in 2020 because of COVID restrictions, but efforts are currently underway to revive the project with an eye on those affected by war and statelessness. This specific project has shown prisoners that no matter what mistakes they may have done in the past, they can still do good things to help society. If you are interested in helping Scott Zirus revive this project, please contact him directly.

Although Scott Zirus does not officially adhere to any specific Buddhist tradition, he is most drawn to the Thai Forest Tradition. However, when the opportunity arose for Scott to take Refuge-From-Afar with a renowned Tibetan monk named Garchen Triptrul Rinpoche , Scott did not hesitate.During the Refuge Ceremony, Rinpoche gave Scott the Tibetan spiritual name Konchok Tingdzin Wangyal - which means "Powerful King of Samadhi of the Triple Gem".Samadhi is the peace and clarity obtained through deep meditation, andthe Triple Gems are The Buddha (teacher), Dharma (teachings), and Sangha (community). 

 Henry David Thoreau once wrote: " …how much more eloquently and effectively [the Prisoner] can combat injustice who has experienced a little in his own person".

How very true. I have come to realize that suffering has a great deal to teach us. Suffering, despite all its negative connotations, provides the opportunity to fortify our resilience. Is it enjoyable? No - but it is this resilience to suffering that gives us strength and endurance to combat injustice. These two qualities are essential when you are wrongfully convicted and face an inherent uphill battle to correct the governments indifference towards truth. Logic dictates that truth should always win over what is merely prescribed, so when I was first wrongfully convicted I thought that the justice system was self-correcting and that the Courts would realize their error and release me. But that perspective has proven extremely naive. In fact, the Courts have been outright hostile towards the possibility that they convicted an innocent person. Every step of the way I have meet seemingly insurmountable obstacles to proving my innocence - most of them constructed by statutory barriers that are designed to impede a prisoners ability to meaningfully litigate their case. Needless to say, the battle is far from an easy one.

The advice that I give any person who is innocent in prison like myself: NEVER GIVE UP! I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed with a sense of futility. I know what it feels like to be abandoned and disenfranchised. But, truth is the truth even if you are in the minority of one - so never give up the good fight. Advocate. Litigate. Liberate. Remember that every step forward is still a step forward no matter how many steps back you may encounter. The arc of justice naturally curves towards truth.

It only requires time and unquenchable persistence. NEVER GIVE UP!

- by Scott Zirus

Dear Stan Moore,

I read your letter in the March-April 2019 issue of "Inside Dharma" about being wrongfully convicted and how Buddhism has shown you a path that helps you handle disappointing news with equanimity.

I wanted to respond because I too am wrongfully convicted an also found a wise path through life in the Buddhas teachings. This year [2019] I commemorate 10 years of being wrongfully convicted in a foreign prison. Every day I have struggled to prove my innocence, but I have learned some valuable lessons along the way. I realized that suffering has a lot to teach us. It is through adversity that I find strength. It's not easy, and trust me, you will likely receive your fair share of disappointing news. But don't give up. Stay strong in the Dharma - it will give you insight into the true nature of reality. That insight is what will fuel your drive to fight to prove your innocence.

Imagine the level of suffering you would have already inflicted upon yourself if your 94 year old friend had not introduced you to Buddhism. Myself, if I had not discovered Buddhism, would have continued to believe that my unpleasant situation was permanent and I would have likely taken my own life out of ignorance. I would not have understood that everything is inherently empty because it is dependent upon forever changing causes and conditions. I would not have known how to use skillful means to create favorable conditions to not only prove my innocence but to help relieve the suffering of others. The Dharma has an undefeatable strength to it. If you sincerely practice with the courage of a lion, you can overcome any adversity life throws your way. Keep your head up Brother - you are far from alone. May peace be with you.

- Scott Zirus

We live in dark times. We are experiencing a period of no lasting peace, insufferable warfare and famine; we suffer increasing danger from sickness, violence and civil unrest; our society is plagued by outrageous behavior that manifests itself through intolerance, hate, prejudice; people are unwittingly blind by distorted views and don't believe that their actions have any kind of ethical dimension.

We are not immune from these degenerations simply because we are behind these prison walls - we will continue to be obsessed with attachment, anger and the need for retaliation; we will experience anxiety, fear and loss through our ignorance; we will cannibalize ourselves in our never-ending, self-righteous guest to find lasting happiness. We share all the degenerations of the free world.

But this degeneration of the human condition is not unique. It has ebbed with the tides of human history. What IS unique is the precious opportunity such times present. And as truth-seekers on the wise path through this life, we have the ability to seize that opportunity to bring light to these dark times. When the five degenerations flourish, transform them into the path of awakening!

With his last breath, the Buddha taught, "Be a light upon yourself". This is a very profound and relevant teaching for our time. It teaches that we have all the enlightenment that we need within ourselves. When we truly dedicate our lives to cultivating mindfulness and ca1 passion, we develop a deep level of insight that allows us to intuitively know the path before us. We light our own way; we become a light unto ourselves. By doing so, you naturally begin to "illuminate" and others, seeing this, are drawn from their shadows into your presence. They may not realize it, but they sense something special about this presence. It is calm, honest, and radiates kindness and wisdom. This is how humanity has weathered the dangerous journey through these dark times... through the deliberate cultivation of enlightened hearts and minds by people like YOU.

When we become consumed by the material world when we allow our practice to fall to the wayside, our inner light fades, our clarity becomes clouded, and we stray from our path and often lose our way. Fortunately, we can never lose our Buddha nature, so the light can never be fully extinguished. All it takes to rekindle the light is a little nourishment, tenderness and patience. 

It is not a mistake that you have stumbled upon this path. The real mistake is not following it. It has been some time since we have been able to meet as a Sangha, and we do not know when the conditions will allow for us to meet again. And, although the Sangha is an important part of the Three jewels, not being able to meet is no excuse to neglect your practice and risk your inner light. Don't forget to be mindful. Don't forget to cultivate loving-kindness. The world needs it more than ever! And we are all in the right place to n c!< e a real difference. Meditate, study, practice, share what you know! Be the LIGHT in these dark times.

- Scott Zirus

There are certain moments in prison that allow us to gain significant insight and conviction along our Buddhist paths. When applied to our d 1aily interaction with the world, these moments can help give us strength to endure our time behind bars. Here is my example :

My Sangha, the Inner Liberation Prison Sangha, has a strict policy against engaging in any type of social politics - rumors, divisive speech, idle chatter etc. This policy is premised entirely upon the Precepts.

Recently a situation arose among the [prison] Christian leadership who were upset that the Sangha was benefitting from certain privileges that previously they alone enjoyed. They engaged in a campaign of rumors, divisive speech, and even outright lies. They went to the extreme of attempting to turn others against us and punish those within their own community who dared associate with members of the Sangha.

Adhering to our strict policy against social politics, we refused to engage their campaign. We thus gave them the Noble Silence as our only response.

But the rumors continued and the divisive speech increased. I thought that maybe our strategy was flawed and that the Noble Silence was perpetuating the situation. I felt that they would never stop until we did something so drastic that it forced them to stop. But having conviction in the Buddha's teachings, we endured and refused to return an eye for an eye. Eventually, it ceased. There was still heat to the coals of the fire of social politics, but it had eventually burned itself out.

Social politics is like that - a fire. The fire's entire existence craves fuel. The more you feed into the fire, the larger it grows and the more it consumes. However, when you deprive the fire of its fuel (when you refuse to feed into the social politics), the fire eventually runs out of fuel and burns itself out. In this regard, the craving

of the fire ultimately defeats itself.

I learned this: When the rumors continued and the divisive speech increased despite our Noble Silence, it was simply a matter of the fire consuming what it had already been fed. The prior karmic conditions under which the situation arose had to run its course; it wasn't perpetuated because of our Noble Silence. Our Noble Silence is an Active Force - not a passive response. So, the "drastic" reaction that I initially felt was needed to stop their campaign of rumors and divisive speech was, in fact, non-reaction. An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind. The fire of hate will consume the entire world. It is only through discipline in the Precepts and actively applying them in our everyday lives that we will reap the fruit of skillful actions. This was such a situation and a moment that can only strengthen our conviction in the Teachings of the Buddha.

- Scott Zirus