Bull’s Eye- Jampa Pawo

Spirit Wind
Attached (above) is a calligraphy by Chogyam Trumpa Rinpoche and Kanjuro Shibata XX, it says in Tibetan and Japanese: Kamikaze or “Spirit Wind”, from Grace DiNapoli, SEIKO KYUDOJO

 

Bull’s Eye: An Arrow

Piercing the Heart of Yama (lord of death)

Listen, brave warrior of Shambhala.

In your battle against the delusions,

Raise the longbow of unborn shunyata

In your left hand of primordial wisdom

And draw the arrow of bodhichitta

With your right hand of vajra-compassion.

Rest your mind in concentration and thusness

On the union of bliss and emptiness

Aim for the heart of great dharmakaya

And release from form into formlessness

The arrow of bodhisattva actions.

Propelled by the enlightened energy

Of spontaneous nondual activity,

The warrior’s aim always remains true

And your sharp arrow penetrates wrong views.

Thus, the courageous warrior triumphs

Over the six realms of Yama’s kingdom

And establishes Shambhala on earth.

I, Jampa Pawo, received this Dharma

From my wisdom mother, Vajrayogini,

When she taught me the art of archery.

Now I transmit her words to you, dear friend.

This poem is dedicated to Grace, a Dharma friend who shot an arrow for me at the holy place of Karme Choling. These words sprang from your kindness. Thank you! Love,

Jampa Pawo

 

 

4/19/16

To the Noble Shambhala Sangha:

It is all but certain, though not certain, that Jampa Pawo, a member of the Atlanta Shambhala Sangha, will be executed on Wednesday, April 27th. We will not know if clemency will be granted until the evening of April 26th or possibly the morning of April 27th. We are now turning our mind to what we can do for Jampa if and when his time has come.

Ani Pema has suggested a passage from The Tibetan Book of the Dead as translated by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Francesca Freemantle and also tonglen practice. This is what Gampo Abbey will be doing. At the Atlanta Shambhala Center we will begin with the Shambhala Sadhana and after that we will recite the passage and do tonglen. HERE is the passage here so that others of you who would like to be of help to Jampa Pawo at this important time can do so. The Sakyong has been saying prayers for Jampa, and so have the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa, and Ani Pema.

It is difficult to let you know the time. Although the time has been set for 7:00pm, Jampa’s lawyers will be making last minutes pleas for a stay to the Supreme Court. This process does take its time. It is expected that the pleas will be refused. It is then that the execution will begin to move forward. The lawyers will call Jampa to let him know. The prison will be informed by the attorney general and then they will begin the process. I am told that from that point it takes about 30 minutes for everyone to be in place. There will be a short prayer. The actual process of death by injection takes but a few minutes.

Dan Phillips and I will be witnesses at this execution. We are not permitted to have phones. A member of Jampa’s legal team will help us to make it known to our community. If you would like to participate in tonglen and sending prayers to Jampa coinciding with the time of his death, please email your address to me: [email protected]. We will create a contact list and you will receive a text letting you know the situation. If you will be with a group, please designate one email on the group’s behalf.

Jampa’s body will be taken to The Atlanta Shambhala Center where he will be until the afternoon of April 30th when we will have Shing Kam (Shambhala Pure Land) ceremony.

If you would like to be mindful of Jampa along with us, know that the ceremony will take place at 3:00pm.

The funeral expenses for Jampa Pawo include $950 for transportation of his body to and from the Center and for his cremation. We will need to buy him basic clothes. We would also like to have some flowers and some basic refreshments for after the ceremony. The family is able to contribute $200. If you would like to make a donation that will help us to pay for these expenses, please click HERE.

Buddhists must have sangha. Thank you for being Jampa’s sangha.

Love. Norma


 

4/19/16

Yesterday Jampa Pawo gave his video-taped testimony for his clemency hearing.  The clemency board will meet on April 26th to hear other live testimony (Norma Harris’ among them) and to decide whether to grant him clemency.  Although the chances for this are very slight, Jampa did an extraordinary job at communicating his heart felt remorse and humanity.  His lawyers, who had very high expectations for him, were amazed at the degree in which he far exceeded their expectations.  This was an especially good performance, since until recent years he rarely talked with anyone, and he was quite challenged in expressing his emotions when Norma began working with him on this six months ago.

Jampa Pawo had this photograph of Trungpa Rinpoche on his wall. And he noticed that there were lines forming on the photo where water was dripping on it. Although he still liked the photograph very much, he felt the picture was being desecrated. So he was returning it.  When Norma received the photograph, she could see thin streaks of red running down the photo where water has caused the pigment to separate. The entire picture is crying.  She asked him to write about the conditions in the prison.

 

trungpa calligraphy

 

The prison is crying. Its tears drip from the ceilings of cells and dormatories, pour down moldy walls in streams, and pool on the floor in puddles. The prison cries because it is dying. The body of the prison decays in its own suppuration, becoming restless and wild. Despite the fake veneer of fresh wax and paint, like make-up on a rotting corpse, the prison’s anatomy atrophies in decomposition, crumbling from within like a whitewashed tomb. Toilets vomit rivers of feces, trash, and urine; the discharged bowels of the prison. Windows hang in the frames like broken bones and the prison shivers with a discordant groan of steel and concrete in the cold winter wind. The prison’s light fades into the sickly yellow of jaundiced flesh, its radiance dimmed by metal cages and filthy glass. The sun is setting on this prison.

In this hostile environment of degradation, where our leaders murder human beings in the name of justice, invoking God and the peoples’ will, basic goodness has been abandoned. Inmates and officers, the people who live and work in this institution, fail to recognize each other’s humanity. With confused minds we sink deeper into the despair of setting sun mentality.

The prison is a manifestation of society’s collective insanity as well as the individual karma of the people who live and work here. [This situation is] a karmic byproduct of the violence that is part of America’s history of violence. There is war in here and there is murder, lies, rape, theft, bigotry, corruption, genocide, oppression, and racism, all reflected in here as a mirror that reflects American culture. Individually and collectively we have built this monument to setting sun mentality.

Just as our bodies grow sick and die when our wind energies and elements become imbalanced, the living conditions at this prison decline under lack of leadership and the mental illness of destructive emotions. I’ve lived on death row at this prison for seventeen years. In that time I’ve witnessed the prison deteriorate from an efficient and organized institution to a living hell on the verge of chaos. The administration and professionalism of the administration has devolved into negligence, incompetence, and indifference. Well-maintained facilities have eroded into disrepair. Decent food has soured into slop. Our contact visits have been all but terminated. Recreational activities and resources such as art supplies, library books, and educational programs have been taken. Inmates are now placed on 23 hour lockdown without any positive stimulus for our minds.

I have committed murder, stolen the property of others, lied to my loved ones, sold and used drugs, and reveled in others of the ten nonvirtues. These sins and the harm I’ve caused others fill me with remorse and sadness. My heart is broken. To heal these wounds I practice to the best of my ability for the people I’ve hurt, for myself, and for all living beings.

If I can heal, the other men at this prison can heal, you can heal, and together we can heal society. I am confident that our aspirations can be accomplished through dharma practice.

I have identified as a Buddhist because I take refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha. I have practiced within the Tibetan tradition. I haven’t wanted to subscribe to any particular lineage. I was originally inspired by the lamrim teachings of the Gelugpa. I also began to study the teachings on the nature of mind and practice meditation as set forth in the Kagyu lineage. I have also followed the mind-training instructions of the ancient Kadampas. And I have been receiving Shambhala teachings for the last while. However, I have been hesitant to call myself a Shambhala Warrior. I felt like it was just another label, another layer of self-reification. Today I see that being a Shambhala Warrior transcends ego. I feel that I can authentically proclaim my basic goodness and the goodness of all humanity. From this day forward and in all of my future lives. I proclaim myself a Shambhala warrior and vow to establish enlightened society on this earth.

As for this life, my appeals are exhausted and the causes of my execution align. I am not afraid. I have faith and confidence in my practice.

 

Lifeblood

In the charnel ground of samsara’s prison,

I pilgrimage the cemetery paths

Of Mahayana sutra and tantra;

Surrounded by the infinite corpses

Of birth, old age, sickness, and certain death.

As mindless zombies aimlessly wander

Through the six realms of cyclic existence,

I drink the lifeblood of impermanence

From the skull-cup of death contemplation,

And dismember my worldly attachment

With the curved knife of renunciation.

I was exiled for the crime of murder

To die as an outcast in this graveyard,

But I’ve transformed into a Dharma beggar.

Haunted by the ghosts of my past karma,

Besmeared with the ashes of repentance,

Crowned by the bone ornaments of refuge,

Intoxicated with bodhichitta,

I brandish the skull-cup of compassion

And banish the jackals of confusion

Into the fiery cremation pyre

Of virtue, concentration, and wisdom.

Protected by wrathful Yamantaka,

Who eats the skeletons of shunyata,

I dwell in mountain caves of meditation.

I swim in sacred lakes of bodhichitta.

I give this empty corpse to all beings

At the cosmic sky burial banquet.

As ravenous scavengers devour

The remains of impure appearances,

I sing this brave song of impermanence

And circumambulate the great stupa

Of enlightenment within my good heart.

Jampa Pawo

2.14.16


 

 

4/12/16

Here is a letter from Jampa Pawo about our visit to the prison, and a  recent poem.  His  execution date is scheduled for April 27th.  He remains upbeat in spite of the loss of virtually all of his belongings, telephones that have not worked, the fluorescent light that is constantly on, and the eminence of his death.  He is writing letters of goodbye to his many friends, and this afternoon I overheard him beautifully singing a chant to Norma over the telephone. 


The Prison Tour

2/27/16

Dear Shambhala Brothers and Sisters,

Here on death row, we are frequently visited by tour groups. These tour groups usually visit the prison once a week, sometimes they come on multiple days, even twice in one day on occasion. During these tour groups, the inmates must have our cells inspection-ready: clean, with our beds made and cabinets in order, similar to the military. We are forced to stand in our prison uniforms at the front of our cells, remaining silent as people walk by to observe us. Any interactions are forbidden.

For us inmates the tour groups are suffering. We are dehumanized and humiliated. You feel like you have no freedom in that moment, like you’re an animal in the zoo being ogled for amusement. As a death row inmate, the tour groups can feel voyeuristic, like rubberneckers who watch car wrecks on the highway, or vultures circling the dead. Many people on the tour act afraid of us, like we’re monsters. They avoid eye contact and seem nervous. Other people display aggression, they scowl at us and try to appear intimidating. Some people don’t even see us. They stare through us like we are invisible, and you know they don’t recognize our humanity.

Before I started to practice Dharma, I hated the tour groups. I would get incredibly angry every time a tour groups walked through the cellblock. I felt invaded, violated, and humiliated. The majority of men on death row feel that same aversion toward the tour groups, but we conform. You can protest, but you risk being pepper-sprayed, put in the hole, of have your property and privileges taken.

However, for a Dharma practitioner, the tour groups provide an opportunity to work with those different emotions. To transform my aggression towards the tour groups, I began to use them for practice. Whenever the bell rings to announce a tour groups, I view it as a call to wake up. I mindfully make sure my cell is ready and get dressed using bodhichitta motivations to make my actions Dharma. As the tour groups enter the cellblock, I gather my mind with windhorse, take refuge and generate bodhichitta. Instead of feeling angry at the tour groups, I remember that they are suffering just like me, that they also want happiness and to be free from suffering. On that basis, I practice tonglen for everyone present. I absorb our suffering and radiate love, compassion, and wisdom. If any negative emotions arise during the tour groups, I look out the windows at the sky, connect with my mind’s clarity, and view my mind as being luminous like the clear blue sky. The negative emotions are just impermanent clouds which vanish into the mind’s emptiness. It is also helpful for me to recall the teachings on karma.

Recently eight members from the Atlanta Shambhala Center visited this prison as part of a tour group. For me, this was an uplifting experience. The Shambhala members did not fear us. They didn’t try to intimidate us. They recognized our basic goodness and humanity. Despite being told not to interact with anyone, several members of the Shambhala Sangha bowed to me and I bowed in return. By acknowledging our basic goodness in this way, we brought dignity and courage to a painful situation. I feel that the Shambhala Sangha blessed the environment of this prison just by being here to bear witness, like an act of purification. I like to believe the other inmates felt that blessing too – even if it was subtle.

The Shambhala members visited the prison on the day before I received the Shambhala Vow from Shastri Alice [Haspray at Gampo Abbey]. In the week’s leading up to taking the vow, I prepared by talking with my teachers, asking questions, reading, and contemplating the Shambhala Vow. My main question was: How do we connect with basic goodness and practice the view of basic goodness in the presence of extreme suffering, especially in prison and on death row? I don’t know if the visit by the Shambhala Sangha answered that question, but they gave me a strong feeling for the power of basic goodness, showing me that basic goodness and dignity are alive in the world – even on death row! All we have to do is be awake and open and courageous enough to receive its blessing. This was the greatest teaching to have before I took the Shambhala Vow. I prostrate to basic goodness!

Love,

Jampa Pawo

 


horse

Kyango Karkar: The Windhorse Song

Jampa Pawo

2.28.16

To Kyango Karkar, the supreme windhorse,

I offer this praise and invocation.

Blessed by the smoke of juniper incense,

Appear and grant us your inspiration!

Your eyes beam a rainbow of five colors.

Your perky ears resemble Bodhi leaves.

Your pink tongue shines like the sword of wisdom.

Your body bears the signs of perfection.

Your gait is primordial confidence.

KI KI SO SO! Please hear my warrior’s cry!

The great windhorse, Kyango Karkar, gallops

Across earth, heaven, and the universe,

Radiating peace and prosperity.

His mane of ten thousand hairs and long tail

Flow like a comet throughout the cosmos,

The drumbeat of his hooves reverberates

Like the song of infinite prayer flags,

Carrying our requests on the four winds.

Like a flash of lightening in the night sky,

Kyango Karkar races over the clouds

Crowned by the glorious Great Eastern Sun

And dispels the troubles of this dark age.

Endowed with strength swiftness, and endurance:

Meek, perky, majestic and outrageous;

Kyango Karkar embodies our goodness.

His enlightened creative energy

Always spontaneously manifests

For the awake warriors of Shambhala,

Giving vitality and success

In out victory over the setting sun.

Rise! Kyango Karkar, mount of King Gesar!

Rise! Inflame basic goodness in my heart!

Rise! Inspire joy for all sentient beings!

Dedicated to Shastri Alice, for kindly giving me the Shambhala Vow, and the entire Shambhala community for sharing their basic goodness. Thank you!


From March 27th

About four weeks ago I asked Jampa Pawo to begin writing to the Shambhala Sangha. Here is one of several letters and poems that he wrote and that we will publish here in the newsletter. At the time of this writing we did not know the date of his proposed execution. We have now gotten word that his execution by lethal injection is projected to occur on Wednesday, April 27th. In the next weeks we will put out other writings. I hope you will get a sense of who this man is and the connection he feels for us. I hope you will feel connected too.  (you can see Jampa Pawo’s other artwork here)

Norma Harris

A Letter to Members of Shambhala

2/24/2016

Dear Shambhala Brothers and Sisters,

Hello! My name is Jampa Pawo. I am 37 years old and have been incarcerated for eighteen years for the crime of murder. I have been practicing dharma for several years. I met the teachings of Buddha, in this life, during a period of intense mental and physical suffering. Despite using the previous decade to educate myself and create art, I felt like my efforts were superficial and meaningless. I was depressed, filled with remorse for my harmful actions, and utterly heartbroken. This mental despair manifested as physical pain throughout my body. I was dying inside.

Around this time references to Buddhism appeared around me like never before: on TV, in books, in magazines, and conversations. Their occurrence became so frequent that I sensed a purpose behind these seemingly random events, like they were guides leading me in the right direction. In hindsight I view these messages as the buddhas and bodhisattvas helping me when my mind, karma, and ideal conditions aligned. Inspired by these auspicious connections, I became curious and decided to explore Buddhism. I asked my friend Elizabeth to send me the book Tibetan Meditation by Dagsay Tulku Rinpoche. I discovered this book in a catalog selling books about aliens and unexplained phenomena. I’ve always found this humorous, the placement of a book on Tibetan meditation among the UFO’s and stories about Atlantis, like the universe playing a funny joke.

Tibetan Meditation was my introduction to Buddhism. It explained all the basic meditations from the Tibetan tradition in concise language. From this book I learned about healing meditations, impermanence, suffering, love, compassion, emptiness, and mantra recitation. I immediately began to practice the healing meditations every day, visualizing brilliant white light radiating throughout my nervous system – purifying my body and mind of all negativities. I started with one meditation a day for five minutes and gradually increased the number and length of sessions. After three months my body and mind felt rejuvenated, which motivated me to learn more about Buddhism.

The dharma was calling and I couldn’t resist. Through constant study, contemplation, and meditation, I fully embraced the teachings with all my heart. The Dharma resonated with me in a powerful and profound way. I was magnetized to the teachings and pulled by their gravity to a practice beyond me and outside of my control. I didn’t have a choice. The Dharma answered all of my questions about life and all of the pieces of the cosmic puzzle came together, revealing a universal richness, a network of interdependent causes and conditions in which I could make life meaningful by benefitting others. Everything I’d ever felt but couldn’t articulate was alive in the Dharma. It all made sense to me!

For some time I didn’t know how to structure a traditional practice. I just practiced from the heart every day, improvising with the books I read and practicing with diligence. During this time I received an art book with a painting of Avelokiteshvara in it, which I hung on the cabinet in my cell. I didn’t know much about Avelokiteshvara, but I sat in front of his image daily and recited a verse from Shantideva’s The Guide to the Boddhisattva’s Way of Life. I learned this verse from a book by HH the Dalai Lama: “As long as space remains and sentient beings endure, may I also remain to dispel the misery of the world.” I also made prayers to receive the Refuge and Boddhisattva Vows, which were later fulfilled by the Shambhala sangha. Looking back, I find it very auspicious to have made these requests to Avelokiteshvara using a prayer recommended by HH the Dalia Lama, who is the Buddha of compassion.

My practice really ignited when I met a lady named Judy through my attorney. Judy was a former practitioner; and after learning about my interest in Buddhism, she sent me a collection of Dharma books and a mala blessed by HH the Dalai Lama. The books Judy sent were the exact teachings I needed at that time, answering my questions and giving me a step-by-step guide to traditional practice. Included among them were instructions on mind training and the stages of the path, which became the life blood of practice to me because it helped me work with the painful emotions of my past actions.

I practiced with Ani Pema Chodron’s commentary and tonglen instructions every day, taking upon myself the sufferings of all victims of violence in the universe and giving them love, peace, happiness, and compassion. I also practiced tonglen for all the perpetrators of violence, including myself. These meditations were extremely moving, often bringing me to tears. But they strengthened my compassion and gave me the courage to write a letter to my victims’ family. I always wanted to express my remorse to them but was afraid. When I tried to convey my heart break, sadness, and remorse, my body and mind became paralyzed with fear. Ani Pema’s teachings helped me to open and helped me to acknowledge the unimaginable suffering I’d caused by my actions. It was the beginning of a healing process which continues today.

Because Start Where You Are was so beneficial, I wrote to Ani Pema at Gampo Abbey to thank her. I didn’t get a response from Ani Pema at that time, but I did receive a letter from Les and Louise Ste. Marie, members of the Gampo Abbey sangha, who became dear friends and sources of inspiration. Les and Louise have been incredibly supportive of my practice, always offering me guidance and Dharma materials. With their help I had the great fortune of receiving the Refuge and Boddhisattva Vows from Acharya Richard John and establishing a connection with the Atlanta Shambhala Center and my teacher Norma Harris. All of this is a blessing from the guru!

Even here on death row, I have the freedom to make life meaningful by practicing Dharma. I am grateful for this opportunity and thankful for the kindness of others, who give me every happiness in life. I am mindful not to waste this precious gift because it is impermanent. So I practice as an offering to those I’ve hurt, to repay the kindness of all beings, and to heal myself in order to heal others.

The entire Shambhala Sangha has become an integral part of this practice, providing me with guidance, inspiration, love, and support. The community embraced me whole-heartedly, without hesitation, and has become my family. Sadly, I do not know much about Shambhala teachings and I haven’t trained in the Levels like other practitioners. My foundation and training is in traditional Tibetan Buddhism; mainly the lamrim (the stages of the path), mind-training, and Vajrasattva practice. However, I have a strong connection to the Shambhala lineage and feel like a Shambhala warrior at heart. I raise windhorse, proclaim basic goodness, and cultivate the principles of warriorship in life.

As my execution date approaches, I’m not afraid because I have faith in Dharma and confidence in my practice. I know that the Shambhala Sangha will be practicing with me at the time of death and that your love will guide me to a fortunate rebirth in my next life. Until then, I practice like my hair is on fire, seeking liberation from the self-made prison of samsara and enlightenment for all beings.

Earlier today, eight members from the Atlanta Shambhala Sangha visited this prison as part of a tour group. For me their presence transformed a dehumanizing experience into an experience of basic goodness. The sangha members recognized our humanity. They didn’t fear us. They didn’t try to intimidate us. They acknowledged our basic goodness and humanity just by being here to bear witness. It was an uplifting experience for me, a blessing on the environment, and a perfect teaching to receive on the eve of my taking the Shambhala Vow.

The main message I wish to convey to the Shambhala family is that transformation is possible, even in the worst conditions where things seem hopeless. All we have to do is practice and results will follow. We will receive the blessings of the lineage gurus, buddhas, and boddhisattvas. Therefore, I offer these words to you as inspiration, as you are an inspiration to me. I encourage all of us to dissolve doubt in the light of primordial confidence and wakefulness. May we practice with courage, dignity, and joy! May basic goodness illuminate the world! KI KI SO SO! Lha Gyal LO!

Love,

Jampa Pawo

23 thoughts on “Bull’s Eye- Jampa Pawo

  1. This is quite a moving and inspiring account. Thank you for sharing it with us. Jampa will be in my thoughts.

  2. This may be the most inspiring testimony to Basic Goodness I have ever read! Thank you for sharing your heart with us, Jampa Pawo. I will keep you in my heart, practice and prayers.

    I send my love to you.

  3. This is so beautiful and honest. Is there a way we can write to Jampa Pawo to say thank you and send our best to him in the weeks ahead?

  4. Thank you Jampa Pawo for your moving letter. It makes me proud to be a Shambhalian that we have connected with you in this way. Even more so I am amazed at your path and the practice that you’ve done. It’s very inspiring because as you say so well, just do the practice and the path will unfold. This seems a profound truth. In general I feel we hope for a shortcut. So I will do practice for you especially in the coming weeks. I look forward to more letters from you and hope your time is productive and your practice radiant. All my best, Charlie Byron
    E ma ho!

  5. Dear Norma, thank you for sharing Jampa Pawo’s story. Thanks also to Jampa of course.

    My partner Anna and I have felt very touched by the letter and would also like to share an amicable and colorful postcard from Spain. Please let us know if that is possible.

    Thanks,
    Asier

  6. Dear Jampa,

    Wow. Whenever I encounter a story such as yours, I am in awe. You are truly practicing the heart essence of the teachings, in the most difficult of circumstances. You are certainly the very embodiment of a Shambhala warrior and I look to persons like yourself for inspiration as I continue on my path. Your depth of devotion and sincerity have no doubt already benefited and will continue to benefit countless others. Bless you.

    With affection and admiration,

    Roger Farwell

  7. Your words were spread and I got to read them.
    I am greatful for you met with the dharma and become a worrior. From far away Germany: Lucie

  8. I am once again so moved by the power of the Dharma to transform. May all blessings continue to descend upon Jampa Pawo and all of us who are fortunate enough to be inspired by him. As we hold him in our hearts, please let him know that the love felt for him is unfathomable and unending.

  9. I am inspired by this man’s practice and story. I understand what I believe to be the desire for others to connect with him via his new name, as in doing so it strengthens connection with him as he is now, vs. with the man who committed the crime for which he has been sentenced to death. I believe, however, that connecting to the whole of who he is, past and present, can bring even greater healing to others—to exemplify the potential in us all for transformation, healing, and growth. On this day when a man whom I have been told is a dear friend of Jampa Pawo is scheduled for execution at 7pm, my heart goes out to both men – and to all who have been touched by their transformations.
    Also, I believe that Jampa’s execution date has been pushed forward to April 12th – I may be incorrect in this deduction, but at present that is the only date of an execution scheduled in Georgia in April.
    Thank you for sharing this letter and story with us – may it be seen by many more people. I will be sharing it widely.

    • Kenneth Fults is the person who is scheduled for execution on April 12th. I do not know this man but you can write to him at:

      GD & CP
      PO Box 3877
      Jackson, GA 30233

      Have him in your prayers.

  10. Powerful story, but having worked with Indigenous peoples for 25 years, the most incarcerated peoples in the world, they have told me what motivated them to kill or abuse others and themselves, and then trying to heal and offer their experience to others.. I hear and am totally moved by your healing process, and your dying process, but I think the offering you can make is letting people know what motivates people to anger, killing, and then to turn that whole intention around an dedicate your learning to others.
    Thank you so much. We are all dying with you.
    Trudy

  11. Is there any campaign to have his execution appealed or at least a plea for clemency?

    • Please know that Jampa has an excellent team of lawyers who have followed every avenue of appeal. They will continue to do all that they can up until the last. We do not expect clemency or a stay. (But I am always available to be surprised.) It is tricky to be beyond hope and fear in a situation like this especially. All of us working with Jampa and Jampa himself do our very best,and then we have to let it go.

  12. Dear Jampa Pawo, never have I been more grateful for the teachings existing here on this earth, seeing how they could be applied and practiced in this most difficult and yet most ideal of situations. We are all on death row in a way and we are all in prison in some way — but for the three jewels to flower and shine in the midst of darkness and aggression in this way is truly inspiring. Sending you our love and aspiration for a gentle and radiant journey.

  13. Thanks to all of ouyou who have written and to those of you who have not and are just feeling this. If you would like to write to Jampa Pawo, please email me and I will give you his name and address.
    [email protected]

    • It is with a heart full of compassion that I will exchange happiness for suffering

  14. May your wish be granted Norma. May you be there for Jampa Pawo in his last moments. May the dharma be your wings. Thank you for sharing with us and offering the light of compassion in a moment of extreme darkness.

  15. Let me add this: I sent Jampa this photo and he loved it and put it on his wall near his shrine. One day when I was visiting him, he told me that he was returning the photo. I knew that he really like it so I asked him why. He told me that when it rains, the water comes down over the walls and forms pools on the ceiling. It drips on all of his belongings making everything wet.Jampa never complains and this was the first I heard particulars about the conditions in the prison. We talked about the prison as a karmic entity. I asked him to please write about it.