Unlocking Your Potential-How to Get Out of Your Own Way

This booklet is a joint effort of Venerable Thubten Chodron, a Buddhist teacher and the founder and abbess of Sravasti- ti Abbey, a monastery in Washington State, and Mr. Calvin Malone, a civil detainee at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island in Washington State. Chodron and Calvin have been corresponding for many years, and Chodron has taught Dharma to the Buddhist groups in prisons where Calvin was residing. Chodron shared some of the discussion and meditation questions she used with Buddhist groups, and Calvin had the idea of incorporating them into a booklet, together with other material. This booklet could then be used by inmates to help bring more awareness to their mental states and behavior, and encourage mental and emotional transformation that would bring them and those around them more happiness and peace in their lives. Since all of us are imprisoned by our ignorance, anger, and craving, all of us?no matter which side of the razor-wire fence we?re on?could benefit from learning about and improving our perspective on life.