The Engaged Buddhist Alliance

The Engaged Buddhist Alliance EBA provides college level classes on Buddhism to the incarcerated in So California prisons. We also offer Buddhist teachings and mindfulness meditation.

The Engaged Buddhist Alliance (EBA) provides college level classes on Buddhism to incarcerated individuals in So Calif state prisons. We employ a contemplative pedagogy that includes critical as well as experiential learning. The EBA serves as a hub to coordinate the efforts of member organizations working in California prisons and jails. Through the Buddhist understanding of interdependence, we s

ee the over 2.4 million people incarcerated in the U.S. today as a manifestation of collective suffering and injustice. Based on this awareness we feel compelled to act out of compassion. According to a study published in 2013 by the Rand Corporation, incarcerated individuals who engage in education programs lower their odds of recidivism by 43%. The study also showed that for every dollar spent on prison education, five dollars were saved in future incarceration costs. Berkeley professor emeritus and renowned Buddhist scholar, Dr. Lewis Lancaster, proposed in the Spring of 2013 that graduate students at the University of the West (A University in Los Angeles) begin teaching college-level classes in southern Californian state prisons. A number of religious studies and divinity students responded to his invitation. Another motivating factor for the students was reading Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow, as part of a divinity class at UWest which looked at the causes and conditions of mass incarceration. Classes started at Calipatria and Chuckawalla state prisons in the summer of 2013.

At Lancaster (9am-2pm) Seven gentlemen from C yard came to celebrate Vesak with me from 9am to noon. We meditated for al...
06/09/2026

At Lancaster (9am-2pm) Seven gentlemen from C yard came to celebrate Vesak with me from 9am to noon.
We meditated for almost an hour cultivating stillness and compassion.
Topic of discussion: Ritual of Bathing the baby Buddha.
Lunch was provided: baked potatoes, powdered cheese, steamed broccoli, beans, chopped onions, shredded cabbage, cool aid, and smashed nectarines.
In A yard, four gentlemen meditated with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta.
Topic: Anger as second emotion!
By De H. 🙏

At CIW (5:30pm-7:30pm) Thirteen ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta. Topic of di...
06/09/2026

At CIW (5:30pm-7:30pm) Thirteen ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta.
Topic of discussion: Chapter 9 of the Lost Connections.
One lady told me last week that she’s been waiting since 2024 to be admitted to my group. She’s number 194! I don’t know how long the waiting list is!
By De H. 🙏

At CIW (1pm-3pm) Five ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta. Magazines donated by ...
06/08/2026

At CIW (1pm-3pm) Five ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta.
Magazines donated by Anne!
By De H. 🙏

CofC (Cloud of Compassion) Sangha: Catching up and meditating in our safe circle this morning 🙏
06/07/2026

CofC (Cloud of Compassion) Sangha: Catching up and meditating in our safe circle this morning 🙏

May 23, 2026 morning: I drove to Chowchilla to visit the sangha in Valley State Prison on Sunday May 24, 2026. I made my...
06/06/2026

May 23, 2026 morning: I drove to Chowchilla to visit the sangha in Valley State Prison on Sunday May 24, 2026. I made my second bathroom break at Costco in Madera.
As I passed a stand where this lady handed out free food (corn chips), she stopped and asked: “Do you work in the prison?”
I was caught off guard and thought to myself, “How the heck does she know?” I replied: “I volunteer in the prisons.”
She said: “I was at CIW and joined your group. You made me meditate and wrote me a support letter.”
Then I realized that she was in the evening group, though I didn’t recognize her. I asked her about her job. She said she was very happy working for a vendor at Costco. She agreed to post for a picture.
I checked my files and I did write her a support letter back in July 2024. I had tears in my eyes as I left Costco and felt grateful that she was doing well. What’s the chance of meeting someone in rural America that I used to serve?
People who change deserve help, dignity, and a second chance. That’s the reason I never turn anyone away when they come to see me 🙏

At Lancaster (9am-2pm) Nine gentlemen from B yard came to celebration vest for me from 9am-noon. We meditated for 50 min...
06/02/2026

At Lancaster (9am-2pm) Nine gentlemen from B yard came to celebration vest for me from 9am-noon. We meditated for 50 minutes or so and broke for lunch (baked potatoes and shredded cheese (all gone), baby carrots, steamed carrots and shredded cabbage (nobody touched them), yogurt and cool aid (all gone).
I bought six roses ($16.99) and a loaf of bread: the Buddha ate them all 😂
Three gentlemen from A yard came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta.
Topic of discussion: Freedom from Justice by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

At CIW (5:30pm-7:30pm) Thirteen ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta. Topic of di...
06/02/2026

At CIW (5:30pm-7:30pm) Thirteen ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta.
Topic of discussion: Lost Connections: Chapter 8.
By De H. 🙏

At CIW (1pm-3pm) Seven ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta. Topic of discussion:...
06/01/2026

At CIW (1pm-3pm) Seven ladies came to meditate with me for an hour cultivating stillness and metta.
Topic of discussion: Investing time and mental energy in the conscious mind!
By De H. 🙏

A thank-you card from the ladies at CIW for Vesak 🙏
05/31/2026

A thank-you card from the ladies at CIW for Vesak 🙏

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Rosemead, CA
91770

Telephone

(877) 990-7455

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