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The Buddhist on Death Row

The Buddhist on Death Row

Finding Light in the Darkest Place

by David Sheff
Hardback
Publication Date: 07/08/2018

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The true story of the death row inmate who became a world-renowned Buddhist teacher, and what his journey can teach us about freedom, love, and forgiveness

Jarvis Jay Masters arrived in San Quentin at age nineteen, convicted of armed robbery. After five violent years there, he was charged with murdering a guard and sentenced to death--a verdict he still contests today.

His journey to enlightenment began in the darkest place: death row. Sleepless, anxious, and angry, Masters at first sneered at the idea of meditation. But in desperation, he started to practice.

David Sheff traces that path to enlightenment in a series of revelatory scenes. We see how Masters found internal calm and comfort, how he came to treasure the smallest pleasures, how he set aside his anger, and how he forgave his abusive father.

Masters practices radical pacifism in one of the most violent places imaginable, quelling conflicts among prisoners, even saving lives. Renowned Buddhist nun Pema Chodron has come to see him as one of her most important teachers.

Having faced down extreme versions of trials we all face, Masters gained hard-won insights that illuminate our own and others' pain in powerful new ways. His journey elucidates core principles that can enhance our own lives, and reveals how to find peace and joy in a world beset with suffering.
ISBN:
9780544931220
9780544931220
Category:
Buddhism
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
07-08-2018
Language:
English
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Country of origin:
United States
Dimensions (mm):
228.6x152.4mm
Weight:
0.45kg
David Sheff

David Sheff's work has appeared in the New York Times, Outside, Rolling Stone, Wired, Fortuneand elsewhere.

His piece for the New York Times Magazine, "My Addicted Son", received an award from the American Psychological Association for "Outstanding Contribution to Advancing the Understanding of Addiction".

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