History and Background
The seeds of Triple Gem prisondhamma were planted in 1998 when Ven. Bhante Wimala undertook a project with the Prison Welfare Committee at the Walikada Prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The project was to build and equip a medical infant care center for the women and children in the prison. During sacred pilgrimages to Sri Lanka in 1999 and 2001, Bhante took his students to visit Walikada Prison to visit the prisoners and see the completion of this project. This prison experience was deeply felt by many students; it resulted in what would become the first humanitarian project in the United States by Triple Gem Society.
In 1999, Upasaka Sivali; a devoted and diligent student of Bhante Wimala began to visit Buddhist inmates in Mahanoy state prison in Pennsylvania. Bhante Wimala was subsequently invited by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and became the first monk to ever enter a state prison in Pennsylvania. A year later, Triple Gem Society undertook the formation of the Triple Gem Prison Ministries and invited Upasaka Sivali to be volunteer director of the program.
Triple Gem Prison Ministries (TGPM) provides monthly and weekly Buddhist service for inmates. Service consists of taking Refuge in the Triple Gem and chanting the Five Precepts in Pali. A Dhamma talk is given to the inmates, along with instructions on calming the mind and body, yoga, relaxation exercises, and various meditation techniques. TGPM also provides spiritual counseling, books,literature, audio cassettes and videos to the prison chaplains or the individual inmates upon request. Wherever possible, TGPM also donates Buddha statues, meditation cushions, Buddha flags, posters, Buddha medallions, and malas for inmates. These donations are made possible by the support and generous dana of benefactors.
John Mulligan (Upasaka Sivali)
Spiritual Director
Venerable Bhante Wimala
