Calvin Malone is nearing the end of a 20-year prison sentence. He’s also a practicing Buddhist. Oddly enough, it was in prison that Malone learned about Buddhism, and it’s the one thing that’s kept him going. Some of the stories he tells in Razor-Wire Dharma are hilarious, some are harrowing, but all express Buddhist wisdom as vividly as any practitioner could hope to do. This is true Buddhism: Malone is living it, and in the unlikeliest of places. For him, the choice between staying true to his principles of altruism, compassion, and nonharming — or just choosing to cast a blind eye — often requires that he quite literally jeopardize life, limb, and the few small comforts available to him to try to do what's right. If he can do it in jail, he can do it anywhere. And as his book in all its gritty beauty makes clear, so can we.

Calvin Malone was born in Munich, Germany, in 1951 to a German mother and an American father. At the age of seven he and his family moved to Monterey, California, and Calvin entered the second grade, speaking only German. Within a year he was fluent in English. Calvin attended Walla Walla Community College and studied European History. He also traveled extensively throughout Europe. Calvin began practicing Buddhism soon after he entered prison and started writing about his prison experiences shortly thereafter. He has published numerous articles in Buddhist magazines and newsletters. He was instrumental in developing a post-prison transitional program and makes malas (prayer beads) for Buddhist prisoners around the country. He is currently working on a Buddhist novel. Calvin was incarcerated in 1992 with a 20-year sentence for aggravated assault. He is scheduled for early release from prison in October 2009.

	Contents: Razor-Wire Dharma: A Buddhist Life in Prison
	Forword	ix
	Editor's Preface	xi
	Acknowledgments	xvii
	Introduction	1
	Entering the Way	9
	The Abyss	29
	Eyeball	43
	Banana	47
	Fory-Nine	55
	Bulldog and Christmas	65
	A Little Closer to Home	71
	Essential Oil	79
	Anger	85
	Getting Involved	91
	Derrick	95
	Soup	103
	Munny	109
	The Reluctant Zen Master	119
	Tying Flies	131
	Apple	135
	Hacksaw	139
	Shawn	147
	Artichoke Heart	159
	Metta	165
	Freedom	169
	A Close Encounter	171
	Letting Go	173
	Happy Holidays	177
	Miracles	179
	Liberating Our Gardens	181
	Postscripts	185
	Author's Note	189
	Appendixes
I.	The Four Noble Truths	193
II.	Meditation	199
III.	Recommended Reading	215
IV.	Resource Guide	219
	About the Author	144