Waking Up in Prison

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January 26, 2016

Fleet Maull is an acharya—or senior mindfulness meditation teacher—in the Shambhala International Meditation Community. In 1989, Fleet founded the Prison Dharma Network—now called The Prison Mindfulness Institute—while serving a federal prison sentence. He is the author of the book Dharma in Hell: The Prison Writings of Fleet Maull and has founded several prisoner advocacy organizations. In this fascinating edition of Insights at the Edge, Fleet and Tami Simon discuss practices for dealing with regret and what it means to truly devote ourselves to the service of others. They also speak on Buddhist views of basic human goodness and how they helped Fleet to come to terms with his prison experience. Finally, Fleet talks about his vision for the reform of the American criminal justice system and the slow growth toward a more enlightened society. (72 minutes)

Fleet Maull, PhD, CMT-P, is an author, consultant, trainer, meditation teacher, and executive coach who facilitates deep transformation for individuals and organizations through his philosophy and program of Radical Responsibility®. He is a tireless and dedicated servant leader working for positive social transformation.
 
Fleet Maull is a senior mindfulness meditation teacher in two highly respected traditions with ancient roots and international scope. He is an acharya (senior Dharma teacher) in the Shambhala International meditation community, a global movement with over 200 retreat and meditation centers worldwide. He was a senior student of its founder Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
 
He is also a Roshi (Zen master) and dharma successor of Roshi Bernie Glassman in the Zen Peacemakers community, an international movement integrating Zen with social action and peacemaking throughout the world, with deep lineage roots in the Soto and Rinzai Zen lineages of Japan.

Acharya Maull has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1972 and teaching meditation since 1981. He leads programs and retreats for newcomers and advanced students around the world.
 
Dr. Maull has developed cutting-edge, mindfulness-based leadership training, consulting, and coaching programs, which he delivers in diverse business, nonprofit, and government settings. This includes his pioneering work in mindfulness-based emotional intelligence (MBEI) training programs for prisoners and mindfulness-based wellness and resiliency (MBWR)® programs for corrections and law enforcement professionals.
 
He is an International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) certified professional teacher. He is a holder of the Way of Council as well as a certified trainer with New Line Consulting, The Prison Mindfulness Institute, the Center for Mindfulness in Public Safety, and The Event Training. Learn more at fleetmaull.com.

Author photo © Robert Mann

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Founded Sounds True in 1985 as a multimedia publishing house with a mission to disseminate spiritual wisdom. She hosts a popular weekly podcast called Insights at the Edge, where she has interviewed many of today's leading teachers. Tami lives with her wife, Julie M. Kramer, and their two spoodles, Rasberry and Bula, in Boulder, Colorado.

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Also By Author

Fleet Maull: Radical Responsibility

Fleet Maull is an author, consultant, and executive coach who founded Prison Dharma Network and the National Prison Hospice Association while serving 14 years in federal prison. In the 20 years since his release, Fleet has taught the expansive philosophy he discovered while incarcerated as a meditation teacher, end-of-life educator, and the creator of the Radical Responsibility training program. With Sounds True, he has released the book Radical Responsibility and accompanying audio program Living with Radical Responsibility. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami talks with Fleet about the roots of Radical Responsibility and how its philosophy came to define his life. Fleet explains what it means to leave behind your “victim story” even while honoring the fact that your boundaries were violated. Tami and Fleet discuss Karpman’s model of “the drama triangle,” which is essential to the tenets of Radical Responsibility. Finally, they speak on the neurobiology behind the Radical Responsibility model, as well as the paramount importance of recognizing the innate goodness of other people. (71 minutes)

Waking Up in Prison

Fleet Maull is an acharya—or senior mindfulness meditation teacher—in the Shambhala International Meditation Community. In 1989, Fleet founded the Prison Dharma Network—now called The Prison Mindfulness Institute—while serving a federal prison sentence. He is the author of the book Dharma in Hell: The Prison Writings of Fleet Maull and has founded several prisoner advocacy organizations. In this fascinating edition of Insights at the Edge, Fleet and Tami Simon discuss practices for dealing with regret and what it means to truly devote ourselves to the service of others. They also speak on Buddhist views of basic human goodness and how they helped Fleet to come to terms with his prison experience. Finally, Fleet talks about his vision for the reform of the American criminal justice system and the slow growth toward a more enlightened society. (72 minutes)

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