Episode 110: Dharma in Hell
In this episode Elizabeth speaks with Fleet Maull, prison activist, Buddhist practitioner, and author of “Dharma in Hell” and “Radical Responsibility.” He has a fascinating story to tell about his 14 years of Buddhist practice in prison; starting the first prison hospice program; and the practice of bearing witness.
One of the strong messages Elizabeth got from this conversation with Fleet, was the need to take ownership of one’s life circumstances. Fleet uses the term “radical responsibility” to describe this, and talks about how agency comes from accepting our own karma. Fleet’s example shows us that it is possible to find agency even in an environment like prison, which, by all conventional definitions, is the antithesis of freedom.