The first volume of The Sangha Connection is now available for download (PDF). This edition explores the theme of Patience.

The volunteer Buddhist chaplains at Correctional Training Facility and Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, have started a newsletter, The Sangha Connection, for the sangha (community) that includes both the inside sanghas of inmates and the outside sanghas of people who are interested in and supportive of Buddhist meditation programs in the prisons. We hope that this newsletter will help us be more aware of our connection to each other and help us support each other in our practice.

Vipassana Santa Cruz Sangha members are invited to create and submit essays, stories, poems, drawings, cartoons, or other short pieces for publication in this newsletter. The suggested topic for the next newsletter is Forgiveness, but other topics related to Buddhist practice or meditation may also be addressed.

We regret that we may not be able to publish all written pieces or artwork submitted, due to space limitations.

Guidelines:

• We request that written pieces be no longer than a maximum of 500 words.
• Written pieces may be edited or made shorter before they are printed.
• Writing style is not as important as thoughtfulness and honesty.
• Please sign your writing or artwork with your first name or a nickname (real or fictional) only, or indicate that you want your submission to be anonymous (no name used).
• If you do not have access to a typewriter or computer, please print clearly.
• Writings or artworks cannot be returned to their authors or creators.

Submit your writing or artwork by any of these ways:

email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Give it to one of the prison mentors at the Thursday Night Sitting Mail it to the following address:

Newsletter
P.O. Box 868
Capitola, CA 95010