Ep.21 Shadow Sides of Working in Prisons with Lama Justin von Bujdoss

In this episode, Lama Justin von Bujdoss talks with Vita Pires about his experiences working as a chaplain for the New York City Department of Corrections. 

• Shadow sides of working in prisons
• Limitations of mindfulness work for highly traumatized populations (the incarcerated and correctional staff)
• How to do this work in a culturally sensitive and authentic manner

JUSTIN VON BUJDOSS Lama Justin von Bujdoss is an American vajrayana Buddhist teacher, writer, and the is a co-founder of Bhumisparsha an experimental Buddhist sangha along with Lama Rod Owens. He is the author of Modern Tantric Buddhism: Authenticity and Embodiment in Dharma Practice published by North Atlantic Books, and a contributor to Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections published by Lexington Books. From 2016 until December 2021 Justin served as the Executive Director of Chaplaincy and Staff Wellness for the NYC Department of Correction where he also served as Head Chaplain supervising over 30 chaplains and guiding wellness programming for staff. Justin was ordained as a repa, a lay tantric yogin in the tradition of Milarepa, by His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche, and has presented on Buddhist practice at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, University of Chicago, Wellesley, Columbia University, and has been a visiting instructor at Union Theological Seminary.

To Learn More About the Prison Mindfulness Institute, please visit www.prisonmindfulness.org