The Buddhist on Death Row
How One Man Found Light in the Darkest Place
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $14.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Michael Boatman
-
By:
-
David Sheff
About this listen
The number one New York Times best-selling author of Beautiful Boy explores the transformation of Jarvis Jay Masters, who became one of America’s most respected Buddhist practitioners during his two decades in solitary confinement in San Quentin.
Jarvis Jay Masters’ early life was a horror story whose outline we know too well. Born in Long Beach, California, his house was filled with crack, alcohol, physical abuse, and men who paid his mother for sex. He and his siblings were split up and sent to foster care when he was six, causing him to progress quickly to juvenile detention, car theft, armed robbery, and ultimately San Quentin. While in prison, he was set up for the murder of a prison guard, a crime that landed him on death row, where he’s been since 1986.
At the time of his murder trial, he was also in solitary confinement and spent 22 years in a five-foot-by-11-foot cell. This is where The Buddhist on Death Row takes off. With uncanny clarity, David Sheff describes Masters’ path to enlightenment - from being sullen and violent to discovering how easy and how hard it is to just sit and breathe, how those minutes spawn heightened perception and deepened compassion, the right way to remember one’s pain, and much more. Sheff does a brilliant job of portraying Masters’ gradual but profound transformation from a man who was once dedicated to hurting others to instead stopping brawls in the prison yard, talking prisoners out of suicide, and counseling high school kids by mail.
Along the way, Masters becomes drawn to the principles that Buddhism espouses - compassion, sacrifice, and living in the moment - and he gains the attention of prominent Buddhist practitioners, including Pema Chodron, the most popular Buddhist cleric after the Dalai Lama. And while he is still in San Quentin and still on death row, he is a renowned Buddhist thinker who shows us how to ease our everyday suffering, relish the light that surrounds us, and endure the tragedies that befall us all.
©2020 David Sheff (P)2020 Simon & Schuster AudioRelated to this topic
-
Finding Freedom
- How Death Row Broke and Opened My Heart
- By: Jarvis Jay Masters
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are many forms of liberation - some that exist at the mercy of circumstance and others that can never be taken away. In this collection of stories, essays, poems, and letters from death-row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters, he explores the meaning of true freedom on his road to inner peace through Buddhist practice. He reveals the life of a young man surrounded by violence, his entanglement in the criminal justice system, and - following an encounter with Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche - an unfolding commitment to nonviolence and peacemaking.
-
-
Am I alone
- By Family on 07-26-20
-
Walking Each Other Home
- Conversations on Loving and Dying
- By: Mirabai Bush, Ram Dass
- Narrated by: Ram Dass, Mirabai Bush
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all sit on the edge of a mystery. We have only known this life, so dying scares us - and we are all dying. But what if dying were perfectly safe? What if you could approach dying with curiosity and love? What if dying were the ultimate spiritual practice? Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying reunites lifelong friends Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush, who speak on the spiritual opportunities in the dying process. They share intimate personal experiences and timeless practices for every aspect of this journey.
-
-
Wow - the love comes through
- By Dan Lentine on 09-13-18
By: Mirabai Bush, and others
-
A Fierce Heart
- Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment
- By: Spring Washam
- Narrated by: Spring Washam
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spring Washam is a founder of the East Bay Meditation Center, the most diverse and accessible meditation center in the United States. In A Fierce Heart, she shares her contemporary, unique interpretation of the Buddha's 2,500-year-old teachings that get to the heart of mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion. Woven throughout the book are stories from her life, family, and community, along with soulful and unexpected stories of compassion in action from all over the world.
-
-
inspirational
- By Aaron M. Fabun on 01-31-21
By: Spring Washam
-
The Novice Unabridged
- A Story of True Love
- By: Thích Nhất Hạnh
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born to an aristocratic family in rural Vietnam, Kinh Tam’s uncommon beauty and intelligence were obvious to all she encountered. From an early age she was drawn to the teachings of Buddha and the rewards of a monastic life, but to please her family she agreed to walk the traditional path of marriage. Throughout her marriage, Kinh Tam’s mind was devoted to her husband but her heart never waivered from her true calling.
-
-
Lost in translation?
- By Jan on 07-02-12
By: Thích Nhất Hạnh
-
A Knock at Midnight
- A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom
- By: Brittany K. Barnett
- Narrated by: Karen Chilton
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brittany K. Barnett was only a law student when she came across the case that would change her life forever - that of Sharanda Jones, single mother, business owner, and, like Brittany, Black daughter of the rural South. A victim of America’s devastating war on drugs, Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole - for a first-time drug offense.
-
-
Riveting Listen, Inspiring, Change Your Mind
- By elena on 11-18-20
-
When I Lay My Isaac Down
- Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances
- By: Carol Kent
- Narrated by: Carol Kent
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sometimes we make sacrifices to help us get ahead, to allow us more time with family, or because we believe in the cause. And then there are sacrifices in which we have no say, "Isaac experiences" as in Genesis 22, thrust upon us without warning or survival instructions.
-
-
AWEFUL
- By Sonny on 10-31-05
By: Carol Kent
-
Finding Freedom
- How Death Row Broke and Opened My Heart
- By: Jarvis Jay Masters
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are many forms of liberation - some that exist at the mercy of circumstance and others that can never be taken away. In this collection of stories, essays, poems, and letters from death-row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters, he explores the meaning of true freedom on his road to inner peace through Buddhist practice. He reveals the life of a young man surrounded by violence, his entanglement in the criminal justice system, and - following an encounter with Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche - an unfolding commitment to nonviolence and peacemaking.
-
-
Am I alone
- By Family on 07-26-20
-
Walking Each Other Home
- Conversations on Loving and Dying
- By: Mirabai Bush, Ram Dass
- Narrated by: Ram Dass, Mirabai Bush
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all sit on the edge of a mystery. We have only known this life, so dying scares us - and we are all dying. But what if dying were perfectly safe? What if you could approach dying with curiosity and love? What if dying were the ultimate spiritual practice? Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying reunites lifelong friends Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush, who speak on the spiritual opportunities in the dying process. They share intimate personal experiences and timeless practices for every aspect of this journey.
-
-
Wow - the love comes through
- By Dan Lentine on 09-13-18
By: Mirabai Bush, and others
-
A Fierce Heart
- Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment
- By: Spring Washam
- Narrated by: Spring Washam
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spring Washam is a founder of the East Bay Meditation Center, the most diverse and accessible meditation center in the United States. In A Fierce Heart, she shares her contemporary, unique interpretation of the Buddha's 2,500-year-old teachings that get to the heart of mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion. Woven throughout the book are stories from her life, family, and community, along with soulful and unexpected stories of compassion in action from all over the world.
-
-
inspirational
- By Aaron M. Fabun on 01-31-21
By: Spring Washam
-
The Novice Unabridged
- A Story of True Love
- By: Thích Nhất Hạnh
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 2 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born to an aristocratic family in rural Vietnam, Kinh Tam’s uncommon beauty and intelligence were obvious to all she encountered. From an early age she was drawn to the teachings of Buddha and the rewards of a monastic life, but to please her family she agreed to walk the traditional path of marriage. Throughout her marriage, Kinh Tam’s mind was devoted to her husband but her heart never waivered from her true calling.
-
-
Lost in translation?
- By Jan on 07-02-12
By: Thích Nhất Hạnh
-
A Knock at Midnight
- A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom
- By: Brittany K. Barnett
- Narrated by: Karen Chilton
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brittany K. Barnett was only a law student when she came across the case that would change her life forever - that of Sharanda Jones, single mother, business owner, and, like Brittany, Black daughter of the rural South. A victim of America’s devastating war on drugs, Sharanda had been torn away from her young daughter and was serving a life sentence without parole - for a first-time drug offense.
-
-
Riveting Listen, Inspiring, Change Your Mind
- By elena on 11-18-20
-
When I Lay My Isaac Down
- Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances
- By: Carol Kent
- Narrated by: Carol Kent
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sometimes we make sacrifices to help us get ahead, to allow us more time with family, or because we believe in the cause. And then there are sacrifices in which we have no say, "Isaac experiences" as in Genesis 22, thrust upon us without warning or survival instructions.
-
-
AWEFUL
- By Sonny on 10-31-05
By: Carol Kent
-
The Wise Heart
- A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology
- By: Jack Kornfield
- Narrated by: Jack Kornfield
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You have within you an unlimited capacity for extraordinary love, for joy, for communion with life, and for unshakable freedom - and here is how to awaken it. In The Wise Heart, celebrated author and psychologist Jack Kornfield offers an accessible, comprehensive, and illuminating guide to the universal teachings of Buddhist psychology. He shows you how to use powerful Buddhist insights and practices to go beyond the trap of "self-improvement".
-
-
Awesome!
- By Nik LaCroix on 05-01-15
By: Jack Kornfield
-
Getting Life
- An Innocent Man’s 25-Year Journey from Prison to Peace
- By: Michael Morton
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On August 13, 1986, just one day after his 32nd birthday, Michael Morton went to work at his usual time. By the end of the day, his wife Christine had been savagely bludgeoned to death in the couple's bed - and the Williamson County Sherriff's office in Texas wasted no time in pinning her murder on Michael, despite an absolute lack of physical evidence. Michael was swiftly sentenced to life in prison for a crime he had not committed
-
-
A must read
- By Kevlar314 on 04-23-15
By: Michael Morton
-
When They Call You a Terrorist
- A Black Lives Matter Memoir
- By: Patrisse Cullors, asha bandele, Angela Davis - foreword
- Narrated by: Angela Davis - foreword, Angela Davis, Patrisse Cullors
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When They Call You a Terrorist is the essential audiobook for every conscientious American. From one of the cofounders of the Black Lives Matter movement comes a poetic audiobook memoir and reflection on humanity. Necessary and timely, Patrisse Cullors' story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love.
-
-
Everyone should listen!
- By Mary J. Bunker on 01-26-18
By: Patrisse Cullors, and others
-
Love Hurts
- Buddhist Advice for the Heartbroken
- By: Lodro Rinzler
- Narrated by: Lodro Rinzler
- Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Buddhism has a lot to say about suffering - and there are likely few times we suffer more intensely than when we break up with a romantic partner. It feels like you may never recover sometimes. But Lodro Rinzler has wonderfully good news for those suffering heartbreak: The 2,500-year-old teachings of the Buddha are the ultimate antidote for emotional pain. And you don't need to be a Buddhist for them to apply to you.
-
-
I agree...
- By Amazon Customer on 03-20-20
By: Lodro Rinzler
-
More Beautiful Than Before
- How Suffering Transforms Us
- By: Steve Leder
- Narrated by: Steve Leder
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every one of us sooner or later walks through hell. The hell of being hurt, the hell of hurting another. The hell of cancer, the hell of a reluctant, thunking shovel full of earth upon the casket of someone we deeply loved, the hell of betrayal, the hell of betraying, the hell of divorce, the hell of a kid in trouble...the hell of knowing that this year, like any year, may be our last. We all walk through hell. The point is not to come out empty-handed.... There is real and profound power in the suffering we endure if we transform that suffering into a more authentic, meaningful life.
-
-
Learning from Pain
- By Dave on 02-20-19
By: Steve Leder
-
Marrow
- A Love Story
- By: Elizabeth Lesser
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Lesser, Sally Field
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mesmerizing and courageous memoir: the story of two sisters uncovering the depth of their love through the life-and-death experience of a bone marrow transplant. Throughout her life Elizabeth Lesser has sought understanding about what it means to be true to yourself and, at the same time, truly connected to the ones you love. But when her sister, Maggie, needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life, and Lesser learns that she is the perfect match, she faces a far more immediate and complex question about what it really means to love.
-
-
“ Love came first “
- By marie on 03-26-18
By: Elizabeth Lesser
-
Out of My Mind
- By: Alan Arkin
- Narrated by: Alan Arkin
- Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this Audible Original “mini-memoir”, the Academy Award-winning star of Little Miss Sunshine and Argo looks back on his life as a series of philosophical turning points, learning experiences, and a-ha moments. Drawn from a collection of seemingly inexplicable stories and encounters from Arkin's 84 years on this planet, Out of My Mind is a candid, relatable and delightfully irreverent take on how one man went searching for meaning and ended up discovering himself.
-
-
Amazing journey into Alan's self!
- By Amazon Customer on 12-09-18
By: Alan Arkin
-
Can't Forgive
- My 20-Year Battle with O.J. Simpson
- By: Kim Goldman
- Narrated by: Kim Goldman
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Kim Goldman was just 22, her older brother, Ron, was brutally killed by O. J. Simpson. Ron and Kim were very close, and her devastation was compounded by the shocking not guilty verdict that allowed a smirking Simpson to leave as a free man.
-
-
Selfish
- By B. A. C. on 04-08-16
By: Kim Goldman
-
How Can I Help?
- Stories and Reflections on Service
- By: Paul Gorman, Ram Dass
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Not a day goes by without our being called upon to help one another - at home, at work, on the street, on the phone. We do what we can. Yet so many questions come up to complicate this natural response. In this practical helper's companion, the authors explore a path through these confusions and provide support and inspiration for us in our efforts as members of the helping professions, as volunteers, as community activists, or simply as friends and family trying to meet each other's needs.
-
-
Bravo!
- By Jennylynn on 09-01-24
By: Paul Gorman, and others
-
God's Hostage
- A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance
- By: Andrew Brunson, Craig Borlase - contributor
- Narrated by: Andrew Brunson
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to travel to Turkey, the largest unevangelized country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though hesitant because of the daunting and dangerous task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, believed this was God's plan for them. What followed was a string of threats and attacks, but also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk.
-
-
The raw honesty
- By Osborne’s on 07-04-24
By: Andrew Brunson, and others
-
Without a Prayer
- The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult
- By: Susan Ashline
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Teenager Lucas Leonard made shocking admissions in front of the altar - he'd practiced witchcraft, conspired to murder his parents, and committed unspeakable crimes. The confessions earned him a brutal beating by a gang of angry church members, including his parents and sister. Lucas was brought to the hospital dead, awakening the sleepy community of Chadwicks, New York, to the horror that had been lurking next door. Nine members of Lucas' church would eventually find themselves facing murder-related charges. But how did they get to that point? And what made Lucas confess?
-
-
The Depravity of the Human Soul
- By J. Miller on 01-31-20
By: Susan Ashline
-
One Blade of Grass
- Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir
- By: Henry Shukman
- Narrated by: Henry Shukman
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of how a meditation practice gave Henry Shukman a context for integrating a sudden spiritual awakening into his life and how his depression and anxiety were gradually healed through this practice. In sharing how he grew into a Zen teacher, Shukman demystifies Zen training, casting its profound insights in simple, lucid language. Along the way, One Blade of Grass guides listeners on a journey of their own, into the hidden treasures that contemplative practice can reveal to any of us.
-
-
Boring
- By Elvis on 09-10-20
By: Henry Shukman
What listeners say about The Buddhist on Death Row
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TheNovelloGroup
- 09-28-20
Beautiful
Wonderful journey we all experience. A must read for all humans interested in freedom in all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Krista K Bleich
- 03-05-21
This story is something everyone should hear.
Amazing. Has changed my thinking of my own life and how I see myself in it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AmaMom
- 09-01-23
Raw, hopeful, and heartbreaking
I hope that this book is read by more and more people, not just to advocate for the freedoms and justice of Jarvis Jay Masters, but also to model the patience, humility, and kindness we all need more of. Grateful for the authors commitment and appreciation of this special man and his journey. The audio performer was exceptional and this book was easy to get lost in.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- denise bright
- 12-30-23
The Budhist teachings
I loved the transformation of the protagonist, but I wanted him to be released from prison in the end .
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert H
- 02-26-21
Chronic Illness Patient, This Gave Me So Much Hope
title says it all... do grateful I came across this 🙏 highly recommend to anyone going through or living in hell
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pia Desir
- 01-26-22
Blown away
This book was recommended to me by a client, and I’m so happy I listened! This is a truly inspiring story. I couldn’t recommend this book enough!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laly Bug
- 11-07-24
In awe
Jarvis’s story is another example of modern day injustices, but it’s such a beautiful way of showing perseverance and growth despite his physical limitations.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pamela Robinson
- 09-06-20
Best book I've listened to in years!
The story made me laugh and cry, feel joy and sorrow. what a beautiful experience!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A. A.
- 06-05-22
Why is this innocent man still incarcerated?
Excellent book! SO many lessons here. The PIC is just one of America's many shames.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brooke Beazley
- 12-01-22
Captivating
This book was thoroughly researched and the story was told with beautiful detail and great heart. I will listen a second time. It was that good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!