Ex-Con Blossoms With Buddhist Enlightenment

June 4, 2009

Author: Matthew Danelo

Source: The Buddhist Channel/Beaumont Enterprise

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=61,8246,0,0,1,0

"The lotus, it symbolizes how people can grow through Buddhism," Harlan, 55, said Monday while resting on a bench in one of the lush gardens at the Buu Mon Buddhist Temple in Port Arthur.

A former criminal, Harlan said he once embraced hatred and violence. Now he spends much of his time trying to exemplify the peace and grace of a lotus blossom.

The plant, which roots itself in mud and grows in about three feet of water, is an important symbol in Buddhist culture - a culture that will be celebrated this weekend at the 11th Annual Lotus and Bamboo Festival at the temple.

"(The lotus) symbolizes the move to enlightenment and spiritual growth," Danny Dubuisson, community relations director for the temple, said Monday.

According to Dubuisson, the lotus' rooting in mud symbolizes human depravity. Its stem grows through purifying waters, paralleling the cleansing effect of Buddhist teachings, and blossoms in the shining sun of enlightenment.

Harlan's tattoos, which cover the majority of his body, tell a similar story. The artwork depicts a man who once thrived on hate and vengeance, but has now found peace.

Physical reminders of Harlan's past are permanent; his Louisiana penitentiary number is inked on one wrist and a swastika the size of a poker chip peeks out just above his left knee. Harlan claims to now be the spiritual opposite of his former self.

"I stopped harboring ill will to all living creatures," he said of his transformation.

Now he goes by his Buddhist name of "Sapurissa," and is an active member of the Buu Mon Temple, where he finds peace in cultivating the temples' gardens.