A few introductory words from one of our readers:

Sometimes our life path takes an unexpected twist or turn. It is our willingness to accept where we are, what we have at any given moment and transform it that determines whether we create a blessing or a curse for ourselves. Like an alchemist, Tom Brown has taken his circumstances of "iron" and transformed them into Gold.

I have been inspired by his example to examine what really matters in my own life. I struggle to find purpose, expression... waiting for something "out there" to liberate me from my own confines. No matter what the reality of our outer world looks or feels like, it is the limitless inner resources we can draw from to sustain and nourish us. Tom has not only done this for himself, but he has lovingly sent his ripples of insight, wisdom, and integrity out into the universe for others to draw upon. He has given me motivation to rise above my own limitations and reach within to "free" my own spirit.

It is my hope that Tom be granted his physical freedom again very soon. If you feel called to help, let us send our own ripples of love and support back and with God's blessing, they can become a wave that will make this happen. You may do this by writing a letter to the Board of Parole. Some helpful things to include are: your name, age and occupation, how you know Tom, how he has positively affected you, and why you think he should be released (Tom plans to continue writing and teaching).

These letters are important because they show that Tom has learned from his mistake, has used his incarceration time wisely to benefit others (in addition to writing this column, Tom has helped hundreds of inmates earn their GED diplomas as a teacher’s aide and has been a model prisoner) and that he will have a community supporting him once he is released. It is best to keep letters short and concise, but candid.

Please send them to: Arizona Board of Executive Clemency, 1645 West Jefferson, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona, 85007, Re: Charles Thomas Brown, ID# 140237, Parole.

Thank You...
An inspired PLW subscriber

The Tapestry of Opposites

SINCE BECOMING A TEACHER'S AIDE in the Arizona prison system, I have listened to many stories from my fellow inmates, these perpetrators of abuse. I have discovered that almost every one of them had themselves been abused in their own childhood. The sorrowful patterns of abuse stretch back for generation after generation, and as I realize this, I can hold them all in the heart of compassion, abuser and abused in one person.

Our ordinary thinking is dominated by categories of victim and victimizer, right and wrong, good and evil. There are flowers and thorns; there are pebbles and gems; there is nectar and there is poison.

The sensations and emotions, too, seem to come in opposites like the pleasure and pain, laughter and tears, hope and despair. In nature it is the same; winter follows summer, night follows day, death inevitably follows life.

All of life is structured through the pairs of opposites. The existence of the world with its endless multiplicity, its ceaseless variety, its very wonder and beauty, is dependent on fundamental distinctions. However, when we focus on the Absolute, we realize that there is just truth that embraces it all.

The Divine Force dances as the pair of opposites until finally, it reveals the transcendent state beyond them. Learning to enjoy the rhythms of this dance is to grow and transform.

Ultimately, one becomes more comfortable with the tapestry of opposites, more appreciative of life's ambiguities, its many levels and inherent conflicts. One develops a sense of life's irony, metaphor, and humor and a capacity to embrace the whole, with its beauty and outrageousness, in the graciousness of the heart.

Flying Free

WATCHING AN EAGLE SOAR effortlessly on the wind, I wonder how such freedom would feel. If only I were able to stretch out my arms and catch the wind, I, too, would no longer be earthbound. I could soar above the razor-wire fence that physically confines me to this prison yard.

Looking at the eagle brings me closer to my own essential self, my own purity. Yet I know that such freedom of flight is temporary and conditional, for the eagle must return to earth.

The eagle's flight reminds me of a greater freedom that allows me to soar to new heights. I am capable of winging my way to these new heights as long as I am not caught up in repeat patterns of the same old habits, mistakes, or choices - as long as I do not tether myself to any preconceived ideas of limitation or dependency.

My ultimate freedom comes from my Creator, the One power and authority in the universe, and I claim my freedom now. It has no need to impress anyone but the God within who is already impressed and loves me more than I can ever fully comprehend.

As I watch the eagle soar gracefully, gliding through the air, I declare to myself, "Yes, I can! I can soar above limitations, for I am free in spirit!"

Removing the Mask

"IN INDIA, on meeting a total stranger, one bows and says Namaste: I see the divine spark within you. Each time we acknowledge the light in another, we affirm that reality within ourselves.

We often lose sight of the Light and wear masks to protect the places where the heart is bruised. Somewhere, sometime, we felt as though an open heart caused us pain or humiliation. Thus, we made a decision to put on our mask and armor our heart to protect ourselves from ever feeling that pain again.

In the future the real frontier will not be space, the ocean's floor, telecommunications, genetic engineering, or a thousand other external pursuits. The real frontier will be in the area of human relations when we have removed our masks and we see each other in our oneness.

When that happens, we will see everything as a manifestation or expression of divinity itself. We will live in a whole other level of Consciousness than when we got lost in appearances and limiting beliefs. This single transformation of vision is the most profound happening that can take place in a human life.

Scientists are now discovering what ancient tribes have always known - that everything is connected in an infinite web and that in the making of one blade of grass or a tree or a human body the whole universe takes part. A realization of this unity brings us respect, natural gratitude, and compassion for life in all its forms.

We must remove our masks and reveal ourselves at the deepest level in order to find out how lovable we really are. When we dig deeply enough into our real nature, we do not find darkness. We find endless Light.

© 2001-07, Tom Brown

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles "Tom" Brown was a successful investor who did very well in real estate, oil, and the stock market. Friends began asking him to invest for them, too. And he did. Things went well, and more people heard about his abilities and wanted to be included in the investment strategies he had devised. All went well until there was a dramatic change in the market. All that went up turned down, and Tom wanted everyone to still have a profit - his big mistake - as he wanted to be well thought of. Tom was accused of defrauding investors. Although it was shown that he had never diverted any money for himself other than a modest commission, through unbelievable mishandling by an incompetent or dishonest attorney, what should have been a one-year sentence became a 17-year sentence. At the time of judgment, Tom was 62 years of age.

The purpose of Tom's blog is not to dwell on the injustice, but rather, to show the incredible unfoldment of consciousness in a man who has taken this sentence and created a workshop of Soul and Spirit out of it. His words are designed to help us see into life and do better with what we've been given. Tom's Beyond the Wall blog is located at www.Beyondthewall.blogs.com.  If you would like to write to Tom, he appreciates correspondence.  He does not have access to a computer but can be reached via Charles "Tom" Brown, # 140237, ASPC - Lewis, Barchey Blue - D2 - E5, P.O.Box 3200, Buckeye, AZ, 85326.