You are about to read a very special book. Mr. Carlton Carr is a remarkable man; in fact, he is one of the great Dharma heroes of our era although it is clear to the people around him that he does not think of himself in these terms. This book is exceptional because it tells the story of a courageous man but it is perhaps even more remarkable for the things the author doesn"t choose to tell us. There is no bitterness to be found here and yet Carlton has fought the good fight against a system that has tried to crush him and break his spirit. He could have been freed much sooner if he had simply stopped trying to spread the Dharma but he decided instead to work for the sake of all sentient beings. It is not always easy or comfortable to do what is right, sometimes there is a price that has to be paid but it is essential that we follow our conscience and behave in what we consider to be a moral manner. Carlton decided that it was more important for the dharma to be taught than it was for him to experience personal freedom a little sooner and because he made that decision his personal ministry has flourished and blossomed.
I have experienced some of the same hostile attitudes that Carlton has been forced to deal with. BIONA is located in approximately the same geographic area, the North American Midwest, a region known to the rest of the United States as "the Bible belt." Our first few years here were quite dramatic; sometimes we received death threats, while other people offered to beat us until we saw what they described as "reason." We had the occasional phone call from sincere people who were genuinely concerned and wanted us to know that we were eternally damned for not attending the proper church. People felt entitled to knock on our door and tell us that we were not needed, wanted, or welcome in the area that we initially inhabited. There were times when I was concerned for the safety of my wife and child and we were occasionally nervous about opening packages that came to the office but we persevered and these unpleasant attitudes eventually faded away.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case so far for Carlton. He is living in a controlled environment; one that has made the deliberate choice to not play by its own openly stated rules. BIONA sends religious material to inmates all over the North American continent but we have never encountered an institution quite like the one Mr. Carr currently inhabits. The problems have been enormous and yet he has persevered and ultimately, he will triumph.