I go to Prison in Kathmandu

I had read in a book somewhere that there are often foreigners locked up in the jail in Kathmandu, and in need of help. I decided as part of my Bohdisattva vows (Buddhist intention to spread compassion and help eliminate suffering) I needed to go to the prison and check out the situation for any foreigners who might speak English that I could commmunicate with.
This was as much a mind-blowing exp. as you can imagine. The prison area itself is a compound of old and shabby brick two story buildings. There are several courtyards and even more surprised the dirt road that leads right into the middle of it is open and not blocked by gates or anything like we'd have in US. In fact, if not for the armed guards watching from four corners in the area, you'd mistakenly walk right into this yard-like prison-and yes, it is low secrity or so it seems, but this is where everyone is locked up-passport offenders to murders.
We waited at an imaginary line on the dirt road with a small group of locals hoping to gain entrance to see their incarcerated family and friends. At a mysterious signal, suddenly everyone rushed across the dirt road to a very old cement building where guards sat to check you in. I had to give up my passport, my ipod, my camera and batteries, but got to keep my purse, money belt and books and soaps I had brought in to give to prisioners. I had also brought a big greasy bag of freshly fried "rotis"-a type of Nepali donut, and got to keep those too. After a body pat down, I was taken to a room with a list of foreign prisoner's names written in chalk, their nationality and offense. I scanned the list looking for American citizens and only found one a "Geraldine Bush" from-yes, Texas! Could it be one of the Bush kin had got in trouble in Kathmandu? I wrote her name down for a request, along with a French man and a Tibetan who's last name was "lama."
Once you hand the names to a guard, you are taken to a waiting room, ouside, where you can see the jail entrance, and out in front are two concrete benches that hold about 7 people each, with a 3 ft. concrete wall separating people. Visitors sit on one side of the wall, prisioners on the other, and you can hand your goods to a guard that is watching and they then hand them to the prisoner. The first person brought out to meet me was not any that I had requested, but a very big, dark African from Nigeria-who said he had been on a trekking trip in Nepal and then used some drugs and got caught. "How long was that?" I aksed- "Oh, about 1997," he causually replied. O M G! In jail since then because he cannot post his bail. Despite his long incarceration and many more years to go (he said he got the max. sentence of 15 years.) he seemed pretty happy and in good health. I looked around at the row of prisionres chatting amiably with their kin and all looked clean, happy and in a pleasant sort of mood. I offered a magazine, book and some chapatis to my AFrican friend and we said our Namastes. He was very delighted to have my visit and expressed his appreciation and then walked back into the barred gate. The guard sitting there (none of the guards around here had guns or any kind of uniform, in fact it was difficult to tell the prisioners from the guards!) yelled another name and then we waited and were told to walk around to another small courtyard to meet our "lama" from Tibet. This courtyard was as pleasant and airy and nice as any outdoor cafe in the back streeets of Kathmandu. A large gold Buddhas statue,about 12 feet high, adorned with fresh flowers and kata scarfs sat smiling serenly over all. It lent a very non-threatening air to the whole place and made me reflect on how harsh our American society is to our prisioners and condemning them for a mistake-here, the atmosphere was so different. It is so hard to describe if you haven't been to this part of the world, where the hardships are so many that everyone has a very patient and tolerant attitude towards life and seems more resigned tht we are not perfect, mistakes are made and you attone for them and move on. You are not a horrible person in the eyes of Buddha, the statue reminds you that imperfection is as much a part of life as seeking perfection, and to not give up on taming the monkey mind we are all born with!
My next "guest" came out, a young Tibetan man with a large Om tatoo on one arm and a double dorje tatoo on the other (dorgee is a very powerful symbol, like lightening, to Tibetans). He had been on a trip to India to see the Dalai Lama and was involved in a bus accident, some people were killed in the accident he said and he was arrested-he thing\ks because he did not have the right immigration papers and was "caught". This is common-Nepal and India have a very open border, and while it is near impossible to fly out of Nepal without passport and visa, you can travel overland and cross the border fairly easily=paying off the guards there. That is how myTibetan son and I are going to Dharmasala, India soon, overland, a 4 day bus ride, because he cannot fly with "Dalai Lama" passport, as the Tibetans say.
This young man had been in jail here for several years and felt he had several more to go because he had no money for his bail or fine. I asked him if any Americans were locked u pwith him-"Yes, many" he said. Would I like him to find one for me and bring him out? Yes indeed! So off he went and soon a tall, dignified older man, who reminded me very much of Don, looking all the world like a retired trekker who just came back from Everest came out smiling. We Namasted and sat down-I was a little shocked to see such a man, but as soon as he opened his mouth, I knew he was not American by the accent. No, he said, I am French. He had been living some years ago in India and his visa expired so he tried to cross into Nepal-but with opium. Yes, he shook his head sadly, he wa sa total idiot at the time, but living in India you feel yo ucan do things like that, you know? And then you find there are laws and you can get arrested for drugs, despite the pot growing everywhere, free to pick and smoke. The opiom charge was the mx. he said, and he was slapped with a 16 yr. sentence and had about 2 years to go. How were things in jail? Not bad, it's okay, the same reply the first two prisioners had told me. I offered him shampoo, soap and books. He was so happy to see Danny's Henry Miller book-Yes! Yes! He knew this American author very well and liked him. Off he went with his package, but not without a warning to me and my son-"Be careful over here, " he said "many good hearted people come to Nepal to help-their hearts are in the right place, and they try to do good works-sometimes things go wrong, people get angry, business deals are messy, jealousies errupt between villages, violence lies close to the surface. He realted a few scary stories he had heard from Americans he met in jail here-people like my son, young and trying to do good, and something goes array, people get offended. Be careful! Nepal is no different from ther rest of the world he said-there are very good peole here-and very bad.
I left to find the America Bush. She was a woman locked up in the woman's jail that was down another road and in a different compound. her the guards were dressed in Nepali sari's all colorful and chatting amiably, and a few woman soliders with guns lingered in the heat near the entrance, look hot and bored. I asked for the American Bush. "Bush! Bush!" they yelled into the compound behind the barred gate. Finally, a very young, weet looking pale girl came out and sat across from me. Her eyes looked blank, like she was in shock. Are you Bush? I asked. No, she looked up-surprised at the name "I am ----(name I can't remember) from Finland. WHAT?? So we chatted. She said she was in jail for losing her passport! O M G again! Lose your passport, go to jail. Did her family know she was in here? Yes, they are coming to help her. How long has she been in here? Two months. That didn't seem right to me-it was taking two months for her family to help her? I aksed her if I could take some information home with me to try and reach her family. No, she was fine. did she know an American here named Bush? Yes, Bush from Texas, she is mental, she told me. Crazy. Says she knows the president. Hand gesture to head indicating lack of mental facilities.
A headache had been growing in my own head, the heat and humidity were oppressive, I had to go and get some food. I had been u since 5 am doing Kora first at Boudha stuppa with Karma, now this, I had to go-no more prison visits. My heart ached fro these lost soulds, yet it was good to see they are not mistreated here. I do feel the religious spirituality of Nepal prevails to create a climate of fairness and karma for all living beings. The dogs loose on the street are not mistreated but stepped over and tolerated with no bother, the animals are happy and content, the donkeys work hard but are not beaten, the people are terribley poor but happy and treat each other well. The prisoners I saw here were not sad or miserable, they were well feed and clean, they wore clean clothes they graciously accepted my gifts but didn't act like they really needed them. It was good to see the spiritual nature of Nepal doesn't end at the imaginary prison line that exisit somewhere on this dirt road into this interesting compound.
We gathered our mobile, ipod, camera, and dear, dear passport, which I kissed in front of the the guards and they laughed, knowing full well how much trouble that official document can cause if not in hand. It is in my neck pouch now and will stay there as long as I am out of the country!