A discussion between Trisha Stotler and myself for the Second Sunday Dharma Series at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC (IMCW) in August 2022. In this informal chat over coffee, I discuss what brought me to the Dharma and the ways it has significantly impacted my life for the better. The talk begins like a true crime story but invariably touches upon trauma, loss, addiction, mindfulness, service to others, karma, and the importance of somatic practices.
From the IMCW event page: “We’re honored to welcome Buddhist practitioner and teacher Matthew Hahn. At age 25, Matthew found the Dharma while facing a life sentence in prison for theft and drug-related crimes under California’s “three strikes” law. After accepting a plea deal of 14 years, he sat with his first sangha in Folsom Prison’s storied Greystone Chapel. The story of Matthew’s arrest and near-miss with life in prison has been the subject of numerous podcasts, but in this session, we’ll be talking to him about how the Dharma has shaped his life – both in prison and since coming home. Today, seventeen years sober, Matthew is an electrician by trade and a passionate student of the Dharma. He was recently honored to receive lay Dharmacharya (teacher) ordination.”
Make a cup of tea or coffee and have a listen.
