Irving Relova

Irving Relova

Staff

Whenever I am asked the question how did I find the Dharma, I often say I did not look for the Dharma, the Dharma found me. As a 21yr old sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole and spending the rest of my life in prison, a good friend of mine gave me these parting words “whether you realize it or not but you are a monk now”. After more the two decades in prison, how fitting those words would become. In 2004 I started my formal meditation practice and I made the decision to become a Buddhist, studying and practicing  the Dharma. Practicing and living a life of mindfulness and awareness, the Dharma is a way of life. Looking at my life, it is not about the quantity of life but the quality of life. I expected to die in prison, but after 25yrs I never expected that I would make it out of prison.
May All Living Beings Find Peace and Happiness in their Heart. Om Mani Padme Hum!
Christopher Johnson

Christopher Johnson

Secretary

Chris is an ordained Buddhist Minister and chaplain. Motivated by social justice and the ability to serve the incarcerated, he is a regular volunteer at Chukawalla Valley State Prison. He has served with Engaged Buddhist alliance since 2015.

Eduardo Espinosa

Eduardo Espinosa

Accountant

Coming Soon!

Rachel Goodrich

Rachel Goodrich

Volunteer

Rachel earned an undergraduate degree in psychology, with a focus on Buddhist counseling, from The University of The West in Rosemead, California, in 2018. She will graduate with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy (MFT) and professional clinical counseling (PCC) in April 2021 from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. Rachel has had the honor of volunteering at the Correctional Institute for Women in Chino, California since 2017; assisting in teaching meditation and conducting psychoeducational lectures about trauma. From January 2020 to February 2021, she has enjoyed her internship as a school counselor working with teenage students within the Los Angeles Unified School District. Rachel is currently writing her thesis on Attention Deficit Disorder/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a response to trauma. She looks forward to her career as a psychotherapist specializing in Buddhist counseling and trauma.