The Buddhist on Death Row: How One Man Found Light in the Darkest Place

David Sheff explores the transformation of Jarvis Jay Masters, who has become a prominent Buddhist practitioner while imprisoned on death row. Masters's early life included poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, and neglect in Long Beach, California. He entered the foster care system at age five, followed by juvenile detention, and was eventually convicted of crimes including car theft and armed robbery. While incarcerated at San Quentin, Masters was convicted of murdering a guard and has been on death row since 1990. During his murder trial, Masters was held in solitary confinement, experiencing severe rage, anxiety, headaches, seizures, and panic attacks. A criminal investigator offered to teach him breathing exercises, which he initially refused until desperation led him to request instruction in meditation. Sheff documents Masters's gradual transformation from a man prone to violence into someone who has prevented prison yard violence, corresponded with high school students, and helped both prisoners and guards find meaning in their lives. Masters has embraced Buddhist principles of compassion, sacrifice, and living in the present moment, gaining recognition from Buddhist practitioners worldwide. Though still imprisoned on death row at San Quentin, he is now regarded as a Buddhist thinker who demonstrates approaches to alleviating suffering and enduring hardship.