Damien Echols was one of the West Memphis Three, a group of teens who were convicted of murdering three young boys in 1993. Through DNA evidence and a deal with prosecutors, Echols was released from prison in 2011 and started a new life in New York City. During the last ten years of his wrongful imprisonment Echols was in solitary confinement. He used that time to meditate seven or eight hours daily. The practice saved his life. Interviewed for Tricycle magazine, he offers this insight into karma:
When it comes to karma, the number one thing I would like to say is that you can go through life being a victor or a victim. You’re going to have to face your karma. You can go through life with a “poor me” attitude—“Why me? Why this?”—or you can go through it saying: “I’m going to honor my life. I’m going to honor my karma. I’m going to come through this. I’m going to be stronger, I’m going to be wiser, I’m going to help spread what I learned from this situation to other people.
When it comes to karma, the number one thing I would like to say is that you can go through life being a victor or a victim. You’re going to have to face your karma. You can go through life with a “poor me” attitude—“Why me? Why this?”—or you can go through it saying: “I’m going to honor my life. I’m going to honor my karma. I’m going to come through this. I’m going to be stronger, I’m going to be wiser, I’m going to help spread what I learned from this situation to other people.
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