Recovery Dharma: How to Use Buddhist Practices and Principles to Heal the Suffering of Addiction

by Recovery Dharma

In the Buddhist tradition, "Dharma" means "truth," or "the way things are." This book describes a way to free ourselves from the suffering of addiction using Buddhist practices and principles. Our program is based on the idea that every one of us is our own guide in recovery from addiction, with the help and understanding of our wise friends and sangha (community). We believe that’s what the Dharma teaches us. The Buddha knew that all human beings, to one degree or another, struggle with craving—the powerful, sometimes blinding desire to change our thoughts, feelings, and circumstances. Those of us who experience addiction have been more driven to use substances or behaviors to do this, but the underlying craving is the same. And even though the Buddha didn’t talk specifically about addiction, he understood the obsessive nature of the human mind. He understood our attachment to pleasure and aversion to pain. He understood the extreme lengths we can sometimes go to, chasing what we want to feel and running away from the feelings we fear. And he found a solution. This program leads to recovery from addiction to substances like alcohol and drugs, and also from what we refer to as process addictions. We can also become addicted to sex, gambling, technology, work, codependence, shopping, food, media, self-harm, lying, stealing, obsessive worrying. This is a path to freedom from any repetitive and habitual behavior that causes suffering. Recovery Dharma is a peer-led movement and a community that is unified by the potential in each of us to recover and find freedom from the suffering of addiction. We approach recovery from a place of individual and collective empowerment and we support each other as we walk this path of recovery together.

The second edition of the Recovery Dharma book offers a number of personal recovery stories from our members. We hope you find inspiration in their shared experiences of finding freedom from harmful behaviors through Buddhist practice and the community of Recovery Dharma.

Genres: Spirituality, Addiction, Buddhism, Self Help

172 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2023

About the author

We are a peer-led movement and community that is unified by our trust in the potential of each of us to recover and find freedom from the suffering of addiction. We believe that recovery means empowerment, and we support each other as partners walking the path of recovery together.

Download our book for free: https://recoverydharma.org/book/

Our program uses the Buddhist practices of meditation, self-inquiry, wisdom, compassion, and community as tools for recovery and healing. We believe that recovery is about finding our own inner wisdom and our own path.

Recovery Dharma welcomes anyone who is looking to heal from addiction and addictive behavior, whether it’s caused by substance use or process addictions like codependency, gambling, eating disorders, relationships, technology, or any obsessive or habitual pattern that creates suffering. We’ve found that this Buddhist-inspired path can lead to liberation from the suffering of addiction, and we support you in finding your own path to recovery.

Reviews

[Matthew Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given the circumstances around the publication of the first edition of the Recovery Dharma basic text, it was known immediately that a second edition would be forthcoming sooner rather than later. Four years after the first edition, here is the second.

The first section of the book remains simple, short, and straightforward - outlining the way that Buddhist principles and practices can be applied for addiction recovery (whatever the addiction may be). The second section, and what marks the novel part of the second edition, contains a selection of personal stories of Recovery Dharma members. We’ve been wanting and needing this and I’m so happy its finally here. The Dharma and Recovery Dharma are how I recover.

[Electric · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for buddhist books that get straight to the point of the teaching, that are practical and stay away from esoteric speculation, this one is for you. According to the Dharma, we are all delusional addicts, so you will benefit from the inquieries into the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, no matter if you are abusing any substances or not. Please also check out the website to get a free PDF or an audiobook version of this: Rcovery Dharma But please be aware - reading is only the beginning.

[Dakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way of going about recovery and helping addiction.

[Connie Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "non AA" based recovery system practiced by sharing Dharma