Nevertheless, even Buddhist thinkers themselves will have different takes on certain subjects and addiction is no different. There are many different perspectives on addiction from both the secular and religious worldviews, and each of them has a different take on the subject. As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.
He also sees addiction as a kind of self inflicted punishment for some sense of guilt or defectiveness from past deeds. When we practice mindfulness, we see cravings and wanting, but just see them as they are and feel less need to respond to them and chase after them. It’s just a sensation in the body that comes and goes like anything else. Here it is a case of using mindful awareness to also see wanting and cravings for what they really are – as just sensations that come and go like anything else. They are not part of “us” and do not belong to us from the Buddhist perspective; they are just collections of sensations that arise and cease like any other sensations.
- We will start to notice all the unpleasant things about smoking, like the bad taste, the smell on our clothes, the burning in the throat, and we will automatically see there is nothing pleasant about smoking.
- His Sirimangalo video page has at the time of writing more than 750 videos where he addresses the Buddhist perspective on many different issues and problems.
- It originated in ancient India between the 4th and 6th centuries BCE and spread rapidly throughout Southeast Asia.
- You can approach addiction by observing the five senses or the inner workings of the mind, or both.
- Here it is a case of using mindful awareness to also see wanting and cravings for what they really are – as just sensations that come and go like anything else.
- And if we don’t understand it, it can be much harder to truly let it go.
This is a refreshing take on addiction, as conventional wisdom often dictates avoidance and elimination of any cues and triggers as a first step to dealing with addiction. Get rid of all alcohol out the house, delete all pornography on your computer, throw all your cigarettes away and so on. This is also actually an interesting point of difference with the second viewpoint we will detail later. His has produced a couple of videos on the topic of addiction, two of which we have embedded below. His take on the subject is particularly refreshing if you find yourself constantly fretting and getting upset about your addiction itself as well as other things that happen in life. This judgement and suppression adds another layer of suffering to what is already there and can make things worse.
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Like Yuttadhammo, he also emphasises how mindfulness meditation can provide the self awareness needed to tackle addiction. In this article we will look at two different but equally interesting perspectives on addiction by Buddhist experts and compare and contrast the two. We will draw out the interesting contrasts of each view and try to find a unifying principle between the two views. There are several points of contact between Buddhism and the 12 Steps. Additionally, the first two steps overlap the first noble truth, and the fourth and fifth steps are related to the third through the fifth of the eightfold path.
How Can Buddhism Help With Addiction?
The Sanctuary Foundation helps people of all faiths and religions regain the confidence to live a sober and fulfilling life. In the context of addiction recovery, the Buddhist tenet of having the right intention means to commit to a new sober life. This must occur for yourself, your loved ones, and because you know it is a “right” thing to do. However, it might be said that before you can get honest, you have to understand what you are being honest about. The Buddhist principle of right understanding helps you to understand your addiction, which—for those in recovery—might be a combination of scientific, medical, emotional, or introspective understanding. This is an interesting variation from Yuttadhammo, who on one level expresses almost the opposite viewpoint, that we should not push away addictions because by doing so we don’t understand them.
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The practice of mindfulness will help you find your own unique response to addiction. It will improve self awareness and allow you to observe the mechanics of addiction as well as thought processes that drive it. You can approach addiction by observing the five senses or the inner workings of the mind, or both.
The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of themost exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal. Click here for our Mindfulness Resources page which books, videos and links which can get you started on mindfulness and meditation. His Sirimangalo video page has at the time of writing more than 750 videos where he addresses the Buddhist perspective on many different issues and problems.
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Though the process can be daunting, the effort is worth it if it keeps you sober. An obvious example would be dealing drugs, but a more common example would be working in an office over a bar or nightclub that you and your coworkers used to frequent. If you have ever tried to practice meditation, you know that “thinking about nothing” and finding peace takes serious concentration—at least until you get proficient at the practice. Concentration is a powerful tool for deep reflection on your inner thoughts, as well as for overcoming cravings and triggers.
In fact, there, it is still a dominant religion and cultural focal point. Today, scholars recognize two primary forms of Buddhism, including Theravāda (“The School of the Elders” in the Pāli language) and Mahāyāna (Sanskrit for “The Great Vehicle”). However, certain people may be agnostic or even atheistic and refer to themselves as Buddhist. In these cases, Buddhism simply means they believe https://sober-house.org/ in and live by Buddhist philosophy. Much like a Higher Power can take many forms for various individuals in the 12 Steps, Buddhism can mean different things to different people. This keeps them stuck in their addiction and Brahn sees it as a self imposed prison of the mind, where the person could be free but on some level doesn’t want to be because they don’t feel good about themselves.
In this step of the path, pursuing sobriety becomes the most critical goal in your walk of life. Much as with concentration, sobriety through mindfulness and surrender does not come without great effort on the part of the person battling a SUD—something myself and others who have struggled with addiction know all too well. However, living out the steps while getting clean and working a program with a goal of long-term recovery is no walk in the park, either. To help, 12 Step programs like AA and NA incorporate the concept of a Higher Power as a way to develop an understanding of each step. People who do not formally follow the 12 Steps and for those that do may discover their own way of leaning on a defined Higher Power in their journey to recovery.
It means to become less of a prisoner to your thoughts and temptations, which is imperative for overcoming patterns of addiction. There are several “Buddhist countries,” which are defined as countries where more than 70% percent of the population practices Buddhism. These include Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
We can see what leads up to addictive behaviour in step by step detail if we practice mindfulness enough. This is why we believe the Buddhist perspective deserves more attention over some of the more traditional western perspectives on addiction, since is has the specific tools within it which can provide the self awareness needed to tackle addiction. The clear teaching of Buddhism is total abstinence microdosing long term effects from alcohol and drugs. However, like any religion, those who practice Buddhism are not immune from falling prey to substance abuse. Therefore, Buddhists need help to recover and return to a sober and rewarding life just as much as their fellow human beings who practice other religions or no religion. The principles in the 12 Steps can help anyone willing to take the first steps toward recovery.
