About RD Friends Act

Ways to Use

Who might benefit?

  • Me and my practice friends: At its heart, this is simply my Practice Notes Journal. It gives me structure and support, for my own practice. When I refer to You, I am writing to myself when I return in the future. I dress it up a little to be more comprehensive to my wise friends. I am happy to share it! Hopefully, it can also contribute to the conversation as our sangha grows in numbers and in the insights from our practice.

  • RD Meeting facilitators: Looking for a topic, reading, or meditation for an RD meeting.

  • Create one's own adventure: For some of us, our trauma recovery involves being able to pick and choose our own adventure. This site is designed to support that.

  • An accessible structure: Sometimes, I just need someone else to hold the container and just give me direction. Once I got this page set up, I can now just go to an inquiry page and focus on the first box under each refuge for practice.

  • An expansive structure: The Book Study pages are pretty set. But the Inquiry pages are designed to be expansive so that they can support my practice as well as my friends who are on different Buddhist paths than me. This also helps us repeat the path multiple times with fresh eyes and new talks that we weren't able to get to before.

  • Growth Section: This section attempts to create issue-specific pages integrated with Recovery Dharma Practices. Racial Justice and Healing is the most developed.

Ways to use this site

This site can be used in any number of ways, but here are the ways I use it.

Book Study: I use the Book Study pages page to quickly grab the materials I need to facilitate a meeting. Each page contains a package of content for a discussion meeting. This includes links to readings and meditations. The readings do not cover every paragraph of the book. They are chosen because they contain a specific topic, such as generosity, and last two to three minutes.

Inquiry: I use the inquiry pages to work with, and deepen, my understanding of the concepts from the book, and to investigate how they apply to my own experience. Because I continue to repeat the book, several different practices and resources are available. I do not use every practice every time. I choose one or two for the week.

  1. Book: The section of the book that the inquiry page is based on

  2. Meditation: Mantras and objects - either for brief moments throughout the day or a 10 - 20 minute sit

  3. Inquiry - Inquiry options in addition to the ones found in the book.

  4. Playlists: Both my meditation and inquiry practices are much deeper after I listen to talks and guided meditations.

Growth: This section contains the list of sites used to search for dharma talks, the framework used by this site to include talks or meditations, and additional guides on topics like Healing Racial Justice and Codependency.

Adding to the Conversation

How This Site Got Started

This site is essentially a personal wiki. It was created mostly by a single Recovery Dharma member, with contributions and suggestions from wise friends. These are the resources and structures I use for my practice as an individual and for those times when I have been asked to facilitate a meeting.

I needed to organize content for myself and decided to share the resulting page with others. This is not an official Recovery Dharma site. It is just the shared experience of another member.

Disclaimers

I walk squarely in the path of Buddhist Recovery. I have actively practiced individually and as a member of one sangha or another since 2004. I share this site freely with my fellow Recovery Dharma Friends and practice creators. Additionally, I hold the hope that some of the ideas here will contribute to the larger discussion.

However, please remember that this is not official Recovery Dharma Global literature. This is our addition from our little corner.

Some Limits

This site contains large lists of links to outside teachers. I would not advocate for that for official nonprofit organizations. Likewise, I try to remember to refrain from posting links on our community groups on social media. However, this is a personal wiki. That seems like an appropriate place to share other sources.

Buddhist Based: I am strongly committed to keeping this site based on Buddhist principles and practices. Some sources are secular but are still strongly influenced and integrated with Western Buddhism. If you are super geeky then visit the content guide I used to figure out what sources to include here.

Additions and changes

Inquiry practice for the Three Refuges
I used the Introduction section as a foundation for Recovery Dharma inquiry Practice with the three refuges.

Inquiry Practice for the Community Sangha and Recovery is Possible Chapters
I added Inquiry practice resources for the Community & Sangha and Recovery is Possible Sections.

Changed the Inquiry questions for the Four Noble Truths
The inquiry questions in this guide focus entirely on the here-and-now. (I have heard that in Buddhist thought, that is the only time and place where change can happen.)

My practice - and so this section's inquiry questions are supported by the practices of the Three Gears, introduced by Judson Brewer, and RAIN (recognize, accept, inquiry and nurture) taught by several Insight teachers.

When applied to addiction recovery these practices help me to 1) cultivate embodied awareness, 2) discern between pain and suffering, 3) learn to sit with discomfort, 4) cultivate an organic sense of disenchantment with my addictive behaviors so that I naturally begin to let go of my craving or acting out with harmful repetitive behaviors.

Concepts

Each of the major Buddhist Teachings of the Recovery Dharma path are interconnected with several other Buddhist concepts and teachings. In order to help find dharma talks, it was helpful to ground in explore some a few of these concepts. While there are many more, this is the list of concepts used on this site. Please note again that this is not an official site of Recovery Dharma. It is one person's understanding and application of the overall practice structure of taking Refuge, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path. Understanding shifts and deepens with every new pass through the practice, so these may change.

Begin | Find Refuge

  • Recovery is Possible: Curiosity, Kindness, Awakening, Recovery, Compassion, Hope, Desire, Longing, Motivation

  • What is Recovery Dharma? Refuge, Community, Loving Kindness, Enthusiastic, Curious

  • Where to Begin | The Practice: Refuge, Buddhist teachings, Practice, Energy, Diligence, Action driven by Intention, 10 Perfections

  • Awakening the Buddha: Refuge, Awakened one. Intrinsic nature of all humans, Awareness, Equanimity, Freedom from Craving, Motivation

  • Community and Sangha: Community, Admirable Friends, Generosity

Discover Truth

  • There is Suffering: Curiosity, Kindness, Dissatisfaction, Impermanence, Acceptance, Allowing, Compassion,
    RAIN: Recognize, Allow

  • Craving is Suffering: Disenchantment, Causes & Conditions, Craving, Aversion, Confusion, Delusion, Restlessness, Doubt,
    RAIN: Inquire

  • Recovery is Possible: Renunciation, freedom from lust, dropping the storyline, Awareness, Mindfulness, Equanimity, Balance, Tranquility, Serenity, Happiness, pleasure, ease, joy, bliss,
    RAIN: Nurture, Motivation

  • The Path of Recovery: The Noble Eightfold Path, Wisdom, Understanding, Ethics, Virtual Action, Practice, Sustained Effort, diligence, energy, perseverance, enthusiasm, Growth

  • Isolation and Connection: Curiosity, Kindness, RAIN, Ill-will, resentment, judgment, contempt, Restlessness, Doubt, Drop the Story Line, Kindness, Gratitude, Admirable Friends

Walk the Path

  • Understanding: Curiosity, Impermanence, Causes & Conditions, Dropping the Storyline

  • Intention: Curiosity, Kindness, Compassion, Gratitude, Equanimity, Motivation, RAIN

  • Working with Others: Gratitude, Generosity, Kindness

  • Speech: Curiosity, Compassion, RAIN, Speech, Gates, Relationship Community,

  • Action: Curiosity, Compassion, RAIN, Virtue, Action, Harm | Honor Life, Theft | Freely Offered, Dishonesty | Wise Speech, Sexual Misconduct | Responsibility, Intoxication | Clarity, RAIN

  • Livelihood: Curiosity, Compassion, RAIN, Livelihood, Generosity, Service, Interdependence

  • Wise Friends: Admirable, Wise, Generous, Kind, Resolved, Joyful, Effort,

  • Effort: Curiosity, Compassion, RAIN, Effort, Balance, Equanimity, Resolve, Kindness, Compassion

  • Mindfulness: Curiosity, Kindness, RAIN Foundation, Breath, Body, Feeling Tone, Thought, Thought Process

  • Concentration: Mantra, Focus, Heart, Kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, Equanimity

  • Service and Generosity: Curiosity, Kindness, Compassion, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, Equanimity, RAIN

Dharma Lists

Buddhists love lists!
Here are a few that pertain to the Recovery Dharma Path. This is not required reading. It is included because for some of us, having these for reference can be helpful and grounding. For an even longer list see Insight Meditation Center - Dhamma Lists

Three Refuges (Triple Gem, Three Jewels)

  1. Buddha – both the historical Buddha and one’s own innate potential for Awakening

  2. Dhamma – the Buddha’s teaching of liberation and the ultimate Truth towards which it points

  3. Sangha – the monastic community, those who have achieved at least some degree of Awakening, and more recently the community of followers of the Buddhist path (traditionally called the Parisa)

The Four Noble Truths

  1. Dukkha exists – unsatisfactoriness, suffering, discontent, stress (to be Investigated)

  2. The cause or origin of dukkha is craving (tanha-lit. thirst) or clinging (to be Abandoned)

  3. Dukkha ceases with the relinquishment of that craving (to be Realized)

  4. The path leading to the cessation of dukkha is the Noble Eightfold Path (to be Developed)

Three Types of Dukkha

  1. Dukkha as pain (dukkha–dukkhata) – body or mental pain

  2. Dukkha that is inherent in formation (sankhara-dukkhata) – maintenance of body and things, oppressive nature of continuous upkeep

  3. Dukkha of change (viparinama-dukkhata) – pleasant and happy conditions in life are not permanent

Three Pillars of Dhamma (dharma) or Grounds for Making Merit

  1. Generosity (dana)

  2. Moral restraint (sila)

  3. Meditation (bhavana) – consists of Concentration (samadhi) and Mindfulness (sati)

Five Hindrances (nivarana)

  1. Sensual Desire (kámacchanda)

  2. Aversion or Ill-will (vyápáda)

  3. Sleepiness – sloth (thina), torpor (middha), sluggishness

  4. Restlessness – worry about the future, regret of the past, anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)

  5. Doubt (skeptical doubt)(vicikicchá)

Five Precepts

  1. To refrain from killing

  2. To refrain from stealing (taking that which is not offered)

  3. To refrain from sexual misconduct

  4. To refrain from lying, harsh speech, idle speech, and slander

  5. To refrain from taking intoxicants that cloud the mind and cause heedlessness

Three Poisons/Defilements (Kilesas – lit. torments of the mind)

  1. Greed (lobha) – mindfulness transforms this into Faith

  2. Aversion/hatred (dosa) – mindfulness transforms this into discriminating Wisdom

  3. Delusion (moha) – mindfulness transforms this into Equanimity

Ten Perfections (Paramis/Paramitas)

Ten qualities leading to Buddhahood

  1. Generosity (dana)

  2. Morality (sila)-virtue, integrity

  3. Renunciation (nekkhamma)

  4. Wisdom (pañña)

  5. Energy/Strength (viriya)- effort

  6. Patience (khanti)

  7. Truthfulness (sacca)

  8. Resolution – determination (adhitthana)

  9. Lovingkindness (metta)

  10. Equanimity (upekkha)

Five Hindrances (nivarana)

  1. Sensual Desire (kámacchanda)

  2. Aversion or Ill-will (vyápáda)

  3. Sleepiness – sloth (thina), torpor (middha), sluggishness

  4. Restlessness – worry about the future, regret of the past, anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)

  5. Doubt (skeptical doubt)(vicikicchá)

The Eightfold Path (ariya-magga)

Wisdom/Discernment (pañña)

  1. Wise or Right View/Understanding (samma-ditthi) – Knowledge of the Four Noble Truths

  2. Wise or Right Intention/Resolve (sammá-sankappa) – Renunciation, Loving-kindness, Harmlessness

Virtue (sila)

  1. Wise or Right Speech (sammá-vácá) – abstaining from lying, malicious or divisive speech, abusive or harsh speech, and idle chatter

  2. Wise or Right Action (sammá-kammanta) – abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct

  3. Wise or Right Livelihood (sammá–ájíva) – abstaining from dishonest and harmful means of livelihood

Concentration/Meditation (samadhi)

  1. Wise or Right Effort (samma-vayama) – the effort of avoiding and overcoming unskillful qualities, and of developing and maintaining skillful qualities

  2. Wise or Right Mindfulness (samma-sati) – The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

  3. Wise or Right Concentration (samma-samadhi) – The Four Form Jhanas

Three Characteristics of Existence (of Conditioned Phenomena)

  1. Impermanence (anicca)

  2. Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha)

  3. Not-self (anatta) – empty of inherent existence; not “me”, “myself”, nor “what I am”

Four Brahma-viharas
(Highest Attitudes/Emotions)

Heavenly or sublime abodes (best home). Near enemy is a quality that can masquerade as the original, but is not the original. Far enemy is the opposite quality.

  1. Lovingkindness, good-will (metta): Near enemy – attachment; far enemy – hatred

  2. Compassion (karuna): Near enemy – pity; far enemy – cruelty

  3. Sympathetic joy, Appreciation (mudita), joy at the good fortune of others: Near enemy – comparison,hypocrisy, insincerity, joy for others but tinged with identification (my team, my child); far enemy – envy

  4. Equanimity (upekkha): Near enemy – indifference; far enemy – anxiety, greed

Four Right Efforts
(sammappadhana)

  1. Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen-Guarding

  2. Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought continue, which has already arisen-Abandon

  3. To make a wholesome-skillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen-Develop

  4. To make a wholesome-skillful thought continue, which has already arisen-Sustain

Four Foundations of Mindfulness - (from the Satipatthana Sutta)

  1. Mindfulness of the body (kaya)

  2. Mindfulness of feeling (vedana)-pleasant, unpleasant, neutral; initial reactions to sensory input

  3. Mindfulness of mind/consciousness (citta), of the mind-states, moods (greed, aversion, delusion and their opposites)

  4. Mindfulness of mind objects-mental events (dharmas); Five categories of dhammas: Five hindrances, Five aggregates, 6 sense bases, Seven factors of enlightenment, Four Noble Truths

Four Form Jhanas

(rupa jhanas) or Meditative Absorptions

  1. First Jhana, characterized by intense pleasure, has five jhanic factors: applied thought (vittaka), sustained thought(vicara), joy (piti), happiness (sukha), one-pointednesss (ekkagata)

  2. Second Jhana, characterized by joy, has 3 factors: joy (piti), happiness (sukha) , and one–pointedness (ekkagata)

  3. Third Jhana, characterized by contentment, has 2 factors: contentment and one-pointedness (ekkagata)

  4. Fourth Jhana, characterized by equanimity and stillness, has 1 factor: one-pointedness (ekkagata)

A Personal Wiki

This is not an official site of Recovery Dharma. This is, in essence, a personal Wiki. One person needed to practice Making Notes as they tried to understand the teachings and practices of RD, and to add some structure to their practice. This site was created in that effort. After sharing with a few wise friends, they made some contributions, but mostly this is a reflection of the inquiry practice of an individual RD Member. The site changes and grows as insight deepens.

Just Another Option

Our view is that this is just one way to take action with this path, and because many of us are oriented to the online community, we created an online version of a guide. Our wish for the future is that other groups will create their own guides - both with differing views on how to walk this path and different formats that will make the information accessible to more people.

Easy Does it

The ideas resources shared on this site are offered in the spirit of a menu or buffet. There are often more steps than an individual person needs, or more resources listed than a single person can do in a week. The hope of this page is to offer varying steps and resources that address different styles of walking this path - also fuel for repeated practice.

Wise Friends and Mentors

Step In and Notice

  • Return to meetings you attended last week

  • Notice who talks about how Buddhist Teachings support their recovery

  • Follow up the meeting by reading more from the chapter discussed at the meeting.

  • Listen to talks connected to the reading

  • Follow up with friends from the meeting and ask them more about their experience with the topic that was discussed or another question you may have about the practice.

Questions and Contributions

Questions: We are not fully skilled in our recovery programs, and so our sharing of resources may not always be clear. If you have any questions about any of the resources on this page, feel free to reach out to us. The contact information of our friend group is at the bottom of every page. Additionally, some contributors might include their contact information so that you can reach them directly.

Contributions: If you would like to contribute resources. Feel free to contact us through our email.

rdfriendsact@gmail.com

Thank you for your presence,

Some of your RD Friends

Peer to Peer

Peer-to-peer wisdom and support is at the heart of Recovery Dharma. Our mutual support manifests in many forms, but three ways to think of it include:

Sharing our experience:

We share our experiences at meetings or by telling our stories in a more extended format.

Sharing our practices:

Buddhism is based on transforming our view of the world - in particular our relationship with suffering. In addition to the wise teachings found in books and through dharma talks, there are many practices or "forms" that members of our community use to engage with and deepen our understanding. Because we are combining recovery with the 8-fold path, we have found that others have shared some especially helpful practices for finding healing and recovery from addiction.

Sharing Resources:

While we are a peer-led organization, we do not practice in isolation. We listen to the wisdom of Buddhist teachers. Part of this practice is staying consistent with RD concepts & practice. The RD Friends Act site uses these criteria to choose which teachers and talks to include on this site.