RD Friends Act - RDFA Inquiry Practice

We are friends in Recovery Dharma. We take action for our recovery

RDFA

RD Friends Act

RD Friends Act - Topics and Inquiries

RDFA's version of the main topics, and related Inquiry Questions, based on the text, Recovery Dharma

REFUGE

We start with practices that cultivate our connection to, and taking refuge in, our own strength and resilience, Buddhist Teachings and our Dharma Friends

OUR OWN RECOVERY - Buddha

By engaging in practices of meditation and inquiry, we cultivate our ability to express compassion, kindness towards ourselves and our harmful and repetitive behaviors.

INQUIRIES

What circumstances led me to Recovery Dharma?
What has worked well for me in the past to help heal my experience of pain and suffering?
What are some pieces of evidence that I am trustworthy?
What does it mean to engage in the practice of renunciation?
What are some ways I might cultivate my sense of compassion and kindness?
How might recovery shake my sense of identity?
What does "regular meditation practice" mean for me, and for others on this path?

BUDDHIST TEACHINGS - Dharma

By reading or listening to Buddhist teachings, we cultivate our ability to recognize which behaviors are harmful and intoxicating and to practice renunciation, or letting go, of them.

INQUIRIES

How have (or might) Buddhist practices helped my recovery happen?
What does it mean to engage in the practice of renunciation?
What practices have we used to expand and deepen our understanding of this path?
On a scale of 1 - 10, how confident am I that this path can help? Why is my number not 0?
What action steps from the Eightfold Path have worked for me? (or I am curious to try)

DHARMA FRIENDS - Sangha

By engaging in community with others on this path, we cultivate a supportive network with Dharma Friends and Mentors.

INQUIRIES

What is an indicator that this might be a safe place to begin healing?
What would you look for in a peer in recovery?
What are some examples of your acting kindly towards others and yourself?
How do you recognize and cultivate dharma friendships that are supportive and healing?
How can engaging in dharma friendships cultivate curiosity, kindness, compassion and renunciation?
How have others found dharma friends and mentors?

TRUTH

We practice by reading, listening, meditating, inquiring and checking in with our dharma friends about the insights expressed from Buddhist teachings and how it relates to our harmful and repetitive behaviors

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

Renunciation Practice with the 4 Truths

First - Ground in refuges: such as breath & body, wise friends, mentors, or teachings. Then:
1. Review the harms that have been connected to your intoxicating and addictive behaviors and substances.
2. Explore the causes and conditions that led to those harms.
3. Wonder about what freedom from this suffering might look or feel like.
4. Engage in practices to cultivate freedom.

RENUNCIATION INQUIRIES

How has understanding the truths of suffering been helpful in recovery?
What Is renunciation mean/ What does it look like?
In what ways do you relate to the story of Buddha's Awakening and practice?
What is an example of a moment when you was awake from trance? If you can't think of any, how would you imagine it looks like?
Can you depend upon your curiosity and compassion to help you explore and sit with difficulties, such a craving, resentment, anxiety, and doubt?
With the support of the teachings, can you deepen your understanding of how your harmful and repetitive behaviors cause or contribute to your difficulties?
With the support of community can you begin to explore patterns of harm
- Can you envision what a practice of renunciation might look like?
- Can you recognize ways that you have already demonstrated hope, resilience and wisdom in relation to your harmful and repetitive behaviors in the past or in the present?
In what ways might the Eightfold path serve to deepen and strengthen your practice with letting go of harmful and repetitive behaviors?

1. THERE IS SUFFERING INQUIRIES

With this inquiry - even more than most - give yourself support by staying in touch with sangha friends, and with meditation - including loving kindness, compassiona and feeling tone.
Where, in my body, do I feel unpleasant, pleasant, or neutral sensations? Do the sensations shift and change? Are they impermanent?
What habits (intoxicating behaviors or substances) do I use to avoid uncomfortable sensations?
What harms or difficulties have resulted from my inoxicating habits, behaviors and substances?
How have my use of intoxicating behaviors and substances caused harm to myself and others?

2. THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING INQUIRIES

Practice with meditations: Compassion and Mindfulness of Emotions. Listen to talks and meditations related to the topics.
Journal in response to the prompts below:
- Do you notice that craving, aversion, worry and doubt are present underneath your difficult emotions? Where and how do you experience it in your body?
- Do craving, aversion, worry and doubt increase the suffering of difficult situations?
- What people or practices have helped you in the past to cope with craving, aversion, worry and doubt?
Use responses from the prompts as the ground to repeat the meditations of Compassion and Mindfulness of Emotions
Stay in touch with dharma friends and mentors through out this practice.

3. THE END OF SUFFERING INQUIRIES

Can I imagine, or do I believe it is possible to find an end suffering? Even temporarily?
Who might I be without this suffering? (craving, aversion, delusion, worry, doubt etc.)
What are some practices that might help, or have helped in the past, to relieve mys
virtuous actions result in happiness and un-virtuous actions result in suffering
happiness and suffering are entirely up to me, based on how you choose to respond to your experiences
What are some of the practices you have used, or might use, to cultivate wise friends?
Ho does the practice of cultivating wise friends helps you strengthen your ability to act wisely with others?

4. THE PATH Inquiries

How have you developed wisdom, ethical practice, and concentration as far as you can in any given moment?
How have you , or might you , use the Eightfold Path as a guide to practice and deepening experience?
What do you imagine a lifelong journey of growth and awakening might look like?

INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING

We practice by reading, listening, meditating, inquiring and checking in with our dharma friends about the insights expressed from Buddhist teachings and how it relates to our harmful and repetitive behaviors

UNDERSTANDING

Through study, inquiry and mediation, we deepen our understanding that:

Everything in life is impermanent
Everything that is happening in this moment results from the causes and conditions that precede it
The story that we tell ourselves, and others, about our relationship with our harmful and repetitive behaviors is not a solid and unchanging as it may seem

We take time and make space to inquire with curiosity and specificity around our relationship with and behaviors.

INQUIRIES

What evidence can you see in your own life that indicates that there might be a different path for you?
How might insight into your experiences help you to recover?
How might the teaching of Impermanence help with cravings and recovery?
Can you bring a sense of compassion and forgiveness to your pas actions that led you to engage in harmful and repetitive behaviors?
How does holding on to a story line about your self or your actions lead you back to harmful and repetitive behaviors?
Is there a metaphor from Buddhist teachers that helps you to step back from or begin to loosen your grip on your story about yourself and your harmful and repetitive behaviors? (Waves & Ocean | Space Suit | Mountain | Emptiness | Impersonal | Drop the Story line etc.)
What is the truth of this situation?

INTENTION

With support of our community and with inquiry practice we begin to cultivate our connection to our deepest intentions of compassion, kindness and forgiveness
With this connection, we are able to look honestly at the unwholesome intentions that fuel our harmful and repetitive behaviors
With insights from this inquiry, we find ourselves more connected, and able to practice, with honesty, generosity and trust in ourselves, the teachings and in our community

INQUIRIES

When you take a moment to sit with yourself, what intentions are manifesting in your thoughts or behaviors?
Can you sit with an allow these intentions to be in this moment?
Can you inquire and deepen your understanding of these intentions?
- Where are they felt in the body?
- What do they want or need from you? Is there a deeper intention or need underneath the first ones that presented themselves?
- How do these intentions manifest or drive your harmful and repetitive behaviors?
Is it possible to shift your relationship with these intentions?
- Bring compassion, kindness or forgiveness?
- Let go of your identifying with them?
- Continue to listen deeply with insight?
- What evidence exists that you bring wisdom and strength to this process?
If you can't think of any, what talks might you listen to, or friends might you ask for their insights?

VIRTUE AND ETHICAL ACTION

We continue our practices of meditation, study and connecting with wise friends as we cultivate our ability to act and respond wisely with our harmful and repetitive behaviors

SPEECH

We review and become more familiar with our practices of speech as it applies to our harmful and repetitive behaviors. With this aspect of the practice, the teachings serve directly as the inquiries.

INQUIRIES:

Are we aware of the intentions of your communication around our harmful and repetitive behaviors?
- When engaged with your harmful and repetitive behaviors do we practice self-defending, gossiping or attacking?
- Are there times when the seemingly opposite has been true: That we have we been able to listen to others fully with compassion and kindness before speaking?
When has your speech around your harmful and repetitive behaviors been honest / dishonest? Have there been times when it has been been shaped by manipulation, omission, or straight forward lies that that are told to both self and others?
Even if it is honest, does engagement with harmful or repetitive behaviors have an impact on tone of speech as harsh or kind, with self and others?
Does untimely speech lead to harmful or repetitive behaviors. Does participating in harmful and repetitive behaviors lead to untimely speech?
- Is it true?
- Is it kind?
- Does it need to be said now?
- Does it need to be said by me?

We meditate on teachings about wise action, We explore with curiosity if there is any connection at all and if there are harmful consequences from our relationship with and actions around our harmful and repetitive behaviors

Causing harm to living beings
Taking the not freely offered
Sexual Misconduct
Dishonesty
Intoxicating substances and behaviors

Because this is such a potentially large shift, we continually bring compassion, forgiveness and kindness to this particular inquiry. We allow time and space for awareness to arise and for change to manifest as is needed.

INQUIRIES

Are there any harmful behaviors that you have engaged in - the past or present - especially around your harmful and repetitive behaviors?
Is it possible for you to begin to shift your relationship with these behaviors through the practice of bringing compassion and forgiveness to yourself?
Is it possible for you to connect with, remember and cultivate a belief in your deepest intentions of kindness, curiosity, generosity, refuge and equanimity?
Can you think of one alternative action to take as a practice of alternative action?

LIVELIHOOD

We learn more about, and inquire if, our paid or service work involves trade that would

Kill or cause physical harm to living beings
Kill or trade in living beings
Buy or sell weapons or poison
Buy or sell intoxicating substances or activities

We our livelihood does not, we explore if we engage with others whose livelihood depends on harm.

INQUIRIES

In what ways to your paid work, your volunteer work or your engagement with merchants and services for your household result in harmful livelihood for yourself and others?
Do your repetitive behaviors increase this harmful activity?
Do these harmful livelihood actions increase your repetitive behaviors?

CONCENTRATION

We engage in practices that cultivate our ability to let go, to recognize our efforts to control difficulties around our harmful and repetitive behaviors. We cultivate understanding that this practice requires both effort and concentration as well as the capacity to let go and allow this moment to arise just as it is.

EFFORT

We listen, read, meditate, inquire and check in with friends to deepen our understanding of wise effort.

Prevent the the arising of new unwholesome thoughts and behaviors
Become aware of and let go of (renunciation) of unwholesome thoughts and behaviors that have already arisen
Cultivate, strengthen and expand wholesome thoughts and actions

Like impermanence, these truths at first seem obvious and shallow. Many of us have discovered that leaning into these teachings with curiosity and compassion helps us to explore our own relationship to these fundamental truths.

INQUIRIES

What are some behaviors that are causing harm to yourself and others?
What action have you taken, or can you take, to make more connections with others on this path?
What is something new you have learned so far through reading, meetings or listening to talks?
What are the unwholesome thoughts and actions that arise as harmful and repetitive behaviors in your life?
Are there harmful and repetitive behaviors that you would like to practice letting go of?
Have there been times when you have been able to let go of harmful and repetitive behaviors?

MINDFULNESS

We explore with curiosity, kindness and compassion our experiences through the foundations:

Body
Breath
Emotions
Thoughts
Feeling tone
Mind / Process

As we learn more and engage in practices of meditation and self care, we find that our capacity to allow our experiences to arise and pass. Some of us are surprised to see how much we avoid uncomfortable or neutral body sensations, emotions and thoughts; and conversely how strongly we client to pleasant ones.

INQUIRIES

In what way might mindfulness practices help with healing or shifting your relationship with your harmful and repetitive behaviors?

CONCENTRATION

We engage in various practices that help us focus and ground ourselves so that we are more able to allow our experience to arise in the context of compassion and equanimity. some examples include:

Foundations
Heart Practices (Intentions)
Mantras
Songs
Reading
Listening
Mindful Yoga
Nature Walks
DBT Grounding exercises

For foundations: Breath and body sensations start as focuses of concentration, but then unfold and rest in calm, kind awareness

INQUIRIES

Are there practices that have been helpful in the past to heal or shift your engagement in or relationship to your harmful and repetitive behaviors?
Are there practices that you would like to try?
Can you think of any internal or external resources to support your engaging in new practice activities?

OTHER RESOURCES

Teachings and insights around defining and working with harmful and repetitive behaviors from other recovery sources

DEFINE HARMFUL AND REPETITIVE

General Examples

Buddhism:
- Inquiry: Four Noble Truths
- Intention: Creed / Craving / Attachment; Hatred / Resentment; Delusion; Sloth; Worry; Doubt
- Speech: Dishonest, Gossip, unnecessary, unkind, untimely
- Action: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, unwise speech, intoxicating behaviors and substances

Psychology

General Information about Substance Use Disorder
Cost Benefits Lists

Recovery Communities

DEFINE SOBRIETY

Buddhism
- Inquiry: Eightfold Path
- Intention: Content, Appreciative joy, Compassion, Kindness, Action, Trust, Confidence, Honesty, Renunciation
- Action : Engage in daily practices that lead to Letting go, Refraining and Renouncing harmful speech, behavior and livelihood

Therapeutic Models

Value Lists
Psychoeeducation

12 Step Communities

100% Abstinence - AA, NA, CA, HA, CMA, MA, etc
Three Circles (A personalized definition of "Sobriety") - Sex Addicts Anonymous
Solvency - Debtors Anonymous
Life skills of Recovery
Spending plan
Action Plan
Bottom Lines, Middle Lines, Top Lines (Much like 3 Circles) - Internet Tech Addicts Anonymous
Plan of eating - (Food) OA

PRACTICE | TOOLS

Buddhism

Refuge

Buddha; Meditation, Inquiry, Cultivate awareness of existing resilience, wisdom, compassion, joy and generosity
Dharma: Read texts, listen to Dharma Talks
Sangha: Attend meetings, make out reach texts and calls, form Dharma Friendships and Dharma Circles

Inquiry:

Take Refuge
Engage in Inquiry practice through reading, listening, meditating, writing responses to inquiry questions or sharing thoughts with friends about inquiry questions

Therapy

Healing Trauma
Life Skills: support systems, distress tolerance, financial, household, medical care etc.

12 Step Recovery

Abstain
Go to meetings
Get a Sponsorship
Do Step Work
Engage in special recovery practices and tools

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