Welcome | Opening

OPENING

To begin the meeting, Chairperson rings bell once and reads:

Welcome to this meeting of ______.

We are gathered to explore a Buddhist-inspired approach to recovery from addiction of all kinds. We are peer-led and do not follow any one leader or teacher, instead putting our trust in the three jewels of Buddhism:

• We take refuge in the Buddha - The potential for our own awakening

• We take refuge in the Dharma - The path to freedom, as shared in the teachings

• We take refuge in the Sangha - The community of wise friends on this path

This is a program of empowerment and doesn’t ask us to believe in anything other than our own potential to change and heal.

We have found a guide for our recovery in the Buddhist teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and we invite you to investigate these practices and principles as tools for your own path of liberation from the suffering of addiction.

We understand that this is not the only path to recovery and many may choose to combine these practices with other recovery programs.

My name is _____ and I am the facilitator of this meeting. I am not a Buddhist teacher, nor do I have a particular authority in this meeting. I am a member of this community and have volunteered to help lead our meeting and discussion today.