About this Episode:
Buddhism and the 12 steps is an enlightening conversation about the integration of Buddhist teachings, philosophy and practice and how in coincides with the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
There is no question we are searching for something in active addiction and for many of us that search continues to live on in our being well into our lives in recovery.
Key Points:
5:15 – Addicts are searching for something
5:30 – The search for spirituality is recovery
5:32 – Buddhism & The 12 Steps
5:50 – The ongoing search for spirituality
6:05 – The thirst for (alcoholic) spirits can returned toward reaching a higher spirit
12:41 – The realization drug’s & alcohol are really crippling me
16:10 – Who cares if you’re alcoholic or not
18:29 – Working the steps & practicing Buddhism
20:40 – Unemployed to published author
24:40 – People are in recovery but not experiencing true peace & freedom
25:02 – Step 11 leads us to the fullness of spiritual life
28:20 – Stress & Trauma “learning to let go”
29:00 – When we can Interrupt the patterns with mindfulness healing can happen
35:45 – Changing relationships with your thoughts
40:40 – Seeing out problems with new eyes
41:30 – Doing your first inventory – Being careful not to self judge
42:20 – Seeing through the lens of Dharma
45:40 – Spirit can only be found in the present moment -“making conscious contact”
47:10 – A spiritual awakening in real time
51:20 – Accessing God within YOU
52:40 – Thy will be done is not a will outside of you but within you
54:00 – Freedom from suffering
55:15 – We can’t avoid our pain but learn to face it.
About Kevin Griffin:
Kevin Griffin is best known as the author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps. He has published five other books and is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and 12 Step participant. He is a leader in the mindful recovery movement and one of the founders of the Buddhist Recovery Network. Kevin has trained with the leading Western Vipassana teachers, among them Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Ajahn Amaro. His teacher training was as a Community Dharma Leader at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County, CA.
Kevin teaches internationally in Buddhist centers, treatment centers, professional conferences, and academic settings. He specializes in helping people in recovery connect with meditation and a progressive understanding of the 12 Steps. His events range from evening classes, to daylong workshops, and longer silent retreats.
Connect with Kevin Griffin:
Website & Books: https://www.kevingriffin.net/
Kevin’s Upcoming Events: https://www.kevingriffin.net/events/
