PreRecovery - What is Addiction - Buddhism

 

In a scholarly article posted on the Religions web page in 2014, Paramabandhu Groves discussed the Buddhist Approaches to Addiction Recovery.    Paramabandhu Groves is a consultant psychiatrist working in the National Health Service in London, United Kingdom. He has lived and taught at the London Buddhist Centre for over twenty years. 

Much of this post is based on his article, and the teachings of Fred Eppsteiner.  

It is known that The Buddha was aware of addiction and commented on the affliction over 2600 years ago.  The Buddha's main focus was on relieving suffering. He saw addiction as part of suffering.

The core teaching of the Buddha are comprised of Four Noble Truths, The first states: "Suffering or not being satisfied exists The second states: Craving is the source of suffering.  My prerecovery self could clearly identify with those statements.  What about you?

Part of his teaching was offering Five Moral Precepts or rules for living. These are similar to the Judeo/Christian 10 Commandments. The fifth Moral Precept (rules for living) states: I understand and obey the rule to abstain from intoxicants as tending to cloud the mind. Thich Nhat Hahn offers a modern approach to this concept including unwholesome foods,  He says in part "I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. It is up to the individual to determine what is an intoxicant. However, in monasteries, the monks vow to abstain from alcohol and from consuming food that will cause mind clouding. Most monks are vegetarians, and some monasteries prohibit the consumption meat and "pungent vegetables" such as garlic, onion, leeks, shallots as this items mind produce choleric thinking. 

So much for a hamburger with caramelized onions. 

Tibetan Buddhism has as a symbolic representation of craving:  The Hungry Ghost.This being is driven by intense cravings expressed in a vitriolic and animal way.  The ghost has a pin shaped mouth, and a large belly. The Ghost is always hungry or thirsty.  When food or drink finally enters the belly, it is filled with ulcer like pain.  This powerful image of addiction kept me from picking up during the early years of recovery.  I did not want to go back to the Kingdom of the Hungry Ghosts. 

 

look for image hungry ghost public domain/ 




 




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