Buddhism and Addiction

Buddhism and Addiction

Buddhism is one of the major world religions. At the same time, many followers do not view it as a religion; some people would describe themselves as atheist Buddhists.

The Way Out of Suffering

Buddhist teachings aim to show people how to escape suffering. Those who have dealt with a severe addiction will already know plenty about how uncomfortable life can become. It is optional to become a Buddhist to benefit from the teachings of the Buddha. This philosophy provides some interesting ideas for why people become addicted in the first place and how they can escape this misery. Buddhist practices such as mindfulness meditation can be of great value to people trying to build a life of sobriety.

Origins of Buddhism

Buddhism originated in India around 500 BCE. It is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as “Buddha” after his enlightenment.

Many, and perhaps most Buddhists, do not consider the Buddha to have been a god. The teachings can be followed as a philosophy or a religion.

Since his death, there have been many different types of Buddhism. These differ in how they interpret various elements of the original teachings, and the culture in which they originated also impacts them. There are believed to be around 500 million followers of Buddhism in the world today.

Teachings of Buddhism

The fundamental teachings of Buddhism are the four noble truths and the Eightfold Path. The four noble truths offer a diagnosis and a remedy for the problems of life and include:

  1. There is suffering.
  2. Cravings or attachments are the root cause of suffering.
  3. It is possible to overcome suffering.
  4. The way to overcome suffering is to follow the eightfold path.

The Eightfold Path consists of the following:

  • Right view means understanding the four noble truths.
  • Right intention means having the motivation to escape suffering.
  • Right action involves not doing things that will harm other sentient beings.
  • Right speech refers to not hurting others with words; it includes gossiping or malicious talk.
  • Right livelihood means not having a job that causes harm to other sentient beings.
  • Right concentration involves developing enough focus in the mind to understand mental processes better.
  • Right mindfulness means observing thoughts, feelings, and body sensations.
  • Right effort involves putting enough energy into the Eightfold Path to produce results.

Most individuals will have no problem agreeing that their life is not as good as it could be. The Buddha revealed that the reason for discomfort is the three characteristics of reality, which are:

  • Impermanence means that things are constantly changing. Humans can find change threatening, but it is unavoidable.
  • Non-self is the idea that humans do not exist in the way they think they do. The Buddha invited people to examine themselves to see if they could find something that could be called a self. For example, if thoughts were part of the self, the individual could control them fully.
  • Suffering is another characteristic of existence, and it occurs because of impermanence and the reality of non-self.

The Buddha did not want people to accept his teachings without evidence. He invited everyone to do some investigation to see if they could see the truth in his words. In the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha warned people not to believe in things because:

  • It is traditional to believe in it
  • Respectable people have spoken the information
  • They respect the teacher
  • They have heard the claim repeatedly
  • Because it is written in the scripture
  • Because an expert provides the information
  • Because of the individual’s personal biases
  • If it involves suppositional reasoning, it involves too many supposes.
  • It is news or rumour

Only when the individual personally knows something to be true should they accept it.

Buddhism and Addiction

The Buddha identified craving and attachment as the leading causes of suffering. Addiction can be described as a severe type of attachment.

The driving force behind addiction is the desire to avoid pain and experience pleasure. If people can overcome their attachment, this will allow them to beat their addiction. This means that for followers of the Buddha, the core of the teachings offers a path away from alcohol or drug abuse.

How the Buddhist Teachings Can Help Addicts

The teachings of Buddhism can be of value to addicts in several ways:

  • Buddhism explains why people become addicted in the first place. This description does not suggest that the individual is a bad person. They are merely deluded, just as are most other humans. Addicts can spend a great deal of time wondering about the source of their affection, and this philosophy offers a good explanation.
  • These teachings do more than describe the causes of addiction. More importantly, it also offers a path away from abuse.
  • Mindfulness meditation can be an excellent technique for helping people better understand their inner landscape. The driving force behind addiction exists in the deluded mind, and by becoming mindful, the individual will become less enslaved to these forces.
  • Insight meditation is a path to fully understanding the human condition. The meaning of life is a subject that troubles many addicts. Insight meditation may provide answers to these questions.
  • Addicts can be full of anger and resentment. If they cannot let go of these negative emotions, it can prevent them from progressing in sobriety. It also increases the likelihood that they will relapse. Loving-kindness meditation can help individuals overcome their anger and let go of the past.
  • The eightfold path can be used as a program of recovery. It will help the individual build a good life away from addiction.
  • Addicts are usually self-absorbed people; the only person that they seem to care about is themselves. Buddhism offers a path away from this obsession with selfhood.

Buddhism and the 12 Steps

Nothing can stop an individual from combining Buddhism with the 12 Steps; the two are pretty compatible. One of the reasons why the 12 Steps have become so popular is that they are non-denominational; this means that people from all backgrounds can follow them.

There are many similarities between the 12 Steps and the Eightfold Path, including:

  • Both of these approaches agree that denial of reality is a problem
  • They also agree that the answer to addiction is notwillpower
  • Both philosophies promote the idea of letting go
  • Both paths mention meditation as an essential element of spiritual life
  • Both agree that obsession with self is damaging

If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction, click www.hopetrustindia.com for an online or in-clinic appointment with an expert.