by Kevin Griffin
A recovery workbook for individuals and groups
available at https://www.createspace.com/4580491
In June 2013, we had the privilege of hosting Kevin Griffin for an evening Dharma talk and a daylong meditation workshop at a beautiful temple here in Woodinville, WA. It was a great success for our organization and the participants raved about their experience for quite a time afterwards. One of the things I had the opportunity to discuss with Kevin was our mutual goal of working to provide more guidelines for facilitators of Buddhist recovery groups, and materials for study for the practitioners to help them develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be Buddhist in recovery from addiction. In our Buddhist recovery groups, members study the practices laid out by the Buddha to get to know our addicted minds and let go of our addictive behaviors. But Buddhist recovery is still just a baby, (well, maybe a toddler at this point) but growing every day into pretty much unchartered territory. Kevin is one of the modern Western meditation teachers to have lived the experience of blending his 12 step AA recovery program with his study of Buddhist teachings. He recognizes the need to develop guidelines to help the Buddhist recovery practitioner to go beyond just sitting in groups and discussing Dharma related to recovery, but to develop practical tools to move forward on a clear path of maintaining our sobriety.
This new book is just that, not just a book to study and read in groups, but a workbook to deepen our understanding and provide a path laid out by someone who has walked it and had positive results. On Kevin’s blog http://kevingriffin.blogspot.com, he provides that for us in a language that is accessible and thought provoking. I love the exercises at the end of the chapters, which engage me into taking action, which is something that works in the AA tradition that we want to incorporate into the Buddhist Recovery program. Creating this tool for the Buddhist recovery community is invaluable as we move forward in promoting this healing path.
If you are a group facilitator and wish to start a study group around this book, contact Kevin at www.kevingriffin.net for a discount on purchasing 10 or more workbooks. Let him know that you are with Northwest Buddhist Recovery!
