The Twelve-Step Path? Mindfulness and Ethics in Buddhist Addiction Recovery Literature

Abstract

Buddhist recovery manuals, a genre that has emerged in the last 30 years, aim to use Buddhist ideas and practices to address the challenges of addiction. These books draw on classical Buddhist thought and Twelve-Step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Both of these influences share the framework of a step-wise path of transformation from a state of maladaptive compulsion to a state of freedom. This article analyzes the paths laid out by these Buddhist recovery manuals and compares them to classical Buddhist and Twelve-Step paths. This comparison demonstrates that Buddhist recovery manuals creatively draw on classical Buddhism and Twelve-Step but also differ from them in important ways as they re-imagine a path from addiction to recovery. This article documents the growing genre of Buddhist recovery manuals, thus expanding our understanding of Anglophone Buddhism and providing substance abuse professionals with a knowledge of the Buddhist recovery landscape. The article also argues that Buddhist recovery manuals differ from classical Buddhism by emphasizing meditation at the beginning of the path, rather than placing it after training in giving and ethical discipline.