Addiction

The best way to understand what samsara feels like might be to reflect upon our addictions. Compulsive behavior can take many forms: eating, shopping, or cultivating thought patterns. Even going to the gym can be addictive, as we sometimes turn ordinarily healthy habits into self-destructive obsessions. This Tricycle e-book offers Buddhist wisdom and advice from over a dozen teachers on addiction and recovery.* “Leaning into Rawness,” by Trudy Walter* “Bare Bones Meditation,” by Joan Tollifson* “A Glob of Tar,” by Upasika Kee Nanayon* “Confessions of a Dharma Punk,” by Noah Levine* “Eating and the Wheel of Life,” by Sandra Weinberg* “Sunset Boulevard,” by Erik Hansen* “The Dignity of Restraint,” by Thanissaro Bhikkhu* “For a Mouthful of Grass,” by Shantideva* “Drink and a Man,” by Joan Duncan Oliver* “The Merry-Go-Round of Desire,” an interview with Mark Epstein* “Feeding Your Demons,” by Tsultrim Allione* “The Non-Use of Intoxicants,” by Nancy Baker* “Recovery and the Fifth Precept,” by Don Lattin* “Just Shut Up,” an interview with Robert Chodo Campbell