A Burning Desire: Dharma God and the Path of Recovery
By Kevin Griffin

Hay House 2010

HAY HOUSE CATALOG COPY

A Burning Desire is a gift for those who struggle with the Twelve Step program’s focus on the need to surrender to a Higher Power. Taking a radical departure from traditional views of God, Western or Eastern, author Kevin Griffin neither accepts Christian beliefs in a Supreme Being nor Buddhist non-theism, but rather forges a refreshing, sensible, and accessible Middle Way. Griffin shows how the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, can be understood as a Higher Power. Karma, mindfulness, impermanence, and the Eightfold Path itself are revealed as powerful forces that can be accessed through meditation and inquiry.

Drawing from his own experiences with substance abuse, rehabilitation, and recovery, Griffin looks at the various ways that meditation and spiritual practices helped deepen his experience of sobriety. His personal story of addiction is not only raw, honest and engrossing, but guides readers to an inquiry of their own spirituality. In doing so, he poses profound questions, including:

• How can I understand God from a Buddhist perspective?
• How can I “turn my will and my life over” as a Buddhist?
• How can this idea of God “remove my shortcomings”?
• How do I “improve my conscious contact” with this God?
• How do I learn this God’s “will”?

BOOK JACKET COPY

I felt that if I was going to make the claim that Buddhism and the Twelve Steps could work together, then God, an idea that is at the center of the Steps, had to be
understandable through the Dharma.

            Blending ancient, eastern religious practices with contemporary, secularized insight, A Burning Desire addresses the core struggles people suffering from addictive and compulsive behaviors face on the road to recovery. In this book, meditation teacher and author of One Breath at a Time Kevin Griffin explores the ways in which the Twelve Step idea of God or Higher Power can be understood from a Buddhist perspective.
The Twelve Steps’ emphasis on God often frustrates those who consider themselves agnostic or atheist. Yet in suggesting we surrender to a force greater than ourselves, the Steps open a way into freedom from addiction that is both powerful and effective. Griffin’s insight is that the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, can be understood as a power itself, one that can serve the same purpose as God in working with the Steps. He shows how the teachings on karma, mindfulness, impermanence, suffering, love, and many more can act as guides and supports in the process of recovery. Deepening our awareness through Buddhist meditation practices allows us to loosen the destructive thought patterns and behaviors that bind us, helps us to reflect on our lives,  and ultimately guides us to a new way of living, free from clinging and self-hatred.
Drawing from his past experiences with substance abuse, Griffin offers an honest look at the harrowing effects of drug and alcohol dependence, the illuminating path to redemption, and the fulfillment that can be found in a spiritual solution.

For most people the debate over God or no God is largely theoretical. For people in 12 Step programs it can be a question of life or death. A Burning Desire speaks to these people in the voice of reason and compassion.

Bio:
Kevin Griffin is an innovator in the field of addiction and treatment whose work integrating Buddhism with the Twelve Steps has sparked a widespread mindful recovery movement. His broad-ranging influence has reached from traditional treatment institutions like the Hazelden Foundation to Buddhist centers of all stripes, and centers for wellness and personal growth, like the Omega Institute and Kripalu Center.  His first book One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps is a staple in the recovery community, and his new book, A Burning Desire: Dharma God and the Path of Recovery has been anxiously anticipated for its exploration of the Higher Power question.  Kevin has been featured on American Public Media’s “Speaking of Faith,” Beliefnet.com, and Alternative Medicine Magazine.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT A BURNING DESIRE:

Q: Why did you write this book?
A: In my teaching, the biggest question that comes up is how to deal with the concept of a Higher Power or God that the Twelve Steps emphasize so much. People in our culture who either aren’t Christian or feel alienated by God are put off by the language of the Steps, and it makes it very tough for them to be at meetings and work a program. I want to offer a view of God that isn’t based on faith or the idea of a supreme being, but in readily observable powers like karma, mindfulness, and impermanence.

Q: Is there a God in Buddhism?
A: It depends on what you call God. If you feel bound to the mythic version of the Abrahamic tradition of the dominant Western religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, then, of course, Buddhism doesn’t have that God, since it didn’t grow out of that tradition. But if you are open to the possibility that all religions are essentially looking for truth, and that the ultimate truth is God, then Buddhism certainly does have God. Some people will object to this definition, like the skeptics who come to Buddhism to get away from God, but as Karen Armstrong points out, definitions change; that’s the nature of language and the human mind. Isn’t God the power behind everything? And isn’t that what the Dharma is? It may take some rewiring of our cognitive processes—for instance, using the word “it” to refer to God—but soon we might be able to accept that God is not some bearded figure reaching out of the clouds to bring life to Adam, but something more subtle, complex, and real.
Q: What is “Dharma God”
A: Dharma means Truth or the laws of nature. Dharma God is a God founded in the Highest Truth, the natural law. Buddhism holds truth as its highest ideal; the Buddha’s teachings are called “Buddha Dharma.”

Q: Do you believe in God?
A: For me it’s not a matter of belief. The truth of the Law of Karma is self-evident; I directly experience the power of mindfulness everyday; the truth of impermanence is obvious. All of these and many other aspects of the Dharma are clearly powerful and out of my control. I have to live in harmony with them or I pay the price. That’s not belief, it’s reality.

Q: How does meditation help people in recovery?
A: Mindfulness meditation has value in two distinct ways for people in recovery. First as a way to bring some calm and serenity into the heart and mind. People in recovery, especially newcomers, experience a lot of stress, and having a regular meditation practice goes a long way toward reducing that stress. The second way mindfulness meditation helps is by giving us insight into our destructive mental and emotional habits. When we take time to carefully watch our thoughts, we begin to see how we create many of our own problems, and we learn to let go.

Q: Can this book help people who aren’t in a 12 Step program?
A: I hope to be part of the larger discussion about God in our culture that began with the first salvos from neo-atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins and is now being joined on the other side by Karen Armstrong and others. The definition of what the word God means has been dominated by a small cadre of hardcore, fundamentalists, and the mainstream culture has come to accept that definition, which is really a caricature the traditional understanding of the word. Buddhists in general, at least in the West, often either ignore the question of God or assume that it has no relevance to Buddhism. I think we lose something when we eliminate this word from our spiritual work.

ONE BREATH AT A TIME: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps

By Kevin Griffin

RODALE PRESS CATALOG COPY

What would the Buddha say to an alcoholic or addict? What could those in recovery offer to the Buddhist path? Kevin Griffin has immersed himself in the Buddhist and Twelve Step traditions, and in One Breath at a Time he gives some surprising and inspiring answers to these questions.

The author, a Buddhist meditation teacher and longtime Twelve Step practitioner, weaves his personal story of recovery with traditional Buddhist teachings. The book takes us on a journey through the Steps, examining critical Twelve Step ideas like Powerlessness, Higher Power, and Moral Inventory through the lens of Buddhism. One Breath at a Time presents potent ancient techniques for finding calm and clarity and offers a vision of a Higher Power not tied to traditional Western Judeo-Christian concepts.

One Breath at a Time, describes the convergence of two vital traditions, one ancient, the other contemporary, and shows how they are working together to create a rich spiritual path for our times.

Certain to resonate with both meditators and those whose mantra is "One day at a time," One Breath at a Time should find a large, welcoming audience.

With millions of members all over the world, Twelve Step recovery programs are one of the most popular means of overcoming addiction. An almost endless variety of people-alcoholics, drug addicts, overeaters, compulsive gamblers, sex addicts, debtors, codependents, and more-have found comfort and hope in the Twelve Steps. However, as early as Step Two-"Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity"-many people fighting a battle with the idea of a Higher Power encounter a serious stumbling block. How can those struggling with traditional Western-Judeo concepts of faith utilize the Twelve Steps in their battle against addiction?

PRESS RELEASE

ONE BREATH AT A TIME: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps (Rodale; June 2004), by Kevin Griffin, a Buddhist meditation teacher and longtime Twelve Step practitioner, explores the possibility of integrating the wisdom and practices of Buddhism with traditional Twelve Step methods. What makes Buddhism and the Twelve Steps so compatible? The Buddha said that the cause of suffering is desire, and the Twelve Steps try to heal people from desire gone mad: addiction. This connection is the gateway into integrating the two systems.

Throughout ONE BREATH AT A TIME, Kevin Griffin takes us with him to the devastating low points of addiction and the inspired moments of recovery. These personal experiences are examined from the perspectives of both Buddhism and the Twelve Steps to reveal valuable and far-reaching insights. Melding Buddhist and Twelve Step values, Kevin demonstrates the important connections between spirituality and sobriety. The resulting message of hope and possibility is a powerful tool for addicts and non-addicts alike.

Steps One through Three begin the path to recovery. Weaving together Buddhist and Twelve Step principles, ONE BREATH AT A TIME discusses:

• The Buddhist belief in an initial, purifying stage of spiritual development realized by living an ethical life, treating other and ourselves with kindness, and letting go of destructive behaviors
• The important difference between 'powerlessness' and 'helplessness'-and the role of Karma in finding happiness and freedom
• Meditation as a way to develop patience and overpower the demand for instant gratification
• Finding a personal, individual understanding of a 'power greater than ourselves' little by little, with no pressure

As addicts progress through the steps, the journey becomes more difficult. Steps Four through Nine require baring the soul, acknowledging failings, and eventually letting go and bringing closure to the past. ONE BREATH AT A TIME helps readers:

• Take an honest moral inventory-both through Buddhist mediation and the more formalized Twelve Step method
• Work against the five hindrances--Desire, Sloth and Torpor, Restlessness and Worry, and Skeptical Doubt-that impede sobriety and spirituality
• Undertake the five Buddhist training Precepts- especially 'to refrain from the misuse of intoxicants or substances such as alcohol or drugs that cause carelessness or loss of awareness
• Appreciate and make the most of the important fellowship found in Buddhist sitting groups and Twelve Step meetings
• Use meditation to identify character defects-and commit to letting go of destructive behaviors, negative thought patterns, and old ideas and expectations

The last three Steps stress the importance of maintaining the honesty, responsibility, and spiritual connection found in the previous Steps. The commitment to sobriety and spirituality must be renewed each day by:

• Forgiving ourselves for failings-both in meditation and everyday life
• Learning to enjoy the many pleasures and joys that life offers-without becoming addicted
• Using meditation as a tool for developing calm, acceptance, self-inquiry, and examination
• Practicing metta-learning to react with kindness rather than judgment or anger toward ourselves or others
• Recognizing the progress made toward spirituality and sobriety-and sharing these experiences to help others see possibility and hope

Throughout each stage of recovery, simple, but thorough, explanations of Buddhist beliefs and Twelve Step principles are accompanied by meditation exercises to help readers begin the challenging-but immeasurably rewarding-journey toward finding spirituality and sobriety ONE BREATH AT A TIME.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• Why did you write this book?
• What makes Buddhism and the Twelve Steps compatible?
• What is a Higher Power from a Buddhist perspective?
• What does "powerless" mean to a Buddhist? Are there conflicts between the Steps and Buddhism? What is Buddhist prayer? What does "moral inventory" mean for a Buddhist?
• How does the concept of "spiritual awakening" in the Steps compare with the Buddhist idea of enlightenment?
• How can the Twelve Steps be used by a Buddhist who isn't in recovery?
• In other words, are they useful if you aren't in a program? Is your book relevant for Twelve Step members who aren't alcoholics, like overeaters, gamblers, or adult children of alcoholics?
• Do Twelve Step members have any special difficulties in meditation?