A Burning Desire – Dharma God & The Path of Recovery

A Burning Desire
(now Buddhism & the Twelve Steps: HIGHER POWER) 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.

Find it on Amazon.

EXCERPTS from the book A Burning Desire:

  1. Introduction
  2. The Higher Power of Mindfulness
  3. Turning It Over

REVIEWS for the book A Burning Desire:

Silicon Alleys Finding the Path Dec 23, 2009 – by Gary Singh

SF Examiner website, a piece on Dharma and Recovery.

From Jackson Griffith’s blog.

ENDORSEMENTS

“A truly helpful bridge between the power of 12 step work and the power of the Dharma.”

– Jack Kornfield, Author of The Wise Heart.

“In this wise, compassionate and courageous “Big Book”, Kevin Griffin has swung wide the doors between the church basement and the meditation hall. His gentle voice speaks, with clarity and love, to new generations of addicts seeking freedom and awakening. A Burning Desire promises to be the seminal text for the recovery community of the 21st century!”

– William Alexander, story teller, and author of Cool Water: Alcoholism, Mindfulness and Ordinary Recovery

“A Burning Desire is a much needed addition to the growing field of Buddhism and recovery. Kevin is a master at building bridges between the 12-Steps and Buddhism. I highly recommend this book to anyone in recovery that is interested in Buddhism!“

– Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and Against the Stream

“There are many parallels between 12-Step programs and Buddhist approaches to addiction recovery. Kevin Griffin gives a personal and powerful account of how these concepts have helped him. I highly recommend it as a landmark book in the path of recovery.”

– G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., University of Washington, author of Relapse Prevention and Assessment of Addictive Behaviors

“Kevin Griffin’s original burning desire was for alcohol, but it is now to share his hard won wisdom with the world. This book is a gift to us all.”

– Roger Walsh, MD, Ph.D., University of California Medical School, author of Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices

“Kevin Griffin’s new book Burning Desire: Dharma God and The Path of Recovery is a  beautiful interweaving of two vital paths of healing, ancient Buddhist teachings and the modern Twelve Step tradition.  The book is seasoned with well chosen stories of the author’s personal journey to recovery. He unfolds the concepts of God and a Higher Power, so central to the Twelve Step tradition, so that they become not just accessible, but deeply meaningful to those who may have found the image of a grandfather God difficult or confusing. It’s a book to be read and re-read, to be owned and loaned, and to be given as a welcome gift to anyone in the recovery.”

– Jan Chozen Bays, Abbott, Great Vow Zen Monastery, Author: Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful  Relationship with Food  and Jizo Bodhisattva: Guardian of Children, Travelers and Other Voyagers.