It’s a strong book, might leave him feeling more awakened for a bit before a response.
I think it’s very nice of you to introduce him to it, I’m sure a little time or in the near future it will become beneficial and be something that grows.
You have given the seed and it’s just time to grow maybe 
Very true. Just like when we talk to other alcoholics…all we can do is tell our story and plant the seed.
Thank you for reminding me.
Been to an online meeting last night again. This time Refuge Recovery. A different vibe than Recovery Dharma but also buddhist based. There is something so powerful about these shared meditations and the shares after that. I never would have thought it to be so very different and so very impactful than sitting in meditation by myself.
I havent been to Refuge, but I heard the vibe is different. It is crazy the difference in shared vs by yourself meditation
I’ve been to neither, but I’m curious to know what is different between the two? There’s a Dharma in person meeting here in town on Monday night and I’ve been wanting to go for a hike but it hasn’t happened yet.
Thats cool! Would be great to hear your thoughts if you go.
I think @Soberbilly knows more about the differences per se.
As far as I understand it Refuge Recovery was created by Noah Levine. At some point some people decided to create a different group. That is Recovery Dharma. There are other buddhist based recovery groups and programs but they all are founded on the basic buddhist ideas of impermanence, dissatisfaction and craving.
I have not been to many meetings, so my experience is very limited. The vibes were definitely different.
Recovery Dharma felt to me like it a more trauma informed approach - if this makes any sense - very much focused on creating very safe spaces.
Refuge Recovery felt more ‘old-school’ but also much more visceral in a way.
I liked both. I am going to try out different meetings with differnt groups. I can imagine that at different times different groups make more sense.
Its cool you have plenty of options. Not many inperson meetings here. Ofcourse, that was back when i started looking and we were coming out of COVID.
I do them all online. There are no in-person meetings I know of around here. But online is nice. I can stay home and take care of my daughter.
I need take the jump to on line…lol. I have yet to.
This is something i need to work on. Rarely is my mind not racing
from “The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (Shambhala Pocket Classics)” by Thich Nhat Hanh, Melvin McLeod -
“Eat with gratitude. And when you put the piece of bread into your mouth, chew only your bread and not your projects, worries, fears, or anger. This is the practice of mindfulness. You chew mindfully and you know that you are chewing the bread, the wonderful nourishment of life. This brings you freedom and joy. Eat every morsel of your breakfast like that, not allowing yourself to be carried away from the experience of eating. This is a training.”
Start reading this book for free: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (Shambhala Pocke... - Kindle
I sort of forgot about it, but when I started my journey of Discovery close to five years ago I got the Refuge Recovery book, already interested in attending Buddhist Recovery meetings and not being satisfied with what I found in NA and AA. And was surprised to find that the organization in this country doing Buddhist Recovery was called Dharma Recovery (thinking it was the same as Refuge Recovery but it was not). And doing a little search and finding all this upheaval with lawsuits and allegations of abuse and misconduct; and rifts and schisma’s in the community. And being disappointed and disillusioned by that.
Then again, wherever there’s power structures there’s abuse of power, and misuse of trust, and why should Buddhists be any better than other people? There’s Buddhist fundamentalism and extremism too. Anyway, it did make me shy away from both Refuge and Dharma. Having refreshed my memory and having read some more about what happened I still feel quite some unease. I’ll try and keep it my very personal journey and thus try to learn what I can learn. I always been attracted to the Buddhist teachings. But I’m an anarchist at heart. Power corrupts per se, however noble the teachings and vocations may be. Needed that of my chest. Sorry for interrupting your process.
I read about all of that too. I wish I had more input, as I found a group…and thats the group I stuck with. So my input is focused to that one group. I have not experienced any of that. Maybe I lucked out, but its just a bunch of addicted people helping each other.
And
No need to appologize. Say what you need to say. Nothing is perfect. Unlike other threads where less than desirable talk about the group is crapped on, honesty is a blessed trait. In this world. Needed
If I understood this right Recovery Dharma was created as a reaction to the whole power structure problem in Refuge. And during the meetings with Recovery Dharma I attended I had a distinct feeling that the texts and the people were very much about being very attentive to these kind of issues. Time will tell.
My books arrived today 
Not too sure what the difference is between the two dharma books. I will begin reading tomorrow as it’s bed time soon 
I love those!!!
I have been reading this over and over. I am not wired to stop. Something I have been working on
from “The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (Shambhala Pocket Classics)” by Thich Nhat Hanh, Melvin McLeod -
“We have to learn the art of stopping—stopping our thinking, our habit energies, our forgetfulness, the strong emotions that rule us. When an emotion rushes through us like a storm, we have no peace. We turn on the TV and then we turn it off. We pick up a book and then we put it down. How can we stop this state of agitation? How can we stop our fear, despair, anger, and craving? We can stop by practicing mindful breathing, mindful talking, mindful smiling, and deep looking in order to understand. When we are mindful, touching deeply the present moment, the fruits are always understanding, acceptance, love, and the desire to relieve suffering and bring joy.”
Start reading this book for free: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (Shambhala Pocke... - Kindle
That’s one I can use right now. Thanks friend.
I needed it, too. 
I needed this today
Right now!
I felt tears in my eyes feeling stressed if wanting to do stuff but not knowing where to begin - overwhelmed and racing mind.
And this has stepped me back a little to look at the situation a little clearer and just stop and bring myself back to the present moment and find peace in that.
Thank you
