Recovery Dharma Thread

[SinceIAwoke]

Hey Madds, I’m a former altar boy, and a former seminarian. My mother’s twin sister is a teaching nun, and we had a priest who was in grad school move in with us for a few months. So yeah, pretty catholic. And I got kicked out of seminary for lousy grades, drinking, and having a girlfriend. By 10 years after that, I was making my first attempt to get sober and leaving the church because I was divorced and felt abandoned and lied to by the church generally and specificially.

I got sober some years later in AA. It’s pretty fascinating for me to see all the interpretations of higher power that there are, religious ones, spiritual ones, humanistic ones, and it all comes down to what can help me get and stay sober. My first higher power in sobriety was the Department of Corrections - they directed my actions and they really did want me to stay sober and out of trouble. They had my best interest at heart.

When it comes to spirituality and higher power definitions, I’ve been spoiled by where I got sober, in Vermont. The state has a majority of unaffiliated or non-religious people, and a sizable population of the lefty churches, Universal Unitarian, Quaker and the like, and strong Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish communities. And we all get along. It’s been my experience that this core principle of AA, that our dilemma is lack of power, gets interpreted through local custom. But I also think that we do a pretty good job, in AA, of practicing tolerance - though at times we do have to seek it out.

The essentials of the AA program, to me, are connection to something larger (humanity as a whole, Divinity, whatever) and changes in our attitudes, thoughts and actions regarding alcohol and our insufficient coping mechanisms that alcohol subverted.

I hope you find your home in the recovery world, I know for me that Talking Sober is a big part of it.

[Bekah212]

I didn’t, there’s a recovery centre near me that all kind of different groups use that I tried to go to the other day but ended up having a panic attack maybe next time I’ll try going on a quieter day ig

[CR84]

I use the chat for that I’ll just be like I’m me from here and just listening. They’ll read it at the end of intros. Quite a few do that.

[bluekoolaid_88]

I never thought about it but the department of corrections was my first higher power also years ago before I had one or new of AA !! Never heard that before but it’s the truth for me and I’m sure a lot of people. Even though my higher power is currently the universe or Mother Nature I would say the department of corrections is my other higher power considering the felony probation I’m on at the moment

[Madds]

That’s smart, thanks so much! If i get in that pickle again I’ll give it a try

[Madds]

Thank you for relating and for explaining a bit of how AA could work in a different context of understanding. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

[CR84]

I have terrible social anxiety and hide a lot of my recovery so I make do to make the most of what I can do comfortably. The RDO meetings are my favorite. They have many kinds of special types of meetings like woman only, verse (poetry and one of my favorites) along with general all throughout the day. If you search RDO (online & online I do to have zoom only). I hope this helps.

[Chrispl]

"Safeguarding intelligence from corruption by lower desires

Our intelligence is designed to counter our lower desires, not to serve them. However, we all have desires that can bring out the worst in us. These desires often arise due to external triggers but eventually lead to internal turmoil, as seen in the case of addictions.

Intelligence helps us recognize the consequences of indulgence and protect ourselves. Unfortunately, when these desires grow strong enough, they can corrupt intelligence itself. The Bhagavad-Gita (3.40) warns that lower desires can infiltrate not just the senses and mind but also intelligence.

For example, an alcoholic with sound intelligence might avoid situations that trigger drinking, but one whose intelligence is corrupted may use it to conceal their indulgence, such as limiting consumption to avoid detection or using substances to mask the effects of alcohol. This corruption can be exploited commercially through products designed to conceal indulgence.

When intelligence is corrupted, it stops acting as a protector and becomes an enabler for indulgence. If we notice our intelligence justifying or hiding indulgence, it’s crucial to seek intellectual cleansing. Immersion in wisdom texts like the Bhagavad-Gita can help us refocus and counter the corruption of intelligence.

Summary:

Intelligence is meant to counter lower desires, but strong desires can corrupt it, turning it into an enabler.
Corrupted intelligence often focuses on concealing indulgence rather than preventing it.
Intellectual cleansing through wisdom texts can help restore intelligence to its protective role.

Think it over:

Recall an instance when your intelligence protected you from lower desires.
Reflect on a time when your intelligence was focused on concealing signs of indulgence.
Identify sources of intellectual cleansing, such as specific books or practices, that you can keep accessible for yourself.

---

03.40 The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him"

[SassyRocks]

On this first day of 2026, I wanted to share this beautiful post from the Venerable Monks doing the Walk for Peace, along with Aloka, The Peace Dog. 120 days, 2,300 miles, Texas to Washington, DC. I hope you will find this as calming and inspiring as I do. May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.

"Gratitude for Every Condition - On this first day of the new year, let us pause to remember something profound: everything and everyone we have encountered has brought us to this very moment.

The easy days that lifted our spirits and made us smile. The difficult times that tested our strength and taught us resilience. The unexpected turns that confused us at first, but later revealed their hidden gifts. All of it—every single condition, every circumstance, every encounter—has been quietly nourishing us, shaping us, guiding us to where we stand today.

We are here because of the kindness of people who became important in our lives. Because of the challenges that forced us to grow. Because of the moments of joy that reminded us of life’s beauty. Because of the moments of struggle that showed us what we’re capable of enduring.

We are here because of both the storms and the sunshine. Because of the people who said yes and the people who said no. Because of what we gained and what we lost. Because of every conversation, every connection, every opportunity given, every lesson learned along the way.

Today, let us offer our deepest gratitude—not only for the conditions that felt like blessings, but also for the ones that felt like burdens, for they too have been our teachers. Not only for the people who supported us, but also for those who challenged us, for they too have been part of our journey.
Every condition in our lives, whether we welcomed it or resisted it, has played its part in bringing us to this new beginning. And for that, may we bow in humble gratitude.

With this gratitude in our hearts, let us send loving-kindness to all beings—to those who have been by our side and those we have never met, to those who brought us joy and those who brought us lessons, to all who share this precious existence with us.

Let us carry this awareness forward—remembering that we are shaped not by single moments, but by the vast web of conditions that connect us all, nourish us all, and make us who we are.

May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace."
#WalkForPeace #Buddhistmonks #AlokathePeaceDog

[SassyRocks]

A very thoughtful share by the monks on the Walk For Peace. I am grateful we were able to see them this week. It was incredibly moving and helpful to my practice.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

Some people may ask: “How can I stay peaceful when difficult situations arise?”. We must begin by understanding: we are where we are. Situations happen—often without warning, often beyond our control. We cannot always prevent or change them.

But here is what we can control: the way we respond.

When difficulty arrives, our minds rush forward—overthinking, catastrophizing, creating stories about how terrible things are. We make situations heavier by adding layers of worry and fear on top of what is already challenging.

But if we pause, if we become mindful of our breath in that moment, if we notice our thoughts without getting swept away—something shifts. The situation doesn’t disappear, but we stop making it worse. We create space for clarity, and in that clarity, we can see what we should actually do to help the situation, instead of just worrying and feeling defeated.

In that mindful pause, we might also remember something we’ve forgotten: right now, countless conditions are still nourishing our life. We are alive. We can breathe. We can eat. We can walk. These are profound gifts, genuine happiness—but we rarely see them because our minds are too busy racing toward worry, too consumed by what’s wrong to notice what remains right.

This is what mindfulness offers in difficult moments: not power to control what happens, but wisdom to see clearly what helpful action we can take, to breathe consciously, to remember that even in difficulty, we are still held by life, still capable of responding wisely instead of simply reacting.

The situation is what it is. But we can change how we meet it—with presence instead of panic, with clarity instead of confusion, with wise action instead of helpless worry.

Peace in difficult times doesn’t mean nothing bothers us. It means we stop making everything worse by losing ourselves in our thoughts. It means we stay grounded enough to see what we can actually do, then do it with a calm heart.

May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.

#WalkforPeace #BuddhistMonks #PeaceWalk

[Dazercat]

Thanks for this great share Sassy

[Hazy]

Amazing. Thankyou . That was exactly how I was leading to the pick up. I reacted, and was angry and it lead to panic and fear, and I made everything worse for myself. Im gonna bookmark that one

[SassyRocks]

It’s an excellent reminder, I agree. I find all of their shares helpful.