Recovery Dharma Logo
Recovery Dharma Logo

treatment and corrections

Recovery Dharma

The Practice of Reaching out

This page offers ideas on ways to reach out to the community; especially to those who are going through treatment or are experiencing incarceration.

 Recovery Dharma is founded on, and inspired by, Buddhism that originated in India and later on flourished in other regions of Asia (e.g., South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia). We deeply appreciate the Buddhist heritage that was protected and freely offered by the ancestors of these cultures.

Beginner's Guide

Start by making sure you are familiar with and have practiced the Recovery Dharma Program. The Beginners Guide can also be beneficial when new members ask questions about the practice and the path.

Sangha Groups Guide

Next, build a strong local sangha that is familiar with and engages in the Recovery Dharma practice as a whole sangha.

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Wise Friends and Mentors

Create a strong and vibrant structure to support members to engage in the practice of Wise Friends and Mentors.

Core Intentions

As your sangha grows, these core intentions have the capacity to offer ground and guidance.

Statement Against Oppression

Creating a safe and reliable space for recovery includes committing to taking tangible and concrete action to support the inclusion of all members.

We create a space that supports community and welcomes visitors and new members.

Refuge in Community for T&C Outreach Practice

Meetings

We cultivate and support volunteers to organize meetings at treatment centers and correction facilities.

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Wise Friends & Mentors

We create avenues for visitors and members who live in treatment and correctional facilities  to find and cultivate wise friendships.

We facilitate meetings for and with people living in T&C facilities
  • Find or create a variety of formats and scripts that meet the needs of people who are new to recovery
  • Create a system or structure for volunteers to facilitate meetings at treatment and correction facilities.
  • Contact local treatment and correction facilities to let them know that your sangha is available to facilitate meetings at their facility.  
  • Listen to, and learn from, the facilities about their availability, limitations and requirements for recovery program meetings.
  • Register the meeting on the Recovery Dharma Global Website. There is an option on whether or not to publicize the meeting
Wise Friends and Mentors Structures for T&C
  • Build up the Sangha’s capacity to have wise friends and mentors available for newly engaged members. 
    • Make announcements at meetings
    • Develop inquiry circles or texting friend groups
    • Use or create literature about Wise Friends and Mentors for meeting readings and topics of discussion.
    • Create a culture that includes a variety of ways to engage in Wise Friendship.

We freely offer access to Buddhist teachings and practices of recovery.

Refuge Buddhist concepts and practices for T&C Outreach Practice

The Path

We make the book, Recovery Dharma, available to people living in treatment and correctional facilities

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Growth

We share our own path of recovery and encourage exploration of other Buddhist Recovery practices. We facilitate workshops and other special events.

We introduce the Path to people living in T&C facilities
  • We facilitate and encourage the reading of the book and other literature including the website. 
  • We learn the URL: https://recoverydharma.org/book, to refer others easily. 
  • We encourage and facilitate access to all versions of the book and literature
  • We raise funds to be able to freely offer printed versions of the book and literature to treatment and correction facilities. 
  • We share our experience with the practice with others
    • We give leads about our experience with an aspect of refuge, the Four Noble Truths or the Eightfold path 
    • We share our experience during individual phone calls
    • We share our experience wise friends and mentees who live in T&C
We facilitate growth for people living in T&C facilities
  • We create and facilitate opportunities to deepen practice, such as workshops, retreats and other events
  • We encourage all members to take note of other organizations in our community that support Buddhist learning, practice and retreats. 
  • We encourage those who are new to approach the path and the practice with curiosity – both to determine if this a safe and reliable refuge and to overcome obstacles such as boreome and difficulty. 
  • We dive more deeply into the concepts and practices of Buddhist Recovery

Refuge in everyone’s inherent ability to recover for T&C Practice

We put effort into the practice to recognize and encourage the inherent goodness and strengths of people who meet us through treatment and correctional facilities.

Facilitate Renunciation for people in T&C

We share our experiences of the process of letting go.  We help others use inquiries and practices from Four Noble Truths to determine what they want to let go of and how to let go.

Encourage Inquiry and Investigation for people in T&C

We offer active support to people living in treatment and correctional facilities to begin the process of inquiry.

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Lead Meditation for People in T&C

We make Recovery Dharma Meditations accessible to people who are new in recovery.

Support Renunciation for People in T&C
  1. We facilitate connections with wise friends and mentors to support the process of letting go
  2. We share how the concepts and practices around taking refuge, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path all work together to support our letting go of addictive and intoxicating behaviors and substances. . 
  3. We support others as they engage in the practice of letting go of a addictive substance or behavior.

                a. Some may need to to identify and let go of intoxicating behaviors or substances before being able to connect with the  Buddhist practice.

                b. Some may need the help of Buddhist inquiry and practice before being able to let go of addictive behaviors and substances. 

                c. Many will expand their definition of addictive and intoxicating behaviors and substances as they deepen their understanding of their recovery.

Lead Meditation for People in T&C
  • We use the same meditations but allow for adjustments such as:
    • Using just the basic RD meditation without options
    • Shorten silent pauses to 30 seconds
    • Skip difficult people in heart practice meditations
  • Choose meditation scripts or recordings that are noted as beginner friendly or introductory from the Recovery Dharma Global website. 
  • Invite a variety of volunteers to read meditation scripts to help demonstrate that the task is accessible to all members.
Encourage Inquiry and Investigation for people in T&C
  • Use use inquiry questions for topics of discussion
  • Ask speakers to share about their experiences with the inquiry process
  • Host special meetings or workshops for members to write during the session and share their insights from the writing. 
  • Create systems for Wise Friends and Mentors to develop and then to reach out to those who live in treatment and correction facilities. 
  • Make flash cards or other documents that members can use to start to answer inquiry questions through discussion and sharing. 
  • Provide or donate towards writing materials.

GLOSSARY

After practicing with Recovery Dharma for a while, some of us notice that we unconsciously slip into using jargon.  Use this glossary to help remind you of the concepts of this practice and to describe them in direct and easy to understand terms.

Glossary