Customer Reviews

One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While I've never been through a 12-step program, I have been meditating for 8 years. During that time I've read many wonderful books about Buddhism and meditation. But this book is special in two ways.

First, by writing with honesty, courage and humor about his own difficult path in life - Mr. Griffin creates a connection with the reader that goes way beyond the 'conceptual' focus of many books on the subject. Yet at the same time, it never devolves into a confessional. It's still a book that teaches, not rants. It's full of excellent practical advice, insight, and some very useful exercises. But it teaches from an unusually personal and vulnerable place.

It's other great strength is Mr. Griffin's ability to make difficult and exotic concepts accessible. Although I've read a lot, attended retreats, etc., there are some ideas - for example 'no-self' - that always have been too foreign and 'other-worldly' for me to really connect to emotionally. At best I'd get a vague intellectual understanding of what was being discussed. But this book made many of these ideas simple and clear. Quite a few times, while reading it, I found myself going 'oh THAT'S what they've all been talking about.'

Unlike many of our best and most revered Buddhist teachers, Mr. Griffin hasn't spent years living in Asia. He's slogged through life in Western society, and has had to find his peace and insights while simultaneously dealing with the same day-to-day problems of career, love, marriage, parenthood, etc. as the rest of us. To me that relieves his work of a subtle disconnect I sometimes feel with other Buddhist writers and teachers. There's no sense of: 'yes, they can be calm and happy - they spent 5 years in a rainforest. But I'll never get there unless I abandon my life and start over.' Mr. Griffin, and the new generation of Western teachers he belongs to are showing that it is possible to move down the path towards peace, joy and freedom from where we are now. And that is an important gift.

The first question to come to my mind with this title was what is the relationship between Buddhism and the twelve step program? Author Kevin Griffin answers this question succinctly when he points out that the Buddha said the cause of suffering is desire and the twelve steps program tries to heal people from the most extreme of desires - addiction.

This book is about Mr. Griffin's personal path to addiction recovery and how integrating Buddhism and the twelve steps allowed him to become at peace with himself. He explains Buddhist meditation and the Buddhist eight-fold path as it parallels the twelve step path. While the twelve step program allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of the "Higher Power" you reach out to, many groups have a Christian focus. Kevin Griffin provides an alternative for those who are uncomfortable with a Christian focus but want to overcome alcoholism and co-dependency. "One Breath at a Time" is a deeply personal story of one man's journey and he invites you to travel his path from realization that he had a problem to freedom and shares how you can take the same path.

One can be sure there are more "definitive" guides to Buddhism and the 12 Steps out there, but what I found most useful in this straightforward, and deceptively simple book, were the accounts of the author's own experience - written in the first person - the application of his understanding of the principles of Buddhism and the 12 steps, in his own life. The voice is that of one who has been there, and actually applied the spiritual principles of the two traditions to real problems in a real life. Unlike many texts that purport to lay out spiritual teachings for the general reader, there was no hint of condescension here - the writer bases his authority on the lessons he has personally learned through failure. For those struggling along their own paths, this is book is a mighty gift.

Parallels between Buddhist traditions and the Twelve-steps are drawn by an author who practices both paths to enlightenment. For those who struggle with the concept of a Higher Power it becomes clear the the struggle is counterproductive. We learn that it is simply a surrender to the peace and joy of a spiritual connection. This book deftly addresses the similar feelings and behaviors that surface in people who have all kinds of dysfunctional behaviors. Kevin Griffin focuses on deepening our spiritual life in recovery.

I found this book to be a well written integration of the principles of Buddhism with the 12 Steps of AA. I learned a lot about both topics from reading it... and a fair amount about myself as well.

There are many who find the 12 Steps' notion of "a Higher Power" to be a huge obstacle when trying to adopt that successful program as a means of battling their addictions. This book can help you achieve a personal defintion of "a Higher Power" that is independent of the notion of a "supreme being," yet is believable, humbling, and empowering at the same time.

I recommend this book for anyone who struggles with alcoholism--or knows someone with that struggle--and especially those who struggle with the notion of creating a personal meaning for the "Higher Power" that is so pervasive in the 12 Steps.

This book is well written and easy to read. I relapsed with 13+ years in a 12 step program and having a difficult time getting reconnected. As someone with Buddhist leanings who never quite bridged the gap between the steps and Buddhism I found this book to be of great help. If you are even remotely interested in working the 12 steps from a Buddhist perspective I highly recommend this book.

Along with excellent tools for experiencing recovery from a very deep perspective, this is one of the most insightful program personal stories I've experienced. This book allowed me to see the program with fresh eyes, which was a real gift since I had developed a been-there, done-that attitude toward everything 12 step. I've just purchased my fourth copy to share with another friend. Enough said.

This is an interesting dimension on the 12-steps which were Christian in origin and spiritual in nature. One Breath at a Time is a Buddhist slant on the one day at a time approach in recovery. One primary lesson from Buddhist philosophy is that attachment and craving are at the root of suffering. Addiction is both an attachment and a craving whose compulsions take over and trap an individual in an endless cycle. Whether the addiction is to a substance or a behavior the illusion that it frees the person from pain is what mara is ... a mirage promising bounties that are empty. So ... for those who are interested in other perspectives of recovery - this is one read to consider.

Kevin Griffin and friends put a lot of thought into integrating these two approaches. However, what makes the book a Five Star instead of a Four Star is the totally honest portrayal of his own life by Mr. Griffin as he tells of his misdeeds and how he hurt others in his bouts with alcohol and drugs. He offers hope and redemption to the rest of us and you will love his happy ending. Were we all so open, humble, and acknowledging of our faults and missteps. A great read for us recovering folks who also would like to focus on Step Eleven, especially through a Buddhist perspective.

After not drinking for 6 months I needed something to sastain my sobriety. I resisted 12 step programs because I thought they were only for Christins. Kevin's book helped me understand the relationship between spirituality and the 12 step program. I recommend it highly to everyone, Buddhist, Hindus, Jews and Gentiles. Anyone who wants to stop, or has stopped, an addiction.