Buddhist Recovery & The Dharma of Addiction

Buddhist Recovery & The Dharma of Addiction is a free online meditation program hosted by Drala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. It is an evening of guided meditation, Dharma teaching and open discussion on addiction and recovery, drawn from early Buddhist thought and modern cognitive science. It is led by Dave Smith, and it is open to people in recovery, people supporting a loved one, and anyone working with the repetitive habit loops of daily life.

What to Expect

The session runs for ninety minutes in the evening, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm Mountain Time, on Zoom. It is part of the Drala Mountain Online Practice Series, a collection of tuition-free online offerings held on select Tuesdays.

The program's starting point is plain: addiction does not define who you are. It is a learned behavior, and what is learned can be unlearned. Recovery here is more than stopping a substance or a behavior. It is the capacity to meet life on life's terms, pleasant or painful, and to build a honest, constructive relationship with yourself and others. The teaching treats this as gritty, disciplined work, the slow uncovering of a vulnerable and authentic potential that years of unskillful survival tactics have buried.

Central to the evening is metta, the kindness, friendliness and good will that early Buddhist teaching places at the root of mindfulness. Through guided meditation, core Dharma teachings, interactive Q&A and open discussion, the session explores how metta gives a framework for facing habits with a kind mind rather than harsh self-judgment, and for loosening negative beliefs and addictive patterns. The aim is practical tools with lasting value, and a grounded, honest space to find purpose and shape a way of skillful living alongside others.

About Dave Smith

Dave Smith is a Dharma teacher, international speaker, author and founder of the Secular Dharma Foundation. He brings together three decades of Insight Meditation practice, early Buddhist teachings from the Pali Canon and contemporary psychology, offering a pragmatic, secular framework for mindfulness, ethics and self-awareness. A former punk rock musician and a recovering addict, he teaches from lived experience of the path this program describes. He also teaches an in-person version of this program at Drala Mountain Center in late April.

Before You Go

Anyone is welcome, and no prior meditation experience or Buddhist study is required. The program is taught in English and suits all levels, including those who are simply curious about understanding addiction through a Buddhist lens.

Tuition is free. In keeping with the Buddhist tradition of dāna, the giving of generosity from the heart to support the teachings, a tax-deductible donation of any amount can be offered at registration, though it is not required.

The session is hosted on Zoom. A link arrives by email within 24 hours before the program begins, and the recording can be viewed for up to two weeks afterward, so you can return to the teachings or catch the session if you cannot attend live.