Triangle Refuge Recovery

Welcome to the Triangle Refuge Recovery meeting. All are welcome here. We are a Buddhist-oriented, nontheistic recovery program that does not ask anyone to believe anything, only to trust the process and do the hard work of recovery.

This group is based out of Raleigh NC. We meet Virtually Wed @ 7pm and Sun @ noon all EST. We also have three in-person meetings — they can all be found on our website TriangleRefugeRecovery.org and RefugeRecovery.org

No previous experience or knowledge of Buddhism is required. This program provides a systematic approach to recovering from all forms of addiction. When sincerely practiced, it will ensure a full recovery from addiction and a lifelong sense of well-being and ease.

My name is [Secretary Name]. I am the current group secretary. I am here as an elected volunteer to facilitate the meeting.

This group recognizes that addiction comes in many forms and is not always related to drugs & alcohol. Please know that if you suffer from any other form of addiction you are welcome here.

Those who are seeking a mentor or willing to mentor please put your contact email or phone number in the chat window now. Please refer to the Mentorship Pamphlet on RefugeRecovery.org if you have any questions.

Refuge Recovery is a community of people who are using the practices of mindfulness, compassion, forgiveness and generosity to heal the pain and suffering that addiction has caused in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.

The path of practice we follow is called The Four Truths of Refuge Recovery.

The Four Truths of Refuge Recovery are a Buddhist oriented path to recovery from all addictions. They have proven successful with addicts who have committed to the Buddhist path of meditation, generosity, kindness and renunciation.

This is an approach to recovery that understands "All beings have the power and potential to free themselves from suffering."

We feel confident in the power of the Buddha's teachings, if applied, to relieve suffering of all kinds, including the suffering of addiction.

Active Addiction is a kind of hell. It's like being a hungry ghost, wandering through life in constant craving and suffering. Our program follows the traditional Buddhist system of the four noble truths which begin with these four actions:

The core philosophy of Refuge Recovery is based on renunciation and abstinence. We believe that the recovery process really begins when renunciation is established and maintained. Meditation is our core practice.

We also understand that imperfection and humility are part of the process. Even when we refrain from the primary drug or behavior, addiction at times manifests in other behaviors.

We are not holding perfection as the standard, but as the goal. We believe in the human ability and potential for complete renunciation of behaviors that cause harm. We understand that for many this is an ongoing process of establishing and/or reestablishing renunciation.

Renunciation alone is not recovery, however. It is only the beginning. Those who maintain abstinence but fail to examine the underlying causes and conditions are not on the path to recovery. They are simply stopping the surface manifestations of addiction, which will inevitably resurface in other ways.

In Buddhist thought, equanimity refers to a state of balanced, calm, and impartial awareness, free from strong attachment or aversion. It's about seeing things as they are, without getting carried away by emotions or judgments.

We'll now perform our daily meditation so please follow along with the meditation to the best of your ability.

Once you realize you are lost in a thought or fantasy redirect your attention back to your breath, the body or meditation being read.

Remember to be kind and compassionate to yourself. Don't be discouraged if you lose focus — that happens to everyone. It's the recentering your thoughts each and every time they wander that helps you become mindful.

Please put your microphone on mute, have a seat and begin to focus on the meditation being read.

Please put your mic on mute, have a seat and meditate with us.

Reading from the Refuge Recovery book, page:

The meeting is now open for sharing. In order to give more people an opportunity to share, please limit your sharing to a few minutes. Try to keep your sharing focused on the topic, or on the relationship of recovery, addiction and Buddhist principles — or just check in if you need to.

Please refrain from crosstalk. Crosstalk is the commenting on or offering of advice to others in the meeting.

This meeting sharing format is share → tag → pass. Please choose someone to share when you have finished. If you prefer not to share but have been called on, please just pick someone to pass along to.

CONFIDENTIALITY — In order for this to be a group where we feel safe to share about our recovery and create an atmosphere of openness, we ask that who you see here and what you hear here remain confidential.

Here we believe in the community. This meeting gathers 15 minutes prior to the scheduled meeting time. Please come early if you'd like to chat. If you'd like to make this meeting your home group please just come regularly.

If you need proof you attended this meeting please send an email to TriangleRefugeRecovery@gmail.com and we'll send you an email showing you attended this meeting. Please note the time and day of the week in the email subject line.

Useful Links:
Website: trianglerefugerecovery.org
Guided Meditations: refugerecovery.org/meditations
TikTok: @trianglerefugerecovery
Facebook: Triangle Refuge Recovery Group
iPhone App: Download on the App Store
Android App: Get it on Google Play