This content was created by Satya Robyn. This content was uploaded by Satya Robyn. This is a YouTube video titled "Practice - addiction" (created 2022-12-14). The excerpt is from a group Buddhist practice/meeting with multiple labeled participants (SPEAKER A–G) who chant (e.g., "Om Amidevare" / "Om Nami Devuari"), recite refuge vows and precepts, offer incense, and discuss addiction in the context of the three poisons (greed, hate, delusion). The discussion includes personal reflections on compulsions, faith as an antidote, and references to handing over addictions to a spiritual community. Satya Robyn is explicitly welcomed as having joined the group, though she is not shown speaking in the excerpt.
Chapters
Extra points tonight to Katie, Alison, Rodrigo, and Fifi for braving the cold.
Not so far for you to come, but still you have to go outside.
The other people here just play with us as the dancers. And welcome to you, Satya Robyn, for joining us.
So we will begin with the Dharma clips from Paul, who hasn't been around for a while, but when did you get into Dharma clips?
A while ago?
Yeah.
And Katie has kindly agreed to My mind replaced with my own state, going off in my own dreams, feelings bubbling up, like people speaking. "Will I ever see you again?" is asked, and I walked by, staring at the economy in a rancid place I don't want to stay. Then I saw working images of my old self, living at the time, just trying to take local buses to get to the TV centre, and I realised We will sit quietly together in the presence of the Buddha.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare. Om Nami Devuari.
Om Nami Devuari. Om Nami Devuari.
Om Nami Devuari.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Nami Devuari. Om Nami Devuari.
Om Nami Devuari.
Om Nami Devuari.
Omami Deh Wari. Omami Deh Wari.
Omami Deh Wari.
Omami Deh Wari.
Om Ami Dei Wari.
Om Ami Dei Wari.
Om Ami Dei Wari.
Om Ami Dei Wari.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Om Hami Devari. Om Hami Devari.
Om Hami Devari.
Om Hami Devari.
Om Ami Devi. Om Ami Devi.
Om Ami Devi. Om Ami Devi.
Om Amidevare. Om Amidevare.
Om Amidevare.
Refuge I go to the Buddha. The one who is awake and full of love. Refuge I go to the Dharma. All that guides us to wisdom and compassion. All that guides us to wisdom and compassion. For refuge I go to the Sangha. For refuge I go to the Sangha. Those who live in the Buddha's light. Those who live in the Buddha's light. Namo Sangha. Namo Sangha. With faith in the Three Jewels.
With faith in the Three Jewels.
I pray that I may not take life. With faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may not steal. Faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may not fall into sexual misconduct. With faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may avoid wrong speech. With faith in the Three Jewels, I pray that I may avoid intoxication.
No blame.
Be kind. Love everything. Satya Robyn. We vow to transform.
We vow to master them all.
Buddhism can be seen as a way of talking about addiction, that we have the three poisons— greed, hate, and ignorance— that from there our addictions developed. So I try a little bit of chocolate, it gives me pleasure, I think I might have a bit more chocolate, and so on.
Greed.
Ralph works out that when he's scared of other dogs, if he shouts at them, they seem to go away. So when another dog comes, he shouts at that dog as well, and then shouts louder Hate. And we read a novel, a trashy novel, and it takes us out of our life and into another world, and then we end up reading novels when we should be doing other things.
Illusion.
And many of the behaviors that become problematic for us are variations on those three themes of compulsions or addictions. We want more of something good, we want to push something away, or we want to just not look at something at all, avoid it. And one of the shifts in my life that's been very welcome is moving from a place of thinking that I can eradicate all my compulsions to a more realistic, uh, stance, which is that I will always have a variety of addictions, and they will move kind of in and out of prominence. They'll be more or less intense depending on what's going on, and that's really okay. That's, that's human. And I'm lucky in that none of my addictions interfere with my life in the way that, that Paul's, um, addiction— Paul's Dharma glimpse, um, interfered with his Um, yeah, but it's still, um, still has an effect, still has an effect, and, and that's also okay. And one of the antidotes for both these milder addictions, which we mostly live with, kind of bump along with, and the more kind of intense addictions that happen when the fear and the shame kind of really builds up, is faith. The antidote to fear that's at the base of the three poisons is faith. And the groups that Paul was talking about in his glimpse— I'm making an assumption here— but they're the groups that are based on a spiritual foundation, that the addiction is handed over to something else because the person just can't do anything with it anymore. They've tried everything. And the person is encouraged to lean into something that will hold them, even if they don't really know what that thing is. And in minor ways, that's what I also try to do, is when I feel stuck in a kind of compulsive place, try to remember that the Buddha is there, that everything is held, and that I can just relax a tiny bit into that knowledge. And one of the things that helps me is knowing that the Buddha accepts me with or without my compulsions, and ironically that means it's easier to let them go.
So you might want to be curious about your own compulsions.
Are you someone that tends towards pleasure or hate or delusion? Which are your favorite ones? Which are the ones that are kind of insidious, but that constrict you in some way. How would it be for you to accept that this is how you are right now, that your system is doing the best it can under the circumstances? How is it to imagine the Buddha really accepting you just as you are? And how would it be to hand your compulsion to hand all of yourself over to the Buddha, to hand over the responsibility, to hand over the burden, and to keep your ears open for what the Buddha wants you to do next.
Namamitabha.
In gratitude, we offer this incense to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time. May it be a fragrant Geshe Tsersar, reflecting our careful efforts, our wholehearted awareness, and the fruits of understanding slowly ripening. May we and all beings be companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. May we awaken from forgetfulness Realize that truth, man.
Blessed by the topless lives, let them have all the good things. I'm gonna give you a little time for a hot drink.
