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For the Host

Welcome each person as they arrive. “Welcome to WORD-OS Book Study Meeting

For those who have not given themselves a Zoom name or are calling from a phone number, ask for their names. “May I have your first name please?”

While waiting to start, ask for volunteers.

Four Five people to read (The Practice, The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, Precepts & selected book reading)
A Spiritual Timekeeper.

Just before the meeting time say “To keep the line clear it’s best if we use our mute and unmute buttons. A facilitator or co-host may mute you if your line is making noise. Please feel free to unmute again when it’s time to talk.”

If time allows, you may like to inform the page number and kindle location for the book reading of the day.

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Introduction 1/2

Welcome to the WORD-OS (Women of Recovery Dharma-Online Sangha) Book Study Meeting.
We are gathered to explore a Buddhist-inspired approach to recovery from addiction of all kinds.
We are peer-led and do not follow any one leader or teacher, but trust in the wisdom of the Buddha (the potential for our own awakening), the Dharma (the truth, or the teachings), and the Sangha (our community of wise friends on this path).
This is a program of empowerment and doesn’t ask us to believe in anything other than our own potential to change and heal.
We have found a guide for our recovery in the Buddhist teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and we invite you to investigate these practices and principles as tools for your own path of liberation from the suffering of addiction.
We understand that this is not the only path to recovery and many may choose to combine these practices with other recovery programs.

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Introduction 2/2

We are committed to providing an environment of safety, respect, and inclusion - representing and appreciating diversity at the broadest level. Our group doesn’t just accept our differences; we celebrate and thrive as a result of them. We recognize the individual experience in each person’s journey towards an authentic life and we embrace you just as you are. All are welcome here.
My name is _______________ and I’m here with _______. We are members of this community who have volunteered to facilitate our meeting today. We are not Buddhist teachers, nor do we have any particular authority in this meeting.
As a way to practice wise intentional listening, and to avoid causing unintentional harm to others, we ask that members refrain from eating, smoking or moving about on video; and using the chat box during sharing. If needed, please turn off your video to take care of yourself and restart the video when you are ready; and use the private chat option to send important specific messages during sharing.
Is there anyone here who is new to Recovery Dharma who would like to introduce themselves? Feel free to unmute and introduce yourself and because gender pronouns are important, please also tell us your gender pronouns, such as she/her, they/them...
Feel free to introduce yourself in the chat box. Also, you do not need to turn on your video to speak.

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The Practice

_____ has volunteered to read The Practice, please go ahead.

Renunciation: We commit to the intention of abstinence from alcohol and other addictive substances and harmful behaviors. For those of us recovering from harmful process addictions, particularly those for which complete abstinence is not possible, we also identify and commit to wise boundaries around harmful behaviors.

Meditation: We commit to the intention of developing a daily meditation practice.

Meetings: We attend recovery meetings whenever possible, in person and/or online and commit to becoming an active part of the community, offering our own experiences and service wherever possible.

The Path: We commit to deepening our understanding of the Four Noble Truths and to practicing the Eightfold Path in our daily lives.

Inquiry and Investigation: We explore the Four Noble Truths as they relate to our addictive behavior through writing and sharing in-depth, detailed Inquiries.

Sangha, Wise Friends, Mentors: We cultivate relationships within a recovery community, to both support our own recovery and support the recovery of others.

Growth: We continue our study of these Buddhist principles and undertake a lifelong journey of growth and awakening.

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The Four Noble Truths

_____ has volunteered to read The Four Noble Truths, please go ahead.

As people who have struggled with addiction, we are already intimately familiar with the truth of suffering. Even if we have never heard of the Buddha, at some level we already know the foundation of his teachings, which we call the Dharma: that in this life, there is suffering.

The Buddha also taught the way to free ourselves from this suffering. The heart of these teachings is the Four Noble Truths and the corresponding commitments, which are the foundation of our program.

There is suffering.

We commit to understanding the truth of suffering.

2. There is a cause of suffering.

We commit to understanding that craving leads to suffering.

3. There is an end to suffering.

We commit to understanding and experiencing that less craving leads to less suffering.

4. There is a path that leads to the end of suffering.

We commit to cultivating the path.

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The Eightfold Path

We try to be more skillful in our lives. The only way to sharpen our skills is through practice. The Eightfold Path helps us find our way in recovery and consists of the following:

1.Wise Understanding – We practice understanding that there will be pain in this life, but it does not have to lead to suffering.

2.Wise Intention – We practice understanding the importance of the reasons we act. We try to cultivate good intentions rather than bad ones.

3.Wise Speech – We practice speaking in a way that does not cause harm to ourselves or others. We practice being truthful and timely while being mindful of our tone.

4.Wise Action – We practice behaving in a way that does not harm ourselves

or others. We try to base our actions on good intentions.

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The Eightfold Path (cont.)

5.Wise Livelihood – We make a living in a way that does not cause harm to ourselves or others.

6.Wise Effort – We practice having compassion toward our own recovery and empathy towards the recovery of others.

7.Wise Mindfulness – We practice being aware of what is happening in the present, noticing it, and not clinging to it or resisting it.

8.Wise Concentration – We practice keeping our focus and being

undistracted. We cultivate the ability to act skillfully in times of emotional

unrest and craving.

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The Five Precepts

For those who wish to, please join me in silent commitment to the 5 precepts

•I undertake to abstain from harming life.

•I undertake to abstain from taking the not given.

•I undertake to abstain from sexual misconduct.

•I undertake to abstain from false speech.

•I undertake to abstain from intoxicating substances, behaviours and thoughts.

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Meditation Preamble

Your eyes may be closed or gently open. Meditation is a personal practice, and we encourage you to explore with a spirit of openness and curiosity.

Part of what we are doing is learning to sit with discomfort, but meditation can bring up powerful emotions for some of us, and if you find that you need to calm yourself during practice you can do so in a variety ways. Some examples of grounding include opening your eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and focusing on your feet on the ground. Perhaps placing a hand on your heart.

Remember to be kind and gentle with yourself. It’s always okay to take care of yourself during meditation.

If you need to get up during the meditation, please do so as quietly as possible, and please hold your comments and questions until after the closing bell rings.

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Book Reading

We will now read from the Recovery Dharma book which will be shared on the screen if you do not have the text.

_____has volunteered to do our book reading today starting on Page _, kindle location _.

_____Please go ahead…….

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Sharing Guidelines

It is now time for sharing.
Our volunteer timekeeper will let you know when two minutes have passed and you have one minute left. Please let them know you have heard them by saying “thank you”. They will then advise when you have reached time.
We practice wise speech by orienting our shares to our own experience with addiction and Buddhist inspired recovery, and refrain from offering advice to others.
If you are on a Zoom app, you can click the “Raise Hand” button to mark yourself as wanting to speak. If you are a dial-in caller, you can use *9 to raise your hand and *6 to mute / unmute.

IF NEEDED, you can repeat wise intentional listening section from Intro 2/2 slide as follows:

As a way to practice wise intentional listening, and to avoid causing unintentional harm to others, we ask that members refrain from eating, smoking or moving about on video; and using the chat box during sharing. If needed, please turn off your video to take care of yourself and restart the video when you are ready; and use the private chat option to send important specific messages during sharing

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Announcements

Are there any Recovery Dharma related announcements?

Gratitude and Generosity This is a peer led community. All of our resources are created for us and by us.

If you would like to contribute financially to our group, you can go to our website, and click on the donation basket http://recoverydharma.online

Funds collected are used to pay for this meeting space, our website and other resources by group decision. Surplus funds are contributed to RD Global.

Please note that WhatsApp and various other discussion groups across RD and RDO - other than those listed below - are not moderated by WORD Online.

WORD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2298853606858014/

Safety Guidelines: https://recoverydharma.online/safety-guidelines/

Find more meetings: http://recoverydharma.online

Learn more about RD: https://recoverydharma.org

RD Book: https://recoverydharma.org/book

RD Friends Act: https://sites.google.com/view/rdfriendsact/home

RDO Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/rdo-fb-group

WORD Slack Group: https://womenofrecove-bwj2709.slack.com/

WORD email: womenofrd@gmail.com

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Announcements Pg. 2

Service in Meetings

Everyone in our meeting is encouraged to take an active part.. This may include volunteering to read, lead the meditation, spiritual timekeeping, or taking on another service position. If you arrive early to this meeting, please let one of the facilitators know you would like to volunteer. At the end of the meeting, please message one of the facilitators or post your request in the chat box now.

Safety Statement

To keep this space as safe and welcoming as possible, we maintain Safety Guidelines that are linked in the chat.

We encourage all members to read and engage with this document as a practice of wise speech.

It describes unwise behaviors we consider inappropriate in our community and

includes actions you might take if you feel these guidelines have been violated.

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Closing

In closing, thank you to everyone for being present and sharing your heart with us.
For anyone who wanted to share, but did not get the chance to during the meeting, you are welcome to do so after the meeting in the Virtual Community Space.
In order to respect each others’ privacy and to create a safe environment for all, please keep everything that was said in this meeting and who was present confidential.

Host Discretion

Continuing Practice: We encourage you to continue your meditation practice, study of Buddhist principles, and to reach out to others to build community.

Virtual Community Space: Please stay on after the meeting to ask questions, share contact details, find out about the many resources available, and offer your support to others.

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Dedication of Merit

Refuge does not arise in a particular place, but in the space within the goodness of our hearts.

When this space is imbued with wisdom, respect, and love, we call it sangha.

We hope that the pain of addiction, trauma, and feeling “apart” actually leads us back toward the heart and that we might understand compassion, wisdom, and change ever more deeply.

As we have learned from practice, great pain does not erase goodness, but in fact informs it.

May we make the best use of our practice, and whatever freedom arises from our efforts here today.

May this be a cause and condition for less suffering and more safety in our world.

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Dedication of Merit

We dedicate the merits of this Recovery Dharma Meeting to all suffering addicts.

May all who cling with fear accept the freedom of letting go.

May all minds & hearts awaken to the possibility of recovery, compassion and peace.

May all learn to embrace change and uncertainty as part of life’s fullness.

May we give freely and wisely all that we have been given.

May our recovery be an offering to all beings everywhere.

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Virtual Community Space

Welcome to our Virtual Community Space.

We stay in this Space for around 15 minutes to share contact details, make connections, and answer questions.

All who would like to share their contact details can do so in the Chat Box.

All are encouraged to use those details to reach out to others in between meetings.

Save the information shared in the Chat

Direct to your computer
Screenshot chat (smart phone, tablet.)
Click on and save links on your device.

Connect with others

Jump-in to outreach practice and send a starter-text or email to someone
If you are on the phone – you may request that any detail be shared with you verbally or arrange for someone to send you the information by text or email
It is always OK to decline sharing your information.
Is there anyone new to Recovery Dharma who would like to ask any questions?