Addiction
 

I have been smoking now for a good 10 years and the sooner I quit the better. Addiction is a form of suffering which is clear for all to see, It's a desire we know is causing us suffering and our awareness of this is at it's most highest when we feed this desire. So why do we keep feeding this desire?

The mind loves smoking and the body loves the nicotine, maybe If we change the mind the body will follow.

I would really appreciate some advice on how to give up, maybe there's A meditation for addiction someone could show me.

I would also like to hear your views on addiction or anything related.

thanks.

That's a good starting point thanks.http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...lies/hands.gif

Hi Jin Zen,

I used to be a smoker. The only advice I can give is to say that you really have to firmly decide "I can do this -easy peasy !"

I used to think about giving up but never actually made the determined effort to try. Eventually with determination,I cut down to 3 cigarettes each day - one after breakfast, one after lunch and one after my evening meal. Next I stopped completely and if I felt a craving I sucked in deep breaths of air in the same way that I would inhale a cigarette. However I did become addicted to sugar-free chewing gum as a substitute for a little while - but then I gave that up eventually too .

In the course of my life I've seen people get addicted to one thing or another - from compulsive clothes shopping to drugs and alcohol. I think its easy to have cravings for just about anything. The key to giving up is determination, and the conviction that it can be done.

Meditation is of course, very helpful in general. There's a series of several excellent meditation videos on YouTube. Here's the introduction - Buddhist Meditation (1)

Jin Zen,
As far as addiction goes, it is all about our behaviors. We have to make a decision and then act on it "I decided to quit drinking" my decision, my act is going to a.a. Meetings. Then modify my behaviors with the spirituality of the program and in. my life. Not always easy been doing it now for 5 years plus but am quite happy with the results.

You can stop - you know you can stop - it's just getting the mind around it that you are finding difficult. But the karma spinning mind can be brought under control - in an instant - it just depends on your motivation.

You can say to yourself that you refuse to be ruled by smoking any longer or you could contemplare the actual harm your smoking is doing to yourself and others. Get yourself the motivation to quit smoking now you have realised it is wrong.

When I gave up smoking almost exactly one year ago my wife was at first worried that I would be more ill tempered without my smoking but her fears were proven groundless - my giving up smoking has improved my practice and given me a huge boost in confidence - from sixty cigarettes a day to zero in an instant means I know now what it is possible to accomplish.

Absolutely. This is indispensible.

Thanks for all the advice and support guys, I had an appointment with the doctor today and he has given me a prescription for some patches. I really hope they work for me, but if not I'll keep trying until something does. I have only read your posts briefly so I will study them again now.

Much appreciatedhttp://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...lies/hands.gif

Nice to hear from you again JIN ZEN,

Good luck with the patches !

http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...lies/hands.gif

Thanks, I'm going to check out your meditation vid now.

"That's good. You'll smell a lot nicer too".

thanks for making me laugh.http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...milies/lol.gif

Aloka-D

thanks again for the link to the meditation videos, If he is an example of the power of meditation then I definitely need to start meditating myself. Which leads me to the question of how do we cultivate self discipline? I ask this because meditation is a training of the mind, so like physical training needs to be maintained on a regular basis.

I would also like to thank you for the link you posted on another thread. It was an article on the subject of karma written by Ken McLeod, my understanding of the way karma works is so much clearer now thank you.

Here's the address: http://www.unfetteredmind.com/articles/karma.php

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Hi Jin Zen,

I think if you can set aside 5-10 minutes for meditation morning and evening every day, then its a good start.

Glad you liked the Ken Mcleod articles !

http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...lies/hands.gif

baby steps?http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...milies/lol.gif

i used to be as mokeer as well i only smoked for 5 years but the thing that really helped me as that i quite with a friend and also they cant do phowa for you when you are a smoker also when you stop you will see how much you could not breath b-4 i feel like a whole new person

what aslo helps is that you really get into dharma when you quite smoking every time you want to smoke a cigarette you could start chanting or pray or read do some contemplation

Welcome to the group, Alaya7 !

Yes, those are good suggestions to take one's focus away from the desire to smoke.

Kind wishes,

http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...lies/hands.gif
Aloka