<p>A Buddhist doctor/nun on how we're all addicted to something—and how to reduce craving.</p> <p> </p> <p>Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, ("Sister D") was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, <em>Healing: A Woman's Journey from Doctor to Nun</em> (2010), and <em>Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit</em> (2015).</p> <p> </p> <p>This episode is part of our monthlong <a href="https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast-playlists/new-years-2025-do-life-better" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Do Life Better</em></a> series. </p> <p><strong>We talk about:</strong></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Sister D's Buddhist version of the 12 step program, which is a combination of two canonical buddhist lists: the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path</li> <li>How willpower doesn't fit into the Buddhist path of understanding and working with addiction </li> <li>How to change addiction at its root</li> <li>Practical applications of mindfulness</li> <li>Self-compassion</li> <li>The importance of social support</li> <li>Her thoughts on our relationships to our phones </li> <li>And more</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Related Episodes:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast-playlists/new-years-2025-do-life-better" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Do Life Better</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.danharris.com/p/this-episode-will-make-you-stronger-365" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>This Episode Will Make You Stronger | Sister Dang Nghiem</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.danharris.com/p/the-science-of-manifestation-can-05e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Science Of Manifestation | James Doty</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Follow Dan on social:</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Instagram</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>TikTok</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Subscribe to our</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>YouTube Channel</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Our favorite playlists on:</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3Qa8kMT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Anxiety</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3MjtMxF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Sleep</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QvyA5J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Relationships</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QxZASc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Most Popular Episodes</strong></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Actionable Insights
1. Acknowledge Suffering & Addiction
Courageously admit your addictions, whether to substances, behaviors, or negative thought patterns, as the first step towards transformation and healing.
2. Cultivate Inter-being View
Understand that your addiction is not isolated but arises from an ocean of causes and conditions, including your parents, society, and past experiences, to reduce self-judgment and foster compassion.
3. Cultivate Understanding as Power
Recognize that deep understanding and insight into your condition and its causes serve as your innate ‘higher power,’ empowering you to transform suffering and addiction by gaining wisdom.
4. Practice Right Mindfulness
Be aware of what is truly present and positive in you and around you, rather than dwelling on negativity, to reduce inner noise and connect with life as it is.
5. Practice Right Concentration
Focus your attention on nurturing and healing stimuli, such as your breath or positive aspects of your environment, to reduce mental dispersion and self-judgment.
6. Cultivate Right Thinking
Replace negative self-talk and wrong perceptions (e.g., ‘I’m ugly,’ ‘I’m worthless’) with positive affirmations and a belief in your inherent worth.
7. Practice Right Speech to Self
Use loving and appreciative words towards yourself, such as ‘I love you,’ ‘Thank you,’ and ‘I’m sorry’ for past negative thoughts, to heal your inner child and foster self-compassion.
8. ‘I Am Enough’ Meditation
Regularly scan your body and acknowledge your physical completeness (head, body, arms, legs, internal organs), expressing gratitude for what you have, to cultivate self-empowerment and right view.
9. Engage in Right Action
Choose self-caring behaviors, such as going for a walk, over destructive coping mechanisms like consuming drugs or pornography, to foster healing and well-being.
10. Cultivate Right Living Environment
Create a peaceful, non-distracting living space to support rest, reduce cues for addiction, and promote healing, especially by removing electronic gadgets from your bedroom.
11. Remove Electronics from Bedroom
For better sleep hygiene and to reduce electronic addiction cues, ensure your bedroom is peaceful and non-distracting by removing all electronic gadgets like computers, iPhones, and iPads.
12. Practice Right Diligence
Actively sustain positive mental states, invite them to arise if absent, prevent negative states from being strengthened, and avoid exposing yourself to stimuli that invite negative seeds.
13. Mindful Breathing for Cravings
When triggered by cravings or discomfort, return to your breath, close your eyes, and breathe deeply to calm your mind, self-regulate, and then remove yourself from the situation if possible.
14. Body Scan for Awareness
Practice body scanning to become aware of physical sensations in your body, which helps redirect your mind away from overwhelming thoughts or cravings and allows you to promptly care for your physical state.
15. Seek Social Support
Actively engage with supportive communities, such as 12-step programs or monastic settings, to leverage collective energy, feel less alone, and find practices that uplift each other.
16. Choose Supportive Groups
Select support groups that offer specific practices and a clear path to transformation, rather than just discussing problems, to ensure mutual upliftment and progress.
17. Build Self-Confidence & Trust
Consistently practice mindful breathing, walking, self-reflection, and positive self-talk to regain trust in your ability to care for yourself, discern situations, and seek help.
18. Live Moment-to-Moment Fully
Consciously strive to live each moment as fully as possible, being present and aware, to reclaim your life from distractions and the fear of living or dying.
19. Diligently Practice 12 Steps
Commit to diligently practicing the Buddhist 12-step program (Four Noble Truths + Eightfold Path) one step at a time, as a structured path to healing and transformation.
20. Invest in Healing
Recognize that you deserve healing and transformation, and courageously seek help from others, as you do not have to undertake this journey alone.