The Sanity of Addiction

Our addiction begins with the impulse to not suffer. This impulse is our own inherent sanity shining though. 

It is how we choose to react to that impulse to not suffer that leads us into using substances and behaviors to escape the experience of suffering rather than understanding it.  We chose to self-medicate out of both sanity and confusion.  

Sanity that wants to end suffering.

Confusion that doesn't understand the nature or cause of the suffering and does not honestly know the one who is suffering. 

Meditation provides a gentle and precise path for both understanding the nature and source of our suffering and for getting to know ourselves--even making friends with ourselves.

By understanding the cause of our suffering, we can begin to see how to avoid creating suffering for ourselves and others rather than just self-medicating the symptoms.