It could be said that the central teaching of Buddhism is all about the overcoming of addiction. The Four Noble Truths are presented as a diagnosis and suggested treatment plan for this type of suffering:
- First Noble Truth – there is suffering
- Second Noble Truth – suffering is caused by attachment and cravings (to things that are impermanent and don’t exist in the way we think they do)
- Third Noble Truth – there is a way to overcome attachment
- Forth Noble Truth – the path to overcoming cravings is made up of eight parts – right view, right action, right intention, right understanding, right concentration, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness
Buddhists believe that addiction is a particularly extreme form of attachment. The person turns to alcohol or drugs in the belief that this can ease their suffering, but it only makes things much worse because it increases the feeling of craving.
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