BRN #68. Vince Cullen ❖ From Abstinence to Abandonment, Power of Personal Vow, Launching the 5th Precept Sangha

<p><strong>Podcast Notes:</strong></p><p><br /></p><p>Vince Cullen shares his journey into recovery and Buddhism, which led him to develop programs, host retreats, and help others find a new way of life.</p><p>An ex-alcoholic, Vince has been involved in Buddhist-oriented drug and alcohol recovery since 1998 and has a long association with<a href="http://wat-thamkrabok.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wat Thamkrabok monastery</a> in Thailand, where he has twice taken temporary ordination. He founded and facilitates<a href="http://www.5th-precept.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fifth Precept Sangha</a> meditation-for-awakening<a href="http://5th-precept.org/fifth-precept-sit-and-share-meetings/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sit-and-Share meetings</a> across multiple countries as part of his ongoing<a href="https://hungryghostretreats.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hungry Ghost Retreats</a>.</p><p>Vince has served as a<a href="https://angulimala.org.uk/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buddhist Prison Chaplain</a> in both male and female prisons in the UK and sat on the board of the Buddhist Recovery Network for nearly three years. He has completed the Committed Dharma Practitioner and Advanced Practitioner programs at<a href="https://gaiahouse.co.uk/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gaia House</a> in England and the Mindfulness Teachers Development Programme through<a href="https://bodhi-college.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bodhi College</a> in Switzerland and the UK.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Books mentioned</strong>: </p><p><br /></p><p>“A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life” by Jack Kornfield</p><p><br /></p><p>“Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits” by Martine Batchelor</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>More Links:</strong></p><p><br /></p><p>Vince's travel blog — Experience his recorded teachings:<a href="https://hungryghostretreats.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://hungryghostretreats.org/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.elsarecovery.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ELSA Recovery</a></p><p><br /></p><p>__________________________________________________</p><p><br /></p><p>🪑<strong>Need a meeting</strong>? 👉 <a href="http://buddhistrecovery.org/meetings%E2%81%A0" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buddhistrecovery.org/meetings⁠</a></p><p>Check out BRN’s<em> huge compendium of various </em><strong>Buddhist recovery meetings</strong>. In-Person &amp; Online!</p><p><br /></p><p>📺<strong>Thirsting for more Dharma?</strong> 👉 <a href="https://buddhistrecovery.org/academy/videos/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buddhistrecovery.org/academy⁠</a></p><p>The BRN Academy Teacher videos are available. Dharma teachers offering Dharma talks focused — specifically on your recovery.</p><p><br /></p><p>🤲<strong>Share the love + karma! Pay it forward </strong>👉 <a href="http://buddhistrecovery.org/donate" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buddhistrecovery.org/donate</a>⁠</p><p>Enjoyed the podcast? Consider supporting BRN as we keep reaching out to those who have yet to discover Buddhist Recovery. Pay it forward just as others paid it forward for you.</p><p>__________________________________________________</p><p><br /></p><p>❖ <strong>Recovery Meetings</strong>: [ <a href="https://buddhistrecovery.org/meetings/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠Meetings List⁠</a> | <a href="https://buddhistrecovery.org/recover/buddhist-recovery-programs/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠List of Programs⁠</a> | <a href="https://buddhistrecovery.org/resources/newcomers/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠Newcomers Welcome!⁠⁠⁠</a> ] </p><p>❖ <strong>BRN Academy</strong>: [ <a href="https://buddhistrecovery.org/academy/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"