Buddhism views addiction as fundamentally a form of attachment and craving that leads to suffering (dukkha). In Buddhist teachings, much of human suffering is attributed to desires and attachments to impermanent states and things, including substances or behaviors that lead to addiction. In terms of recovery, Buddhism offers a spiritual path that can help individuals overcome addiction through wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. Key elements of Buddhist practice relevant to recovery include:

1. The Four Noble Truths: - The truth of suffering (dukkha): Recognizing that addiction causes suffering. - The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya): Understanding that craving and attachment (to substances or behaviors) are the causes of this suffering. - The truth of the end of suffering (nirodha): Realizing that it's possible to end this suffering. - **The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering (magga): Following the Eightfold Path as a way to overcome these attachments and cravings.
2. The Eightfold Path**: This consists of eight practices that can be seen as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. These include right understanding, right intent, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. These practices help cultivate mindfulness, self-discipline, and wisdom, all of which are crucial in overcoming addiction.
3. Mindfulness and Meditation: Regular practice of mindfulness and meditation helps individuals gain deeper insight into their behaviors and thought patterns. It can help one observe their cravings and impulses non-judgmentally and learn to respond to them more wisely rather than reactively.
4. The Five Precepts: These are ethical guidelines that many Buddhists choose to follow, which include abstaining from taking life, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, false speech, and intoxicants that cloud the mind. For someone in recovery, particularly the fifth precept against consuming intoxicants can be a supportive principle. In recovery, Buddhism emphasizes understanding the root causes of addiction, developing compassion towards oneself and others, and using meditative practices to cultivate a more peaceful state of mind and a deeper understanding of the nature of reality (impermanence, non-self, and suffering). This approach aligns closely with many modern therapeutic practices that aim to develop healthier coping mechanisms, emotional resilience, and a deepened sense of life purpose.