Noah Levine

Noah Levine was born in 1971 in Santa Cruz, California, the son of American Buddhist author Stephen Levine. His early life was marked by instability, including parental addiction and divorce. Levine experienced significant challenges during his youth, such as drug use, involvement in violence, and multiple suicide attempts, behaviors he later attributed to the early influence of the punk rock scene which he discovered in his teenage years. A turning point occurred in 1988 after facing three felonies and a suicide attempt while incarcerated. Reaching an “emotional rock bottom,” he began to explore Buddhist meditation techniques, specifically anapanasati, which his father had taught him, leading to a crucial shift in his life. This period initiated his long-term recovery journey, during which he also became involved with the straight edge movement and a twelve-step program, alongside his developing meditation practice.

Following his personal transformation, Levine pursued formal training under Jack Kornfield at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, further deepening his understanding and practice of Buddhism. He later earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. His career has focused on sharing Buddhist teachings and meditation with diverse populations, particularly those in recovery and incarcerated youth. He leads Dharma and vipassana meditation retreats and workshops across the United States. Levine has also authored several books, including “Dharma Punx” (2004), “Against the Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries” (2007), “The Heart of the Revolution” (2011), and “Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction” (2014).

Levine is known for founding significant organizations that combine Buddhist practice with social outreach. He established Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, which initially had two centers in Los Angeles and over 20 affiliated groups across North America. He also co-founded the Mind Body Awareness Project, a non-profit dedicated to serving incarcerated youth, and Refuge Recovery, an addiction recovery community based on Buddhist principles. His work has aimed to make Buddhist teachings accessible and relevant, particularly within recovery contexts, addressing a wide range of individuals who might not typically engage with traditional Buddhist centers.