Spiritual Look at the 12 Steps

[MajestyJo]

Spiritual Look At The 12 Steps

Twelve Step programs are about recovery from our fundamental darkness. This may manifest as alcoholism, drug addiction, compulsive overeating, gambling, or many other ways. Working the 12 Step concepts synergies well with living Buddhist beliefs.

The concepts of Honesty, Openness, and Willingness form a repeating pattern through the 12 Steps.

Honest Admission and Realization

1. We admitted we were powerless over _______ “and that our lives had become unmanageable.“

We admitted that by ourselves we were powerless to overcome our own fundamental darkness and live what we truly believe.

Open to Believe and Hope

2. We come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

We open to leaving our self-imposed isolation and raise our life condition. We release the delusion that we are alone or unsupported in an indifferent, or hostile, world. We come to believe "we are many in body and one in spirit".

Willing to Make a Determination and to Accept

3. We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.

We vow to allow our true self to manifest. This is a determination that aligns our lives with the rhythm of the living cosmos, or Mystic Law.

Honestly Confronted Ourself

4. “We make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”

This inventory must be as honest as we can be at this time. We must include our good, or bad, thoughts and actions. As Buddhists we know good and evil are two, but not two. Can we be as thorough in listing our basic goodness as the times we have been angry, full of self-pity, guilty, resentful or spiteful?

Openness to Share

5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Mel Ash wrote that this step "is a big step towards realizing our whole self." We no longer blame people, places and things for our lack of progress. "By admitting our defects to another being, we are admitting our interdependence." It was our denial of our interdependence that led to our original dysfunction."

Ready and Willing.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Entirely ready to let your true self reassert itself in the world.

Honestly Ready Change to Our Karma

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

As we allow our true nature to emerge, our thought and actions change.

Open to Amends - Open Again

8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Changing the poison of our past into medicine for today. This step is a reflective step showing ourselves the effects of our disease and denial on others. We can not longer say that we did not hurt anyone except ourself. We are preparing to change our karma. We become responsible for our own spiritual evolution.

Amending

9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Mel Ash in the Zen of Recovery states: "Although we may feel powerless when making amends, we discover that we've always had the real power to change for the better and wake up. By seizing the moment and making amends, we are ensuring that our disease becomes fully integrated into the whole, real human being we are becoming." We embrace the world and the universe itself by recovering our true nature, which was betrayed by our denial. "The only amend that the universe will accept is your consent to become a real human being and resume your correct job of being attentive to this moment."

Continued Daily Honesty

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Anything that drains our hope & life force limits of what we think is possible. Living with Awareness. Honest awareness is key.

Open/Connecting/Awareness

11. We seek through prayer and mediation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Twelve Step programs grants us the freedom to discover our own meaningful definitions, ones that will work for us. Mel Ash wrote "If our Higher Power is present and implicit in each moment, then we can gain conscious contact by becoming aware of our place in the universe."

Attaining Wisdom/Connecting

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message and practice these principles in all our affairs.

This is the bodhisattva step in recovery. We came into this life to share our recovery, our awakening, our enlightenment. As we attain a way of life that is in agreement with the deepest dictates of our being, we know joy.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As some of you know I'm keen in Buddhist philosophy, as it frequently describes our AA philosophy exactly.

Anyway, thought this was interesting! It came from here:

http://www.buddhist12steps.com/12steps/

Seems to me as if I am learning about the steps in all of the philosophies that I am interested in...hmmmmm

They seem to be incorporated somehow into them all!
I have no doubt that they are spiritually inspired.

Original Source Unknown. Not written by me. Gotten from another site and posted on my site, JoAnne's Recovery Road.

[MajestyJo]

Early in recovery, I was told that we have to work the Steps on the body, mind and spirit. In other words, my disease if four-fold and I have to apply my program to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual of my disease.

Like the slogan H.A.L.T. Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

I have to apply each H.A.L.T. feeling to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

[MajestyJo]

When I read this, it reminded me of what it says in the 12 & 12 about coming out of the darkness into the light. That is why I need to do a 4th Step. To take an inventory of what is there, be it positive or negative.

So many things were buried, some so deeply that it took years to resurface. It often took a similiar incident in today, which had strings attached to something in the past, that I came to realize that it was an old issue as well as a new situation.

This was very true when the first time I experienced grief of a loved one. When I was using, I hadn't properly grieved those who had passed away. It was like compound interest. To some it would be an over reaction, yet it went very deep and it wasn't just the person who passed away but the loss of about 6 people.

Depression is a part of grief work, and I think a lot of what I have been suffering, is loss of my son. At first it was from the city, to another city in Ontario, and then the move to B.C. Then each time he went into treatment and relapsed, there was more grief. I tend to forget, although applicable, the Steps are not a quick fix.

As I have said many times, it isn't the drug that is the problem, they are but a symptom of my disease. It is my thinking and my core the center of my being, that needs to be healed.

When things are at their darkest, God is there. It is my believe that all things are not bad or good for us, but what is bad or good in the moment.

It seems like I can be in a really miserable place, hurting and sometimes it feels like I have taken on the cares and woes of the world. It seems like one of two people will call or both, and they just seem to drain you dry when you are speaking to you. They are what book of mine calls Energy Vampires. You can't always buy into their story, and their body language is something else again. You can tell by their message on your answering machine, which is generally "Oh woe is me" or "Just thought I would give you a call, I thought of you and I was led to call you." That is an example and amongst the words are a lot of self-pity and sighs and hums and hahs.

I always have to do a meditation, get centered and take God with me when I call them back.

[MajestyJo]

Twelve Step programs are about recovery from our fundamental darkness. This may manifest as alcoholism, drug addiction, compulsive overeating, gambling, or many other ways. Working the 12 Step concepts synergies well with living Buddhist beliefs.

The concepts of Honesty, Openness, and Willingness form a repeating pattern through the 12 Steps.


Honest Admission and Realization

1. We admitted we were powerless over _______ “and that our lives had become unmanageable.“

We admitted that by ourselves we were powerless to overcome our own fundamental darkness and live what we truly believe.

Open to Believe and Hope

2. We come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

We open to leaving our self-imposed isolation and raise our life condition. We release the delusion that we are alone or unsupported in an indifferent, or hostile, world. We come to believe "we are many in body and one in spirit".

Willing to Make a Determination and to Accept

3. We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.

We vow to allow our true self to manifest. This is a determination that aligns our lives with the rhythm of the living cosmos, or Mystic Law.

Honestly Confronted Ourself

4. “We make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”

This inventory must be as honest as we can be at this time. We must include our good, or bad, thoughts and actions. As Buddhists we know good and evil are two, but not two. Can we be as thorough in listing our basic goodness as the times we have been angry, full of self-pity, guilty, resentful or spiteful?

Openness to Share

5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Mel Ash wrote that this step "is a big step towards realizing our whole self." We no longer blame people, places and things for our lack of progress. "By admitting our defects to another being, we are admitting our interdependence." It was our denial of our interdependence that led to our original dysfunction."

Ready and Willing.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Entirely ready to let your true self reassert itself in the world.

Honestly Ready Change to Our Karma

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

As we allow our true nature to emerge, our thought and actions change.

Open to Amends - Open Again

8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Changing the poison of our past into medicine for today. This step is a reflective step showing ourselves the effects of our disease and denial on others. We can not longer say that we did not hurt anyone except ourself. We are preparing to change our karma. We become responsible for our own spiritual evolution.

Amending

9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Mel Ash in the Zen of Recovery states: "Although we may feel powerless when making amends, we discover that we've always had the real power to change for the better and wake up. By seizing the moment and making amends, we are ensuring that our disease becomes fully integrated into the whole, real human being we are becoming." We embrace the world and the universe itself by recovering our true nature, which was betrayed by our denial. "The only amend that the universe will accept is your consent to become a real human being and resume your correct job of being attentive to this moment."

Continued Daily Honesty

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Anything that drains our hope & life force limits of what we think is possible. Living with Awareness. Honest awareness is key.

Open/Connecting/Awareness

11. We seek through prayer and mediation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Twelve Step programs grants us the freedom to discover our own meaningful definitions, ones that will work for us. Mel Ash wrote "If our Higher Power is present and implicit in each moment, then we can gain conscious contact by becoming aware of our place in the universe."

Attaining Wisdom/Connecting

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message and practice these principles in all our affairs.

This is the bodhisattva step in recovery. We came into this life to share our recovery, our awakening, our enlightenment. As we attain a way of life that is in agreement with the deepest dictates of our being, we know joy.

~~~~~~~~~~~
As some of you know I'm keen in Buddhist philosophy, as it frequently describes our AA philosphy exactly.

Anyway, thought this was interesting! It came from here:

http://www.buddhist12steps.com/12steps/

Seems to me as if I am learning about the steps in all of the philosophies that I am interested in...hmmmmm

They seem to be incorporated somehow into them all!

I have no doubt that they are spiritually inspired.

Thanks for letting me share.

Received with thanks from my friend Brenda

[MajestyJo]

12 Signs of a Spiritual Awakening



1. An increased tendency to let things happen,
rather than try to make them happen.

2. Frequent attacks of smiling.

3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature.

4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

5. A tendency to think and act automatically,
rather than from fears based on past experiences.

6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

7. A loss of ability to worry.

8. A loss of interest in conflict.

9. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

10. A loss of interest in judging others.

11. A loss of interest in judging self.

12. Gaining the ability to love, without expecting anything in return.

Source unknown to me

[MajestyJo]

12 Ways To Be Happy:



1. Make up your mind to be happy.
Learn to find pleasure in simple things.

2. Make the best of your circumstances.
No one has everything, and everyone has something
of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is
to make the laughter outweigh the tears.

3. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Don't think that somehow you should be protected
from misfortune that befalls other people.

4. You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry you.

5. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.

6. Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.

7. Never borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder
to bear than real ones.

8. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy,
Avoid people who make you unhappy.

9. Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.

10. Don't hold postmortems. Don't spend your time brooding
over sorrows or mistakes. Don't be one who never gets over things.

11. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

12. Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time
to be unhappy.

[MajestyJo]

A Living Program


Every day I do the 1, 2, 3 Waltz, but in order to live in today I need to apply Step Ten.

I was asked one time, "Do you work the Steps into your life?" My response was, "Yes, some days all Twelve."

One day I met someone I hadn't seen for a while. When we shared, we agreed, that we don't work the Steps in today, we live them. I don't go around and pull a Step out of my pocket, or draw it out of my coat sleeve, or take it off the shelf, to day through practicing them, they are just there. They are a way of life.

There are days when I live them to the standard I would like to, or measure up to what I feel would be an acceptable way of dealing with a matter, yet I have not failed, because I have tried. That is all I am asked to do! Try to the best of my ability to be the best 'me' that I can be today, nothing more, nothing less.

This made me think about where I am at in today as a result of the decision to move from a place that I have been in for four years. I am dreading the move and yet I have never felt so excited and so enthused about something in a long time.

The Step One discussion has been good for me, because I have had to surrender and turn everything over to my Higher Power and let things unfold as they should.

As I write this I need to focus on Step Eleven to make sure that I am hearing His will not mine. I need to make sure I am doing this in a way that is good for both me and my friend. Boundaries have to be set, thoughts of each other need to be nurtured, and the ability to be willing to compromise and meet each other half way on all the issues of moving in and sharing your space with someone else.

A look at the glaring defects that may get in the way such as the wanting things my way and for my comfort and well being. I hope to get rid of some old habits and ways along with the extra clothes and stuff that I have accumulated over the last few years.

This post reminds me that I need to work the Steps in all my affairs. It isn't about drinking and drugging today. It is about my thinking and my living in today.

What Step are you working on today?

Written and posted in 2005, and yet the same thoughts apply in today. The Steps are applicable to all areas of my life.

[MajestyJo]

Remember your spiritual side

"The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays."

-- Soren Kierkegaard

Reminding ourselves often of our spiritual natures truly changes the quality of our lives. It helps us relax, slow down, lighten up, and generally find more space and joy in life.

When we get down on ourselves or life, we can pull back and ask, "How
might my soul regard this situation? What am I being invited to experience?"

This shift in perspective helps us let go of the resistance that always comes with negativity. As energy once again begins to flow, our outlook brightens.

"Spirituality is the sacred center out of which all life comes, including Mondays and Tuesdays and rainy Saturday afternoons in all their mundane and glorious detail. ... The spiritual journey is the soul's life commingling with ordinary life."

-- Christina Baldwin

"It is not my business to think about myself. My business is to think about God. It is for God to think about me."

-- Simone Weil

- Higher Awareness (used with permission)

When I get stuck, perhaps it is time to move on to a new Step, or go back and look at one I either missed, or go and look at one and find new awareness and a spiritual awakening.

Step 3 was the big one for me, until I got to Step 11. Step 11 is a maintenance Step, and something I need to practice.

Steps 10, 11, and 12 allow me to find sobriety, not just stay clean and sober. Sobriety is peace of mind. I have to work on my emotional sobriety daily, that is why I have to keep coming back.

[MajestyJo]

Principles of the Twelve Steps
1. Honesty2. Hope3. Faith4. Courage5. Integrity6. Willingness7. Humility8. Brotherly Love9. Self Discipline10. Perseverance11. Ever Presence of God12. Service to Fellowman,
Principles of the Twelve Traditions
1. Unity2. Direction3. Recovery4. Understanding5. Sharing6. Simplicity7. Independence8. Selflessness9. Service10. Survival11. Self Reliance12. Humility
Principles of the Twelve Concepts
1. Responsibility2. Reliance3. Trust4. Participation5. Democracy6. Accountability7. Balance8. Consistency9. Vision10. Clarity11. Respect12. Spirituality