AA AND THE TWELVE STEPS WORK FOR BUDDHISTS

I've been aware of the critique of AA which comes from Westerners who've adopted a Buddhist path.  Their criticism is that AA is too "Christian" for non-theistic Buddhists.  I tended to agree with that viewpoint until someone close to me entered a twelve step program.  To support that person I've attended some of their public AA meetings and was truly impressed by the AA philosophy and the 12 step program.  It's definitely not "Christian" and simply references a higher power of one's personal understanding.  This can easily be the "higher self" or one's Buddha nature.

Recently I read an excellent article which links AA and Buddhism in a very compelling way.  The piece is written by Bill K. He gained sobriety and has remained sober for 32 years because of AA.  A decade later he embraced Zen Buddhism (he is especially informed by Zen Koan study) and has found the two traditions to be mutually supportive. Here are some insights from Bill K:

• Millions have gained their sobriety over that past 84 years because of AA so the model and program deserves respect;
• Case 87 in the collection of Zen koans known as the Blue Cliff Record teaches that “the whole world is medicine.”  AA is a "medicine" which has been available for more than 8 decades.
  
• Sometimes Buddhism isn't enough to combat addiction.  Bill K rightly notes that it  "has been widely reported that two influential Buddhist teachers in North America, Taizan Maezumi Roshi (Zen) and Chogyam Trungpa (Vajrayana), both died as a result of alcoholism. Oh, if only it could be so easy—become a Buddhist and get sober. But it doesn’t work that way. Alcoholism is a cunning and baffling disease." 
  
• If one's Buddhism isn't helping with the addiction, why not introduce a different "medicine"?  There are many paths to recovery not just one.  This is recognized in Alcoholics Anonymous (fondly called the Big Book) states: “Upon therapy for the alcoholic himself, we surely have no monopoly.”
  
• Refuge Recovery has positioned itself as  the Buddhist alternative but has done so with an expensive advertising campaign purchasing full page ads in prominent Buddhist magazines.  Bill K notes:  "AA is at a disadvantage here—because of its Twelve Traditions, it can’t take out advertising."  AA philosophy is growth by attraction, not promotion.  There is something humble and compelling about this approach.
  

(article source:  www.buddhistdoor.com)

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