Higher power

A place to discuss health and fitness, healthy diets. A fit body makes for a fit mind.
danieLion
Posts: 1947
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 am

Re: Higher power

Post by danieLion »

bodom wrote:I highly recommend checking this book out!

A Burning Desire: Dharma God and the Path of Recovery
A Burning Desire is a gift for those who struggle with the Twelve Step program’s focus on the need to surrender to a Higher Power. Taking a radical departure from traditional views of God, Western or Eastern, author Kevin Griffin neither accepts Christian beliefs in a Supreme Being nor Buddhist non-theism, but rather forges a refreshing, sensible, and accessible Middle Way. Griffin shows how the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, can be understood as a Higher Power. Karma, mindfulness, impermanence, and the Eightfold Path itself are revealed as powerful forces that can be accessed through meditation and inquiry.


http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Desire-Dh ... 1401923216" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Taking the dhamma (or the Buddha or the Sangha) as your higher power is dangerous. The Buddha recommended 11 "steps"--not 12. The dhamma has nothing to do with the spiritual awakening the authors of the Big Book (of AA) were recommending. The dhamma is visible here and now, not somewhere "higher".

Listen to Gil Fronsdal's Views of the Dharma at http://www.audiodharma.org/talks/audio_player/2929.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and reflect on what I've said avbove. A good sample section if you don't want to listen to the whole thing is between minute markers 14:58 and 17:00.
Goodwill
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mirco
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Re: Higher power

Post by mirco »

greggorious wrote:Hi there, I'm thinking of going back into AA again as I keep relapsing back into drinking. I've tried various methods but they don't seem to last for that long.

As far as the first step goes, I don't mind admitting powerlessness over alcohol, as I see it, my ego is powerless over many things. However I don't know what to do about a higher power.
Dear Greg,

whatever poeple say, it is always a Higher Power of everyones own understanding. No rules for that. No christian good. No religion at all. Just a spiritual program.

And as I understand the program, you take what works for you and leave the rest. And if going to meetings helps staying sober.... . Admitting powerlessness is (only) the first part of step one. Going to the meeting completes it.

And if you don't like AA, there's NA ("...powerless over addiction...")

Hugs 'n' best wishes
:-)
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mirco
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Re: Higher power

Post by mirco »

Yana wrote:Try seeing the higher power as yourself...the infinite possibility that you can achieve..i mean sometimes i believe in every good thing i know...from God to angel to inspirational people and moments.. just to give me enough strength to do something and after i do it i let it go knowing that that was all me...i took that step..i made it happen! okay maybe you can try this also... :hug:
Self centeredness is one of the strongest source for problems in life.
Working the twelve step program can be of great help to overcome that.

:-)
Yana
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Re: Higher power

Post by Yana »

mirco wrote:
Yana wrote:Try seeing the higher power as yourself...the infinite possibility that you can achieve..i mean sometimes i believe in every good thing i know...from God to angel to inspirational people and moments.. just to give me enough strength to do something and after i do it i let it go knowing that that was all me...i took that step..i made it happen! okay maybe you can try this also... :hug:
Self centeredness is one of the strongest source for problems in life.
Working the twelve step program can be of great help to overcome that.

:-)
I don't think relying on ourselves to get better is being self centered? I mean did The Buddha think he was being self centered when he relied on his own actions to attain enlightment?.. or would you rather he just sat down and Prayed to some God to give it to him?At the end of the day .."you" are resonsible for "your"self,your own actions,your own salavtion,your own recovery and wellbeing...i mean..no one can do that for you.You have to use whatever resources you can get to get better..whether it's having faith or thinking positive or the twelve step program...as for believing in yourself..that you can achieve the very best...there's nothing self centered about that really.
Life is preparing for Death
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bodom
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Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Higher power

Post by bodom »

danieLion wrote:Taking the dhamma (or the Buddha or the Sangha) as your higher power is dangerous. The Buddha recommended 11 "steps"--not 12. The dhamma has nothing to do with the spiritual awakening the authors of the Big Book (of AA) were recommending. The dhamma is visible here and now, not somewhere "higher".
Higher Power: Buddhists, “God”, & the 12 Steps
http://news.northwestdharma.org/Summer2 ... 2Steps.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Monkey Mind
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Location: Pacific Northwest, USA

Re: Higher power

Post by Monkey Mind »

Someone else mentioned Smart Recovery, here is the website- http://www.smartrecovery.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There might be meetings in your local area, and they have daily on-line meetings. I find the mental tools of SMART very compatible with Dhamma.
"As I am, so are others;
as others are, so am I."
Having thus identified self and others,
harm no one nor have them harmed.

Sutta Nipāta 3.710
onaquest
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Re: Higher power

Post by onaquest »

Can't stay outta this one. Been in and around 12 step recovery for nearly 26 years, and the "as you understand him" just comfirmed the validity of my spiritual practice which was Buddhist, didn't realize it was Buddhist until I got a Buddhist sponsor about 4 years ago. Actually, if you look at the history of AA, Bill was studying practices of meditation and "eastern thought" when he and Dr. Bob were formulating the steps. Granted the Big Book and 12 & 12 reek of catholicism, but then again look at the history at the time. How else would you talk about sprituality in the US
in the 30's without using Judeo-Christian language if not for anything else but as a common ground for communication.
Another fantastic read that you might find very helpful is "The Zen of Recovery". (or something like that.
Keep Coming back
:namaste:
onaquest
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Re: Higher power

Post by onaquest »

might wanna try this site too http://www.buddhistrecovery.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Alobha
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Location: Germany

Re: Higher power

Post by Alobha »

It seems worth noting, that if you deal with the problem you try to solve by drinking, your urge to drink will be dealt with, too.
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mirco
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Re: Higher power

Post by mirco »

Dear Greg,
greggorious wrote:However I don't know what to do about a higher power.
Higher Power starts in Step Three. Take your time. Work the steps one after another. Patience pays off. Maybe try NA. ("powerless over addiction")
greggorious wrote:In AA literature it's more than obvious they are talking about God.
There is talk about a God of one's own understanding. Nothing determined.

For me, for example, at the moment my Higher Power consists of the faith(from Step Two) in the Steps and the fellowship plus the one/it I am talking, praying to, which can't be explained with words. My decision, no understanding but my own, nothing I had to take over. No christian, jewish, hindu, muslim or wathever understanding of god has got anything to do with that. It's a spiritual program on it's own.

Be well, :-)
Last edited by mirco on Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mpcahn
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Re: Higher power

Post by mpcahn »

The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha can be seen as a higher power, and going for refuge can be seen as committing oneself to a higher power.

Here's a good book on the act of going for refuge:

http://dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings ... 120116.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
is the mind us? Is it ours? Slash on down! Whatever is going to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. We feel no regrets. We want only the truth. (Ajahn Maha Boowa)
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mirco
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Re: Higher power

Post by mirco »

mpcahn wrote:The Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha can be seen as a higher power, and going for refuge can be seen as committing oneself to a higher power.
Well, yes, that definitely are things that will help to restore sanity (as it says in Step Two.)
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Magoo
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Location: Australia

Re: Higher power

Post by Magoo »

HI all. I enjoyed this thread as it sits very relevant for me. Due to a change in personnel circumstances, I have recently found myself sharing a house with and old time friend of mine. A person I used to drink and party with, amongst other things. We lost contact for a few years and due to the change in circumstances (marriage separation) he firstly welcomed me to stay with him and now we share another house together.

In the time we lost contact he became an alcoholic and has now been in AA for 18 months. In that time I have become very spiritual and a practicing Buddhist. We have enjoyed our re-united time together greatly, as we are both so much more honest, true, kind and HAPPY. Our discussions have been stimulating and we both have learned a lot from each other about life and our current journey's.

To cut a long story short, he isnt religious either and me being Buddhist do not believe in a Creator God. Howver he has his concept of what he determines to be his 'Higher Power' and although I do not neccesarily need to identify with one, I would say that mine is my True Nature, My Essence, My Buddha Nature beyond my ego. I think my ego (the doer) is my 'Lower Power' and my Buddha Nature (the knower) is my Higher Power.

This is my 50 cents worth anyway.

Thanks and Metta to all!

Eamonn
chg2winter
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Re: Higher power

Post by chg2winter »

A key line to me is "God as I understand God", that really helped me to accept the blocks that I put up (as a none believer in God :) )

I am a Buddhist and 23 years clean via NA. No conflict.

Warmly,
Dan
greggorious
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Re: Higher power

Post by greggorious »

Magoo, from my understanding there is no Buddha nature in Theravada.
"The original heart/mind shines like pure, clear water with the sweetest taste. But if the heart is pure, is our practice over? No, we must not cling even to this purity. We must go beyond all duality, all concepts, all bad, all good, all pure, all impure. We must go beyond self and nonself, beyond birth and death. When we see with the eye of wisdom, we know that the true Buddha is timeless, unborn, unrelated to any body, any history, any image. Buddha is the ground of all being, the realization of the truth of the unmoving mind.” Ajahn Chah
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