Twelve Steps to Unification

Since Zen is the process of "unifying oneself" physically, mentally and spiritually, I find what people refer to as "Twelve Step Programs," as one possible concrete path to do so. Over the next couple weeks, depending on how things play out, I will explore how the "Steps,: can be useful to anyone seeking to change or improve their life.

The "Twelve Steps," originated with Alcoholics Anonymous, but now has been used not just for Alcoholics or Drug Addict, but other issues as well. There are groups like Parents Anonymous, Emotions Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Sex-Aholics Anonymous, etc... I think you get the idea. Instead of delving into all these various directions, I think there is a word that easily covers most problems dividing people within themselves. Addiction.

Addiction is an interesting word. There are actually about 75 different definitions for it. I tend to like the original latin root and translation "addictus," which means "what one gives themselves up to." In these sense I'm thinking more about the life limiting elements or things and the driving force (self-obsession and self-centeredness) that compels some to given themselves to something even when it continuously impairs or is harming the quality of their lives.

A great example is that yesterday a friend of mine told me that "________ is coming in to town. I get to have a couple days of bliss." I asked, "Isn't this the same guy that you told me was emotionally unavailable and basically ran you into a brick wall and you had been depressed for about 2 months? She replied, "Yes, but it will be okay, this time." I and another friend looked at her and told her, "It sounds like this guy is your drug. Why would you connect with someone who is just going to assist you in undermining your self-esteem?" She responded, "I don't know, but I will deal with that later." I left her with, the difference between someone who is mature and immature is the capacity and ability to act on self restraint.

So the question becomes, how do we move from being divided to genuinely being unified. As I said before, the "Twelve Steps" is one viable solution.

The Twelve Steps
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.

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

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

4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

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

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

7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

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

9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. We sought through prayer and meditation 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.

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

Each step is a principle that can be built upon in the same way that one build a house. You dig and lay a foundation, put in rebar, put in plumbing, lay concrete and so-forth. Over the next couple weeks we'll look at the different Steps and discuss how they can be used to unify our sense of self, increasing personal happiness and effectiveness.

Namaste'

Jaye Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO