Spirituality Defined (Episode 2)

Today, we are discussing how Buddhism and the 12 Step Programs are both spiritual pathways. How do you define spirituality? I define spirituality as, bonding in love! Do you incorporate spirituality in your sobriety? Why is Buddhism and the 12 Steps both considered spiritual pathways?

Transcript

Hi,

This is Chris McDuffie,

Host of Spiritual Sobriety.

This podcast is a brief introduction to the spiritual pathways of Buddhism and 12-step programs.

The term spirit in Latin is defined as breath or to breathe.

This Western image of a living force flowing in us,

Through us,

And over us is a beautiful image to consider.

So then,

What is meant when both Buddhism and the 12-step programs are defined as spiritual pathways?

How does each one define spirituality,

And how do you choose to define spirituality?

According to the website,

Thebuddhistcenter.

Com,

Quote,

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to insight into the true nature of reality.

Buddhist practices like meditation are means of changing yourself in order to develop the qualities of awareness,

Kindness,

And wisdom.

An enlightened being sees the nature of reality absolutely clearly,

Just as it is,

And lives fully and naturally in accordance with that vision.

This is the goal of the Buddhist spiritual life,

Representing the end of suffering for anyone who attains it.

Buddhist scholar and spiritual teacher Ram Dass offers this conceptualization of spirituality from the Hindu perspective.

Quote,

We've gotten lost in our ego and have forgotten that our soul's motive is to merge with the beloved.

End quote.

Remember Buddha was a Hindu who left the religiosity of Hinduism for a secular pathway of practicing spirituality.

According to the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-steps,

Spirituality emphasizes a power greater than ourselves and God as we understood him.

Here we see the Judeo-Christian view of spirituality.

In the West,

The term spirituality is historically ascribed to religion,

Whereas Alcoholics Anonymous was founded on the principles of spiritual,

Not religious,

Tenets.

Bill Wilson struggled with this conundrum as he took from the Oxford group their basic tenets to create the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and,

Dare I say,

Liberated the term spirituality from religious practice.

Many of the founding members of AA fought Bill on this very issue.

Bill Wilson tells us in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age,

A history of the fellowship's early years,

That quote,

The hot debate about the 12-steps and the book's content was doubled and redoubled.

There were conservative,

Liberal,

And radical viewpoints.

Some thought the book ought to be Christian.

Others could accept the word God,

But were opposed to any other theological proposition.

And the atheists and agnostics wanted to delete all references of God and take a psychological approach.

End quote.

And we see in the 12-steps and 12-traditions,

In page 106,

Bill Wilson describes what happens over this debate in AA over spirituality there.

He writes,

Quote,

Maybe there are as many definitions of spiritual awakening as there are people who have had them.

But certainly each genuine one has something in common with all the others.

When a man or woman has a spiritual awakening,

The most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do,

Feel,

And believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone.

He has been granted a gift,

Which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being.

He has been set on a path which tells him he is really going somewhere,

That life is not a dead end,

Not something to be endured or mastered.

In a very real sense,

He has been transformed,

Because he has laid hold of a source of strength which in one way or another he had hitherto denied himself.

End quote.

So in comparing Buddhism and the 12-step programs,

I find that both include practices to take us out of self and toward helping others.

I believe that spirituality is best defined as love.

And I see love as the spiritual genesis behind both Buddhism and the 12-step programs.

So how do you choose to define spirituality?

Does spirituality stand alone as either secular or religious?

Do you practice spirituality?

Does practicing spirituality help you bond in love?

Please respond to today's podcast with your thoughts and comments.

Thank you.

See you next time.

Reviews

Good tie to Buddhism in relating Love. I believe love heals all. Cheers, Namaste and thank you!

Wow! Thank you. I always have a hard time describing the spiritual aspect of the program. ☀️🙏💝

I practice spirituality without placibg it in a box but staying open to the many experiences of the journey day to day! Thank you 🙏

Thank you. I'm going to look for more of your offerings.

Spirituality for me , is like a awarenes that is broad. It deepens with awarenes .like wings all around you

Nice
I liked your def of spirituality. I may adopt it as well.
Ann - 4 yr member of AA

Love this!!!!

Thank you xoxoxo

Hello! I am so glad I stumbled upon this in Insight this morning. I could write a lot about my continuous struggle with the spiritual component in my recovery a la the rooms, but I will instead revel in the peaceful joy I received from the first three episodes I listened to. “We get what we need when we need it...”, indeed. I look forward to learning more as this is the most comprehensive “Buddhism for beginners” listen I have ever heard. I just picked up 6 years, but came to sobriety in my 50’s. So, this offering is a gem. Thank you Chris, set my day just right.

I am really enjoying your meditations, Chris. I am continuing to learn more about healing and living my life in a kinder way. I just celebrated 37 yrs sober and you've added a new dimension to my recovery! Thank you.🤗❤

Love this! Spirituality is connection wholeness truth to our authenticity in Love and Energy.

I think spirituality and love are intertwined. Thank you for this message.

Thanks. I tried to find your podcast and was unsuccessful. How should I search for it?

I am really loving this. My experience is, so many are resistant to the concept of spirituality and deny Source, equating it to religion. Having
been traumatized by religious institutions they literally throw “the baby out with the bath water.” Their recovery is severely thwarted and often never progresses but sadly dies with them.

25 years ago when i was having trouble with the concept of God at Anonymous meetings, someone at one of them told me to think of it as not God but G.O.D. = Good Orderly Direction. That helped. Then maybe 5 years ago i cam across a book i think was called "The 12-Step Buddhist". I liked the wording better ... I gave it away so i can't remember the author, but it might be an amazon by now. The person i gave it to was actually ChristIan, and she liked it too.

Excellent! I have always stuggled with the AA God concept. I am getting past that, and podcasts like yours helps affirm Im not alone with my beliefs. Your share brings me more acceptance of my path in recovery.
Thank you so much.

Beautiful. Thank you.

Thank you. DOS 10 2.88. Unable to do it alone.