Will and 12 Steps-Piscean vs Aquarian

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavati, I think I can illustrate what I am talking about

(Piscean/Aquarian conflicts) with the first 3 steps of the 12 steps of AA. I

really don't know how much depth we should go into on this subject, keeping in

mind the group guidelines. However, I'll start with this, and ask our moderators

to let us know if we need to take this off-group.

 

FIRST 3 STEPS:

 

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become

unmanageable.

 

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to

sanity.

 

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we

understood him.

 

The concept of powerlessness is huge because it is considered to be permanent.

Not only must the addict absolutely accept that he/she cannot control their

addiction, he/she must also accept that the condition is permanent. "I am an

alcoholic/addict" is a compulsory personal mantra which one must speak every

time one introduces oneself at a meeting. And we know how effective mantras can

be, even when negative. This permanent "powerlessness" concept is derived, at

least in part, from the Piscean/Judeo-Christian view of Man as an unworthy

sinner, redeemable only by God. And it is fear-based, not love-based. The second

step refers to the "Higher Power". Not only is this Higher Power considered to

be greater than the self, it is also considered to be External. Nothing within

the self can overcome that powerlessness. God and Man are separate, not One.

That is Piscean. And that is totally contrary to our teachings in KY that God is

within us, and we can learn to live our lives with that Inner Teacher as our

guide.

 

Now, in trying to relate to these steps in an AA class, I will speak of the

separation of mind/Ego from Spirit-and putting Spirit, as opposed to Ego, in

control of your actions. I tell my students (though I'm not sure their

counselors would agree), "your Spirit is no addict." These 2 steps can be

reconciled with KY if one can accept one's own Spirit, in connection with the

Infinite, as one's Higher Power. This means that powerlessness is not

necessarily permanent; addiction is a dependence that can be changed. Whatever

thought process led to the addiction can be eradicated; healing is possible. To

me, accepting addiction as a lifetime disease virtually guarantees that I'll

have one in the next life! I say, "don't live with it, get over it!"

 

Now, Step 3 expresses a spiritual truth, once we accept that God is within us.

Living in God's will, in our own Divinity, is the path to being happy, healthy

and holy. AA is strongly spiritually based, and there are underlying truths

which run throughout the program, in the Big Book, and in the daily meditations

you mentioned. Still, some of its negative concepts are outdated and I think the

time has come for new paths to be offered on a wider scale.

 

These are my ideas based upon my experiences in treatment facilities, and so are

not entirely objective. I hope others will offer comments.

 

Peace, Love and Light, Sukhmani Kaur

 

Sat Nam, Sukhmani Kaur

I have read you're article: From Addiction to Acceptance - Thank You for

sharing that with us.

 

In regard to AA living the Piscean philosophy, would there be any

possibility of sharing details with us?

 

Humbly, Bhagavati

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Sukhmani Kaur,

 

I just want to say I completely agree with you about addictions not being

permanet. I struggled with them, couldn't accept the 12 Step program and

it was a book that finally pointed to way for me. Sadly I can't evern

remember the name - I passed it on to someone else- but basically the

author was saying that as soon as an addiction no longer serves the

person they give it up and he gave example after example to prove his

point. He talked about a doctor who ran a treatment program for addicts

and did his own research on the side on patients who were dealing with

their addictions on their own. After eight years he concluded that the

people on their own were doing better than the people in the program.

 

This book did not suggest that addicts work alone, but try to find

therapists willing to work with attempting to cure the addiction.

 

In my case I turned to KY and that gave me the leverage I needed. I was

always able to stop, but control was out of the question. I needed to

be able to do more than walk away to feel cured - I had to feel that

there was no longer any power over me. In my case the meditation that

changed everything was Kirtan Kryia - I needed to clear old patterns out

of my subconscious. Quite a long time ago I wrote an account of my

experiece with it to the list. I can honestly say that all those things

now feel as though they happened to a different person. I hope this

helps someone out there !

 

 

Love,

Avtar K.

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[Guest guest]

--- Sukhmani Kaur <sukieclj wrote:

> The concept of powerlessness is huge because it is considered to be

> permanent. Not only must the addict absolutely accept that he/she cannot

> control their addiction, he/she must also accept that the condition is

> permanent. "I am an alcoholic/addict" is a compulsory personal mantra

> which one must speak every time one introduces oneself at a meeting. And

> we know how effective mantras can be, even when negative.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this subject, Sukhmani. I

spent a couple of years going through the 12 steps. It helped me a lot at

the beginning but after 2 years I got tired of the constant focus still

being placed on my addiction. It seems like the NA/AA programs keep people

obsessed with their drug of choice and just changes to focus from "getting

high" to not getting high. I left 'the program' 4.5 years ago, held on by

sheer will for 1.5 years, and then started practicing yoga. I've been drug

free for 6.5 years now and yoga has helped me tap into enough of my own

inner strength to also give up cigarettes and caffeine. Now I'm working on

a very stubborn addiction I have to sugar. I have A LOT of food

sensitivities and have given up wheat, soy, dairy, and meat (other than

fish) without a problem. But sugar is a tough one! I'm actually a hatha

yoga practitioner but I've been thinking about starting a KY practice by

doing a 40 day set for addiction release. Did you say you've been doing

one? If so, which one and how has it helped you?

 

Ann

 

 

 

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