OUR SPIRITUAL MYSTERY – “It may be possible to find explanations of spiritual experience such as ours, but I have often tried to explain my own … .” “I know the feeling it gave me and the results it has brought, but I realize I may never fully understand its deeper why and how.” (As Bill Sees It, p. 323)
“Remember that you don’t choose love; love chooses you. All you really can do is accept it for all its mystery when it comes to your life. Feel the way it fills you to overflowing then reach out and give it away.”
In what way has the “spiritual mystery” of love chosen you, lately?
The Mystery of The Sphinx :
A long long time ago, the city of Thebes was guarded by a sphinx, a creature with the head of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle.
She asked the same riddle to every passer-by and when they could not answer, she consumed them.
‘What being,’ the sphinx asked Oedipus, when he came upon her, ‘has four legs in the morning, two at midday and three in the evening?’
‘Man,’ answered Oedipus. ‘As a child he crawls on all fours, in his prime he walks on two legs and when he is old he leans on a stick.’ (http://www.english-for-students.com/The-Mystery-of-The-Sphinx.html)
THE ENEMY WE BATTLE NEVER SLEEPS – “In our disease, we are dealing with a destructive, violent power greater than ourselves that can lead to relapse.” “We can never fully recover, no matter how long we stay clean. Complacency is the enemy … .” (The Basic Text, pp. 84-85)
ON THE BATTLE FIELD –
“When World War II broke out, our A.A. dependence on a Higher Power had its first major test. A.A.’s entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take the discipline, stand up under fire, and endure … ?” (As Bill Sees It, p. 200)
“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu (c. 403-221 BC) Chinese philosopher/ war tactician
The ox and the horse realised that their master was preparing to depart for the war. The horse was very worried when it thought about the dangers it would have to face up in a battle. The ox, on the other hand, was extremely cheerful in the belief that, in the absence of the master, he would have less work to do.
All this changed a shortwhile later, when the news arrived that the enemy had already surrendered. To celebrate the great victory, the cavalryman held an enormous banquet with plenty of roast meat: who was the loser then, do you think?
THE TYPE OF “SELF SERVICE” THAT WILL BRING GREAT RELIEF – “Relieve me of the bondage of self; that I may better do Thy will [i.e., the will one’s of Higher Power] .” (The Big Book, p. 63)
THE BOND OF SELFLESSNESS – “Make us servants of Your will and grant us a bond of selflessness, that this may truly be Your work, not ours – in order that no addict, anywhere, need to die from the horrors of addiction.” (The Basic Text,p. xi )
“Do some selfless service for people who are in need. Consider the whole picture, not just our little selves.” – Nina Hagen (1955 – ) German musician/lead vocalist
What role has selflessness played in your life, lately?
Be Lost In The Call
by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi
Lord, said David, since you do not need us,
why did you create these two worlds?
Reality replied: O prisoner of time,
I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you’ve never seen the face.
Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw?
Yet clean away the mud and straw,
and a mirror might be revealed.
Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn’t wine.
If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.
My King addressed the soul of my flesh:
You return just as you left.
Where are the traces of my gifts?
We know that alchemy transforms copper into gold.
This Sun doesn’t want a crown or robe from God’s grace.
He is a hat to a hundred bald men,
a covering for ten who were naked.
Jesus sat humbly on the back of an ass, my child!
How could a zephyr ride an ass?
Spirit, find your way, in seeking lowness like a stream.
Reason, tread the path of selflessness into eternity.
Then remember God so much that you are forgotten.
Let the caller and the called disappear;
[B]e lost in the Call.
CAN WE CAUSE HARM IN LITTLE WAYS – “We might next ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we have “harmed” other people. What kinds of “harm” do people do to one another, anyway? To define the word “harm” in a practical way, we might call it the result of instincts in collision, which cause physical, mental, emotional or spiritual damage to people.” (12 & 12, p. 80)
“He who has loved and who betrays love does harm not only to the image of the past, but to the past itself.”- Theodor Adorno (1903 – 1969) German philosopher
Be it, “people, places or things”, in what ways have your own actions caused harm?
Angry Snake :
A carpenter went home after shutting down his workshop. When he was gone, a poisonous snake entered his workshop. The snake was hungry and hoped to find its supper lurking somewhere within. It slithered from one end to another. Finally, it bumped into an ax and got very slightly injured. In angry and revenge, the snake bit the snake with full force. What could a snake’s bite do to the metallic ax?
Instead, the snake’s mouth started bleeding.
Out of fury and arrogance, the snake tried its best to strangle and kill the metallic ax – The object that was causing it the pain by wrapping itself around the ax. The next day the carpenter opened the workshop. He found the dead snake wrapped around the blades of the ax. Here the snake did not die because of someone’s fault. But it faced these consequences merely because of its own anger and wrath. Sometimes when angry, we try to cause harm to others. But as time passes by, we realize that we caused more harm to ourselves. It is not necessary that we react to everything. Step back and ask ourselves if the matter is really worth responding to. (http://www.english-for-students.com/angry-snake.html)
THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH MEASURING CUP – “Many of us use spiritual principles as a power greater than ourselves.” “This makes sense to us. Because we have tried many times to think ourselves into a better way of life. Trying it the other way. Practicing a better way of life by living according to spiritual principles, will eventually have an effect on our thinking.” (It Works, How & Why, p. 15) “The real spiritual progress of the aspirant is measured by the extent to which he achieves inner tranquility.” – Swami Sivananda (1887 – 1963) Hindu spiritual teacher
In what ways have you determined that you’re making spiritual progress, lately?
Outer Calm = Inner Tranquility
By Rivka Caroline
“You shall dwell in sukkot seven days, every citizen in Israel shall dwell in sukkot, so that your descendants shall know that in sukkot I caused the Children of Israel to dwell when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. (Leviticus 23:42–43)
For eight days we camp out in a sukkah. We eat there, we drink there, and we hang out there.
Here’s the funny part: The comforts of home are left inside the house, while we live life outside in a very basic, über-simple structure.
There are plenty of spiritual reasons as to why we make and dwell in a sukkah. I also think we might be onto something for those of us still living in cluttered homes (with its counterpart of cluttered thinking).
What is in a sukkah, exactly? Table, chairs, shared meals, guests, and great The comforts of home are left inside the house conversation. There is something very liberating about having a really bare-bones setup. No ornate lamps, no china closet, no piles of unopened mail. It’s the quintessential example of how the best things in life aren’t things.
The sukkah serves as a reminder of how temporal stuff really is. When we dwell outside in the simple, bare-walled sukkah, we look up at the star-filled sky through the sechach above and have a deeper realization of our dependence on G‑d. What a fabulous wake-up call to reprioritize our lives and make time and space for what really counts.” (https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/2306039/jewish/Outer-Calm-Inner-Tranquility.htm)
MAKING PEACE AND HARMONY – “In the previous steps, we began to make peace with our Higher Power and with ourselves. In the Eighth Step, we begin the process
of making peace with others.” (It Works, & Why, p. 54)
“Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms, and prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly rewards by the roots.” The Prophet Muhammad (570 – 632) founder of Islam
How have you lived in peace and harmony with others, lately?
The Flowers from The Moon :
High in the mountains lived a prince whose great wish was to journey to the moon, because he loved its gentle glow. His dream finally came true. When he reached the moon, he discovered its light comes from the moon king’s beautiful daughter.
The two young people soon fell in love, but the worlds they came from were very different and soon they had to part. As a sign of her great love, the moon king’s daughter gave the prince one of the smooth and lovely flowers that covered the moon like snow and this was how the first alpine flower was brought to earth.
THE HEART OF THE N.A. WAY – “We begin by asking for help and trying out recommendations of people at the meetings. … In time we learn to pass on what we have been given.” “[I]t is the heart of the N.A. way of recovery from addiction – one addict helping another.” (The Basic Text, p.57)
“That change we seek … it can not happen without you. … [W]ithout a new spirit of service – a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility where each of us resolve to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.” (The Basic Text, p.57) – Barak Obama (1961 – ) U.S. Pres.-elect, 11/04/08 Victory speech in Chicago, IL
What have you done lately to help your fellow man and replenish your spirit with love?
Heart of The Monkey :
There grew a big tree on the seashore. Half of its branches were over the land and the other half over the water. A little Monkey lived in the tree. He played in the branches all day and when he was hungry, he ate the sweet fruit that grew in the tree. Now, in the sea there lived a Shark. One day the Monkey threw some of the fruit into the sea. The Shark ate it up. From that day on the Shark and the Monkey were friends and the Shark asked the monkey to throw some fruit down to him every day.
“Thank you, friend Monkey,” said the Shark, “I have only fish to eat in the sea and I like your fruit very much.”
The Monkey was happy to be a friend of the Shark and threw fruit into the sea every morning. Once, the Shark said to the Monkey, “You are so good to me that I want to do something good for you.”
The Monkey looked down at the Shark and listened. The Shark said, “I want to show you my home. You will meet my brothers and sisters. You are so good to me that I think they will like you.”
The Monkey thought a minute and said, “No, I don’t want to go. Thank you. I am afraid of cold water. And I cannot swim. I shall be happier if I stay in my tree.”
…
“Oh, no, no!” said the Shark. “Don’t be afraid! Come with me. I shall carry you to my home on my back. I shall not swim very quickly.”
The Monkey thought, “The day is very hot. It will be nice on the water. I think I’ll go.”
So the Monkey sat down on the Shark’s back. And they went off.
At first the Monkey did not like going on the Shark’s back, because the Shark swam very quickly. But soon he liked it and looked at the new places and at the fish in the water. It was so interesting!
“Do you like the sea?” asked the Shark. “Is the sea better than your forest?”
“Yes, it is. How far must we go?” asked the Monkey.
“It is not very far,” the Shark answered. “And now I must tell you something. Our chief, the biggest shark in the sea, is very ill. Our doctor said to him, ‘You must eat a monkey’s heart. Then you will be well again.’
So I am taking you to him and I am telling it to you, because you are my friend.”
The poor Monkey was ready to cry. But he did not cry. The Monkey thought of a plan to save himself. Then he said, “How silly you are! Why didn’t you tell me that before? I have no heart with me. It is at home, in the branches of a big tree. We Monkeys always hide our hearts in the branches of big trees in the daytime. We take out hearts only at night. What will you do if your chief finds that I have no heart? How angry he will be? I am ready to give my heart to your chief, because I am your friend. But how can I do that when I have no heart with me?”
…
The Shark asked the Monkey, “If I take you back to your tree, will you go and get your heart?”
“Of course, I will. And let us go quickly. Your dear chief must not wait!”
The Shark with the Monkey swam back very quickly. They came again to the big tree. The Monkey climbed up the tree saying, “Wait for me! Wait for me! I’ll take my heart!”
But the monkey did not come back. The Shark was swimming and swimming in the water under the tree. Then he shouted, “Friend Monkey, where are you?”
There was no answer. The Shark thought, “I am afraid he can’t find the heart in the branches!”
The Shark waited and waited for the Monkey. Then he shouted again, “Monkey? Monkey? When will you come back to me?”
Again there was no answer. Then the Monkey began to laugh.
“Do you think I am a fool?” asked the little Monkey. “Do you think I want to give my heart to your big bad chief and then die?”
“But you said your heart was in the branches of the tree,” said the silly Shark.
“My heart is in its place in my body. It is always there!” shouted the Monkey. “And you go away! We are not friends any more!”
And with these words the clever Monkey threw a big rotten fruit on the Shark’s nose.” (http://www.english-for-students.com/Heart-of-The-Monkey.html)
Acting Upon our Spiritual Principals- “To a degree, he has done this when taking a moral inventory, but now the time has come when he ought to redouble his efforts to see how many people he has hurt and in what ways.” (12 & 12, p. 77)
A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE HARM WE’VE CAUSED –
“By making our list, we can no longer deny that we caused harm. We admit that we hurt others, directly or indirectly, through some action, lie, broken promise, or neglect.” (The Basic Text, p. 38)
“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case, he is justly accountable to them for the injury.” John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873) British economist/philosopher
TAKE ACTION TODAY – ” … we simply try to live this program in the here and now. We find joy as we start to learn how to live by the principles … needed to carry the message of recovery.” “Spiritually refreshed we are glad to be alive.” (The Basic Text, p. 52)
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) U.S. poet
How do you take action to live according to your own spiritual ideal, lately?
How We Used to Take Action and VOTE –
On the morning of November 2, 1859 —Election Day— George Kyle, a merchant with the Baltimore firm of Dinsmore & Kyle, left his house with a bundle of ballots tucked under his arm. Kyle was a Democrat. As he neared the polls in the city’s Fifteenth Ward, which was heavily dominated by the American Party, a ruffian tried to snatch his ballots. Kyle dodged and wheeled, and heard a cry: his brother, just behind him, had been struck.
…
Next, someone clobbered Kyle, who drew a knife, but didn’t have a chance to use it. “I felt a pistol put to my head,” he said. Grazed by a bullet, he fell. When he rose, he drew his own pistol, hidden in his pocket. He spied his brother lying in the street. Someone else fired a shot, hitting Kyle in the arm. A man carrying a musket rushed at him. Another threw a brick, knocking him off his feet. George Kyle picked himself up and ran. He never did cast his vote. Nor did his brother, who died of his wounds.
…
The Democratic candidate for Congress, William Harrison, lost to the American Party’s Henry Winter Davis. Three months later, when the House of Representatives convened hearings into the election, whose result Harrison contested, Davis’s victory was upheld on the ground that any “man of ordinary courage” could have made his way to the polls. (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/10/13/rock-paper-scissors)
WE DIVE WITHIN TO FEED THE HIGHER SELF – “As we have seen, self-searching is the means by which we bring new vision, action, and grace to bear upon the dark and negative side of our natures.” “We will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to grow.” (12 & 12, p. 52)
“He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.” – Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC) Greek tragic dramatist
How has your sense of self-searching gratitude made you feel spiritually relieved, lately?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n32qIyKx8QI
The Lion and The Grateful Mouse :
A lion was preparing to eat a mouse it had just caught.
‘Let me go,’ the mouse begged him, ‘sooner or later you may need my help.’
The king of the forest found this idea so ridiculous that he laughed aloud, but he let the little mouse go anyway.
Some time later, the lion was trapped in a net which had been set down by the hunters. Then along came the mouse that chewed the netting and freed him.
‘As you can see,’ said the mouse, ‘even the mighty sometimes need the help of the weak.’ (http://www.english-for-students.com/The-Lion-and-The-Grateful-Mouse.html)
