Step 3 prayer

[paulmh]

God, I offer myself to Thee - to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the
bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties that victory over them
may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do
Thy will always!

p63 Big Book

Some people do their own version of the step 3 prayer. Personally I don't feel the need to have words that I "agree" with. It's the sentiment and the intent of the prayer which matters so I don't feel any great incongruity between saying these words and believing them and not believing them at the same time. Maybe I could find something in Buddhist or Taoist literature that I could agree with more. So? Would it make it work "better"?

I have always loved the line "relieve me of the bondage of self". It's funny, so many people who don't want to use AA say "I'm not powerless!". Certainly I did. At the same time I was full of anxiety, self-hatred, grandiosity, anger, depression, resentment. I had a racing brain, filling up with thoughts all the time about what other people thought of me, my opinions of them, my emotional state and how other people didn't seem to give it the weight it deserved.

In other words I was actually powerless over my own self. In a constant stream of various states of unhappiness, all visited by me, upon me! I look back and I think - madness. Utter madness.

So this phrase - "the bondage of self" - it describes me perfectly. And it's a funny thing that each day - or at any point in the day - I can just take a moment and try and better "align" myself with - as I saw Jim had put it elsewhere - "the whole". Not to say I'm going to succeed entirely, but I can always seem to tell by how I feel, when I'm a bit less bound to self.

[ananda]

I too love the language "releive me of the bondage of self" cause that is what kept me drunk for so long i think...

But the big book also very clearly states that the words used aren't important....as long as it expressees the idea.

So i guess that when i read the words of the 3rd step prayer it doesn't express at all what the 3rd step means to me and is in fact contridictory...I just don't see it as the big book expereinces are the only way...

Its just so much about some entity interceding and that is the sort of thing that for me was contrary to turning my will and life over to the care of my HP. So the words would tangle me up...

by simply reciting a sutra that incapulized for me in words what turning my will and life over was about...i was able to focus better on the expereince of the 3rd step instead of fighting it

But i think it is great when we are able to let go of the word stuff and just accept the essense...I'm just rarely all that close to being able to do it

[Pagekeeper]

Originally Posted by paulmh

I have always loved the line "relieve me of the bondage of self". It's funny, so many people who don't want to use AA say "I'm not powerless!". Certainly I did. At the same time I was full of anxiety, self-hatred, grandiosity, anger, depression, resentment. I had a racing brain, filling up with thoughts all the time about what other people thought of me, my opinions of them, my emotional state and how other people didn't seem to give it the weight it deserved.

In other words I was actually powerless over my own self. In a constant stream of various states of unhappiness, all visited by me, upon me! I look back and I think - madness. Utter madness.

Wow. You nailed it for me.

[Zencat]

In my limited Buddhist experience I come to understand I am the author of my thoughts but my thoughts are not self. In fact (for me) there is no self. My thoughts arise and dissipate from my mind. I can choose to attach to the them or not. I can maintain a state of mind without self. I would call this state of mind the universal mind or original mind. Then a relief of "the bondage of self" is a training of my mind wile dissolving self. I strive to discipline my mind, to own my madness so to speak and not attach to it but let it go and return to my original mind or as I have read, a state of God consciousness.

[paulmh]

I strive to discipline my mind, to own my madness so to speak and not attach to it but let it go and return to my original mind or as I have read, a state of God consciousness.

Perhaps the "vital psychic change necessary to bring about recovery" is the moment of transcendence when the alcoholic realises "I am not only my thoughts".

[stone]

When did I realise I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.
~Peter O'Toole

Originally Posted by Nands

Its just so much about some entity interceding and that is the sort of thing that for me was contrary to turning my will and life over to the care of my HP. So the words would tangle me up...

Me too.

Like Zencat was saying, I see it from a sort of Buddhist point of view too, it is by meditating that I found a HP and it is sort of the universal mind thing, I try not to define it too much but I believe I have "felt" it.

I love the free from the bondage of self idea, it is basically what Buddhism and "enlightenment" is all about, this is why many Buddhists can work the steps with just a few tweaks I think, also it annoys the AA purists and I am all for that.

[stone]

Originally Posted by paulmh

So this phrase - "the bondage of self" - it describes me perfectly. And it's a funny thing that each day - or at any point in the day - I can just take a moment and try and better "align" myself with - as I saw Jim had put it elsewhere - "the whole". Not to say I'm going to succeed entirely, but I can always seem to tell by how I feel, when I'm a bit less bound to self.

Yes!

[Threshold]

Bravo! Thanks, I really needed this this morning.

I am a pantheist and understand myself as a function of the Dynamic Process. What role I play in the larger process is much more important than any "I". My addict is in mortal terror of losing control, of losing a discrete sense of "I"...while my sober self is fully trusting the Process.

I know that as a function of the Dynamic Process, everything if just as it should be...but my addict is screaming 'the sky is falling down'...while Sobriety is inviting me to watch and enjoy the meteor shower.

I am handing over my will to Sobriety, and honoring my trust in the Dynamic Process, because "I"...am out of my mind.

[cambridge]

Originally Posted by Pagekeeper

Wow. You nailed it for me.

Ditto.

Hadn't ever thought of the bondage of self in that way. I do know that I have been trying to get rid of these hamster thoughts and said something yesterday to the effect of 'I feel like I'm being bounced around like a ping pong ball'.

Great posts.