Angulimala

Hello,

I am by no means an expert on recovery, but I know that for many, including myself, it is an immensely personal and crucial issue, thus, I think, it is bound to bring up many emotions in us recovering folks.


I think that people, including myself, often mistake our "selves" with our paths in recovery. When someone critiques our path to sobriety or abstinence from addiction or substance abuse, we think that we are being attacked personally. I am a very sensitive sort, so I know this can be true for me, at times.

I, myself, do not believe in an all-encompassing universal path to recovery. We are all the same, in that we want to be happy and do not want to suffer, but we might go about that in a different way from one another.

I think that fighting over which way is the best way is silly, personally. If you are happy, and sober, I do not care which path you have chosen to recovery, so long as you are happy with your choice.

I will leave you with one of my favorite teachings from the Buddha. It is called "Free From All Opinion"

This I do now declare, after investigation there is nothing among all doctrines that such a one as I would embrace. Seeing misery in philosophical views, without adopting any of them, I discovered 'inward peace.

Not by any philosophical opinion, not by tradition, not by knowledge, not by virtue and holy works can anyone say that purity exists; nor by absence of philosophical opinion, by absence of tradition, by absence of knowledge, by absence of virtue and holy works either; having abandoned these without adopting anything else, let one, calm and independent, not desire any resting place.

One who thinks oneself equal to others, or superior, or inferior, for that very reason disputes; but one who is unmoved under those three conditions, for that person the notions 'equal', 'superior', and 'inferior' do not exist.

The Sage for whom the notions 'equal' and 'unequal' do not exist, would he say 'This is true'? Or with whom should he dispute, saying 'This is false'? With whom should he enter into dispute?

An accomplished person does not by a philosophical view nor by thinking become arrogant, for he is not of that sort, not by holy works, nor by tradition is he led, he is not led into any of the resting places of the mind.

For one who is free from views there are no ties, for one who is delivered by understanding there are no follies; but those who grasp after views and philosophical opinions, they wander about in the world annoying people.

-adapted from the Sutta Nipata, translated by V. Fausboll

p.116-117 "Teachings of the Buddha", Shambhala, Boston and London, 1996

-Be Well, All