"The Spiritual Tenets of Narcotics Anonymous"
TheMostSordidSpotOnEarth
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ParadiseOnEarth
Posts: 811
"The Spiritual Tenets of Narcotics Anonymous"
This piece of writing is called "The Spiritual Tenents of Narcotics Anonymous," and there is so much that I like about it that I thought I might share it here. Lots of great food for thought. Blessings!
THE SPIRITUAL TENETS OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Recovery depends on the awakening and growth of spirituality, and our lives depend on our relationship with
what we believe is the source. The Spiritual Tenets express some of our most basic ideas about spirituality in
Narcotics Anonymous. They are the foundation upon which our Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Service are
built. They make possible our individual and collective surrender to, and dependence on a loving God of our own
understanding. They are the keys to our freedom.
1. There are no "Good days" or "Bad days" there are just days.
In Narcotics Anonymous we live "Just for Today"; we acknowledge, and let go of, our painful pasts and trust the
future to the care of a loving God. In recovery, absolutes lose their meaning; we find that all things in life are a
mixture of good and bad, of positive and negative. We begin to look at the events and situations in our lives as
opportunities or gifts from God; each one is of value and provides a chance for us to learn and grow. We believe
that each day we are given a reprieve from our active addiction; and that it is only our attitudes and our actions
that limit our recovery.
2. There is a spiritual power greater than any individual.
Personal power has proven to be a complete failure for us, human effort has not been able to cure our addiction or
keep us from destroying ourselves, our only hope for salvation seems to lie in a spiritual power. Our Steps are
designed to awaken, develop, and maintain a relationship between us and a Higher Power. When we use the term
"God" we are referring to a spiritual power that is loving, caring, and greater than ourselves. This power has the
ability to care for us, restore us to sanity, and set us free. We also believe that there is a "God of our Fellowship"
that we each personalize according to our perceptions and beliefs; it is this God that protects our fellowship, helps
it grow, and makes recovery possible for the addict who still suffers.
3. Faith is the key to our new way of life.
In recovery, we come to depend on a power greater than ourselves rather than our own resources. Faith is
composed of belief, trust, and acceptance. Belief is the lowest form of faith, it is conceptualization. Trust is the
application of belief in our lives, it is action based on what we believe. Acceptance is the highest form of faith, it
is instinctive rather than conceptual. In recovery we reach a point where we no longer need to know the "why's"
and "wherefore's"; our actions become appropriate without the need for conscious thought. Our instincts change
from destructive and misguided to constructive and spiritually correct. Recovery is a natural way of life.
4. Narcotics Anonymous is a spiritual program, not a religion.
Spirituality is the relationship a person has with what they believe in. A religion presents a specific concept of a
deity, a specific code of ethics, and a specific method. In N.A. we believe, unconditionally, that all members have
a right to their own religious beliefs and concept of a higher power. N.A. is inclusive rather than exclusive. Each
of us follows our own path based in spiritual principles; we believe in believing and have faith in faith. Our
fellowship is based on learning how to apply spiritual principles in our daily lives; coming together for mutual
support and care; and one addict helping another through sharing, sponsorship and service. Narcotics Anonymous
recovery is something that happens within the individual; it is the way we live; we are Narcotics Anonymous.
5. Narcotics Anonymous is based on spiritual principles.
There are basic spiritual truths that are universally correct; they are not dependent on time, place, personality, or
circumstance. "Our program is a set of principles, written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives."
There are many spiritual principles expressed in our literature; honesty, open_mindedness, and willingness are the
most basic and make change and growth possible for us. The active application of spiritual principles is the basis
of recovery from the disease of addiction. "There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our
recovery, that is an attitude of indifference or intolerance towards spiritual principles."
6. True spiritual principles are never in conflict.
We believe in a loving God as our ultimate authority and as the source of spiritual principles. By definition,
something that is universally correct can not be true sometimes and false at other times. One aspect of God is
harmony, and there can be no disharmony or contradiction between principles that are spiritually centered or
"God centered". Actions that are spiritually correct can not violate any spiritual principle; when our actions
violate any spiritual principles, they are not spiritually correct. We utilize this basic truth as a guide for
appropriate action and decision making in Narcotics Anonymous.
7. What goes around, comes around.
This program saying is an expression of the principle of reciprocity and is fundamental in our way of life.
Recovery is a reciprocal experience: we get out of it what we put into it, we reap what we sow, people treat us the
way we treat them, and the way we live determines the way we live. If we base our lives on dishonesty,
disrespect, destructiveness, closed_mindedness, negativity, and selfishness then we will be miserable; if, on the
other hand, we base our lives on honesty, respect, caring, willingness, open_mindedness, positive action,
constructive effort, and love then we will be happy and at peace. A life based on the active application of spiritual
principles is its own reward; we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
8. Recovery is a spiritual journey.
"We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection." The purpose of our way of life is recovery from the
disease of addiction. In order to achieve this we must grow spiritually. We often say "Work the Steps", by this we
mean live the N.A. way; approach life by utilizing a set of directions based on spiritual principles. We change the
way we live by following a new set of instructions, we do not change the instructions to fit the way we want to
behave. We believe that we never fully complete the steps and that "Living the Program" means we apply the
principles of recovery to every area of our lives on an ongoing basis.
9. Recovery is based on Divine Intervention.
When we share our experience, most of us relate a series of unplanned events that led us to find recovery in the
Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous. We believe that these events did not happen by chance; but rather that they
represent evidence of a loving God intervening in our lives. If we live by spiritual principles we are always given
what we need and never given more than we can handle. This happens with such consistency that, in time, most
of us find it had to deny the presence of a Higher Power working in our lives, and in the lives of other N.A.
Members. As our ability to depend on God increases, God's presence in our lives increases. The degree to which
we surrender our will and our life to the care of a loving God is equal to the extent to which we are freed of our
disease and our self_destruction.
10. God works through people: "I can't, we can".
We call Narcotics Anonymous a "we" program, and believe that if we are left to our own devises we will continue
to destroy ourselves. According to our literature, addiction is progressive, incurable, and fatal. We are powerless
over our addiction; we cannot recover simply by our own power of will, we need each other. "An addict alone is
in bad company" and isolation is a symptom of our disease; only by mutual support and interdependence do we
recover. God works through each one of us once we surrender. We find we are given words beyond our
understanding and talents beyond our ability. We express our trust in God by depending on each other; and by
caring for each other we are offering ourselves as an extension of God's grace and love. "One addict can best
understand and help another addict."
11. Recovery is a series of surrenders.
"Surrender means that we do not have to fight anymore." The internal battles that have raged within us for many
years are set aside in our recovery. We are free to become who we are and no longer have to live in contradiction
to our inner nature. We begin to recover by letting go of the contradiction between the reality of our addiction and
the illusion that we are in control of our using and our lives. Surrender is inherent in each of our Steps; and each
time we consciously work a Step we make another surrender. Each time we surrender it goes a little deeper and
the burden is lightened a little bit; ongoing spiritual growth implies an ongoing series of surrenders and the search
for a better relationship with God.
12. The promise of recovery is freedom.
In Narcotics Anonymous we are given a choice and a chance to be free of active addiction and the limitations of
self_obsession, self_hate, and self_destruction. We often talk about a choice, but sometimes forget that there is
more than one choice. When we deny an addict the right to reject our way of life, then we also deny them the
opportunity to choose our way of life and have a chance to recover. Recovery and freedom are not automatic;
they are contingent on our choice, our commitment, our courage, our willingness, and our ability to apply spiritual
principles in our daily lives. We never have to use again against our will; we can be free.
Thank You for My Life!
*Please note: This is not fellowship-approved literature; it should be treated as the shared experience of recovering addicts in Narcotics Anonymous.
THE SPIRITUAL TENETS OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Recovery depends on the awakening and growth of spirituality, and our lives depend on our relationship with
what we believe is the source. The Spiritual Tenets express some of our most basic ideas about spirituality in
Narcotics Anonymous. They are the foundation upon which our Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Service are
built. They make possible our individual and collective surrender to, and dependence on a loving God of our own
understanding. They are the keys to our freedom.
1. There are no "Good days" or "Bad days" there are just days.
In Narcotics Anonymous we live "Just for Today"; we acknowledge, and let go of, our painful pasts and trust the
future to the care of a loving God. In recovery, absolutes lose their meaning; we find that all things in life are a
mixture of good and bad, of positive and negative. We begin to look at the events and situations in our lives as
opportunities or gifts from God; each one is of value and provides a chance for us to learn and grow. We believe
that each day we are given a reprieve from our active addiction; and that it is only our attitudes and our actions
that limit our recovery.
2. There is a spiritual power greater than any individual.
Personal power has proven to be a complete failure for us, human effort has not been able to cure our addiction or
keep us from destroying ourselves, our only hope for salvation seems to lie in a spiritual power. Our Steps are
designed to awaken, develop, and maintain a relationship between us and a Higher Power. When we use the term
"God" we are referring to a spiritual power that is loving, caring, and greater than ourselves. This power has the
ability to care for us, restore us to sanity, and set us free. We also believe that there is a "God of our Fellowship"
that we each personalize according to our perceptions and beliefs; it is this God that protects our fellowship, helps
it grow, and makes recovery possible for the addict who still suffers.
3. Faith is the key to our new way of life.
In recovery, we come to depend on a power greater than ourselves rather than our own resources. Faith is
composed of belief, trust, and acceptance. Belief is the lowest form of faith, it is conceptualization. Trust is the
application of belief in our lives, it is action based on what we believe. Acceptance is the highest form of faith, it
is instinctive rather than conceptual. In recovery we reach a point where we no longer need to know the "why's"
and "wherefore's"; our actions become appropriate without the need for conscious thought. Our instincts change
from destructive and misguided to constructive and spiritually correct. Recovery is a natural way of life.
4. Narcotics Anonymous is a spiritual program, not a religion.
Spirituality is the relationship a person has with what they believe in. A religion presents a specific concept of a
deity, a specific code of ethics, and a specific method. In N.A. we believe, unconditionally, that all members have
a right to their own religious beliefs and concept of a higher power. N.A. is inclusive rather than exclusive. Each
of us follows our own path based in spiritual principles; we believe in believing and have faith in faith. Our
fellowship is based on learning how to apply spiritual principles in our daily lives; coming together for mutual
support and care; and one addict helping another through sharing, sponsorship and service. Narcotics Anonymous
recovery is something that happens within the individual; it is the way we live; we are Narcotics Anonymous.
5. Narcotics Anonymous is based on spiritual principles.
There are basic spiritual truths that are universally correct; they are not dependent on time, place, personality, or
circumstance. "Our program is a set of principles, written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives."
There are many spiritual principles expressed in our literature; honesty, open_mindedness, and willingness are the
most basic and make change and growth possible for us. The active application of spiritual principles is the basis
of recovery from the disease of addiction. "There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our
recovery, that is an attitude of indifference or intolerance towards spiritual principles."
6. True spiritual principles are never in conflict.
We believe in a loving God as our ultimate authority and as the source of spiritual principles. By definition,
something that is universally correct can not be true sometimes and false at other times. One aspect of God is
harmony, and there can be no disharmony or contradiction between principles that are spiritually centered or
"God centered". Actions that are spiritually correct can not violate any spiritual principle; when our actions
violate any spiritual principles, they are not spiritually correct. We utilize this basic truth as a guide for
appropriate action and decision making in Narcotics Anonymous.
7. What goes around, comes around.
This program saying is an expression of the principle of reciprocity and is fundamental in our way of life.
Recovery is a reciprocal experience: we get out of it what we put into it, we reap what we sow, people treat us the
way we treat them, and the way we live determines the way we live. If we base our lives on dishonesty,
disrespect, destructiveness, closed_mindedness, negativity, and selfishness then we will be miserable; if, on the
other hand, we base our lives on honesty, respect, caring, willingness, open_mindedness, positive action,
constructive effort, and love then we will be happy and at peace. A life based on the active application of spiritual
principles is its own reward; we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
8. Recovery is a spiritual journey.
"We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection." The purpose of our way of life is recovery from the
disease of addiction. In order to achieve this we must grow spiritually. We often say "Work the Steps", by this we
mean live the N.A. way; approach life by utilizing a set of directions based on spiritual principles. We change the
way we live by following a new set of instructions, we do not change the instructions to fit the way we want to
behave. We believe that we never fully complete the steps and that "Living the Program" means we apply the
principles of recovery to every area of our lives on an ongoing basis.
9. Recovery is based on Divine Intervention.
When we share our experience, most of us relate a series of unplanned events that led us to find recovery in the
Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous. We believe that these events did not happen by chance; but rather that they
represent evidence of a loving God intervening in our lives. If we live by spiritual principles we are always given
what we need and never given more than we can handle. This happens with such consistency that, in time, most
of us find it had to deny the presence of a Higher Power working in our lives, and in the lives of other N.A.
Members. As our ability to depend on God increases, God's presence in our lives increases. The degree to which
we surrender our will and our life to the care of a loving God is equal to the extent to which we are freed of our
disease and our self_destruction.
10. God works through people: "I can't, we can".
We call Narcotics Anonymous a "we" program, and believe that if we are left to our own devises we will continue
to destroy ourselves. According to our literature, addiction is progressive, incurable, and fatal. We are powerless
over our addiction; we cannot recover simply by our own power of will, we need each other. "An addict alone is
in bad company" and isolation is a symptom of our disease; only by mutual support and interdependence do we
recover. God works through each one of us once we surrender. We find we are given words beyond our
understanding and talents beyond our ability. We express our trust in God by depending on each other; and by
caring for each other we are offering ourselves as an extension of God's grace and love. "One addict can best
understand and help another addict."
11. Recovery is a series of surrenders.
"Surrender means that we do not have to fight anymore." The internal battles that have raged within us for many
years are set aside in our recovery. We are free to become who we are and no longer have to live in contradiction
to our inner nature. We begin to recover by letting go of the contradiction between the reality of our addiction and
the illusion that we are in control of our using and our lives. Surrender is inherent in each of our Steps; and each
time we consciously work a Step we make another surrender. Each time we surrender it goes a little deeper and
the burden is lightened a little bit; ongoing spiritual growth implies an ongoing series of surrenders and the search
for a better relationship with God.
12. The promise of recovery is freedom.
In Narcotics Anonymous we are given a choice and a chance to be free of active addiction and the limitations of
self_obsession, self_hate, and self_destruction. We often talk about a choice, but sometimes forget that there is
more than one choice. When we deny an addict the right to reject our way of life, then we also deny them the
opportunity to choose our way of life and have a chance to recover. Recovery and freedom are not automatic;
they are contingent on our choice, our commitment, our courage, our willingness, and our ability to apply spiritual
principles in our daily lives. We never have to use again against our will; we can be free.
Thank You for My Life!
*Please note: This is not fellowship-approved literature; it should be treated as the shared experience of recovering addicts in Narcotics Anonymous.
The truth shall set you free
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 5,267
When I came around to the rooms of NA, I abstained - a minute, an hour, a day at a time. I still wanted to get high. Life felt irritable and discontent without drugs. Giving up drugs left me feeling hopeless than before, I remember the physical, emotional and spiritual bankruptcy and to cope, my mind told me to use drugs again. Acceptance of my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life left me needing a power greater than my disease to change my self-destructive nature.
Other recovering addicts I met at meetings told me they had found a power greater than their addiction in the NA program. These people had been clean for months or years and didn't even want to use anymore. They told me that I could lose the desire to use drugs by living the NA program. I had tried doctors, psychiatrists, hospitals, and mental institutions, rehabs, job changes, marriages, divorces; all had failed. It seemed hopeless, In NA I saw hope. I met addicts recovering from their disease. I came to believe I could learn how to live without drugs. In NA, I found the faith I needed to begin to change.
At that point I had stopped using drugs, and reluctantly believed that I could continue to abstain. I still thought and felt like an addict, I just didn't use drugs. My personality and character were the same as they had always been. Everything about me reinforced my self-destructive behavior. I needed to change or I would start to use again. I had accepted my condition, and believed that I could recover. In order to do so, I had to make a total commitment to the spiritual principles of the NA program.
Working the steps and with the help of my sponsor, I turn my life and my will over to Higher Power of my understanding. For me, this was a turning point in my recovery. This decision demanded continued acceptance, ever-increasing faith, and a daily commitment to recovery. The decision to turn my life and will over to my Higher Power required that I find out about myself and actively try to change my ways of coping with reality. This commitment brought honesty into my life. This is how the NA program works for me: I accept my disease, work the steps, be of service and develop a faith that the program can change me, and make a commitment to the spiritual principles of recovery.
TB
Other recovering addicts I met at meetings told me they had found a power greater than their addiction in the NA program. These people had been clean for months or years and didn't even want to use anymore. They told me that I could lose the desire to use drugs by living the NA program. I had tried doctors, psychiatrists, hospitals, and mental institutions, rehabs, job changes, marriages, divorces; all had failed. It seemed hopeless, In NA I saw hope. I met addicts recovering from their disease. I came to believe I could learn how to live without drugs. In NA, I found the faith I needed to begin to change.
At that point I had stopped using drugs, and reluctantly believed that I could continue to abstain. I still thought and felt like an addict, I just didn't use drugs. My personality and character were the same as they had always been. Everything about me reinforced my self-destructive behavior. I needed to change or I would start to use again. I had accepted my condition, and believed that I could recover. In order to do so, I had to make a total commitment to the spiritual principles of the NA program.
Working the steps and with the help of my sponsor, I turn my life and my will over to Higher Power of my understanding. For me, this was a turning point in my recovery. This decision demanded continued acceptance, ever-increasing faith, and a daily commitment to recovery. The decision to turn my life and will over to my Higher Power required that I find out about myself and actively try to change my ways of coping with reality. This commitment brought honesty into my life. This is how the NA program works for me: I accept my disease, work the steps, be of service and develop a faith that the program can change me, and make a commitment to the spiritual principles of recovery.
TB
TheMostSordidSpotOnEarth
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ParadiseOnEarth
Posts: 811
Timebuster, that was awesome. Beautiful and powerful. Right on.
One of the things that I love so much about this compilation of ideas is how beautifully the concepts we find in recovery come together in their practice. Before NA, I thought the program was about being clean. I got clean not long before joining up with the fellowship, but it was when I realized that I didn't know how to live my life anymore that I humbled myself enough to seek help through the program. I thought it's where I could find life skills. What has blown me far back, what has come to completely humble me once again, is that this program is far greater than that. When we really learn to use what's right in front of our eyes, through the help of a sponsor who truly knows what they are doing with us, my experience shows me that I'm not trying to reach a level of the average bear. rather, by discovering and learning to live with spiritual principles in our hearts, when we are set free from resentments of the past, when we learn forgiveness, when we learn to use a level of faith that can supersede any fear, when we set out into the world to make amends wherever we have caused harm, when we learn about the power of the present, when we learn when we set out to help other addicts to get free and recover from the massively destructive and frequently fatal disease of addiction, when we live with courage, love, tolerance, a spirit of service, we have the opportunity to become spectacular human beings. Indeed, addicts are some of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure to know. We've come from the depths of darkness and we shine out with freedom, happiness, fellowship and a message. Lest we forget, we're living miracles.
This is a spiritual program, and those whom I have had the great fortune to find who honor the depth, beauty and simple perfection of it lead the kinds of lives I admire, respect and aspire to live myself. The 12 steps are a ladder to God as I understand God. Today I am alive, I am clean, I am grateful, I am happy, I am wiser, I am free. By continuing to work my program with my heart, with love, faith and gratitude beaming in my spirit, I know I will continue to grow as a spiritual human being -- and that my HP can help me to achieve all the good for which I am willing to put in the work. Huge hugs and endless blessings.
SIU
One of the things that I love so much about this compilation of ideas is how beautifully the concepts we find in recovery come together in their practice. Before NA, I thought the program was about being clean. I got clean not long before joining up with the fellowship, but it was when I realized that I didn't know how to live my life anymore that I humbled myself enough to seek help through the program. I thought it's where I could find life skills. What has blown me far back, what has come to completely humble me once again, is that this program is far greater than that. When we really learn to use what's right in front of our eyes, through the help of a sponsor who truly knows what they are doing with us, my experience shows me that I'm not trying to reach a level of the average bear. rather, by discovering and learning to live with spiritual principles in our hearts, when we are set free from resentments of the past, when we learn forgiveness, when we learn to use a level of faith that can supersede any fear, when we set out into the world to make amends wherever we have caused harm, when we learn about the power of the present, when we learn when we set out to help other addicts to get free and recover from the massively destructive and frequently fatal disease of addiction, when we live with courage, love, tolerance, a spirit of service, we have the opportunity to become spectacular human beings. Indeed, addicts are some of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure to know. We've come from the depths of darkness and we shine out with freedom, happiness, fellowship and a message. Lest we forget, we're living miracles.
This is a spiritual program, and those whom I have had the great fortune to find who honor the depth, beauty and simple perfection of it lead the kinds of lives I admire, respect and aspire to live myself. The 12 steps are a ladder to God as I understand God. Today I am alive, I am clean, I am grateful, I am happy, I am wiser, I am free. By continuing to work my program with my heart, with love, faith and gratitude beaming in my spirit, I know I will continue to grow as a spiritual human being -- and that my HP can help me to achieve all the good for which I am willing to put in the work. Huge hugs and endless blessings.
SIU
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,486
I believe this came from Greg P....can find it as an explanation of the God portion of "Our Symbol" here:
Our Symbol
it's the best info on the symbol I have found to date.
Thanks!
Missy
Our Symbol
it's the best info on the symbol I have found to date.
Thanks!
Missy
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