Buddhism and the 12 Steps

The story of Buddhism begins with the personal journey of a man, Siddhartha Guatama who sought to find freedom from the bondage of human suffering. His journey led him to discover nirvana or an enlightened state. Bill Wilson, the founder of AA began the same quest from a different life experience. Siddhartha, born a noble prince, witnessed suffering all around him in the forms of old age, disease and death. Bill W.’s journey arose from the grips of his own struggles with the disease of addiction which sought to destroy his life. He, too, had a spiritual awakening or conversion experience after following a path of steps which humbled, purged and surrendered him to a power greater than himself. Despite 2600 years between them, both share a similar story.

Four Noble Truths

The way of the Buddha begins with acceptance of the Four Noble Truths:

  • Suffering (dukkha) is universal.
  • The cause of suffering is craving (tanha) and ignorance (avijja).
  • The cure for suffering is the elimination of craving or letting go of desire.
  • The way to eliminate craving is to follow The Eightfold Path.
The Eightfold Path

Buddha’s solution to eliminating craving was to follow the Eightfold path which insured that one’s actions were in alignment with their values and intentions.

  • Right view
  • Right intention
  • Right speech
  • Right action
  • Right livelihood
  • Right effort
  • Right mindfulness
  • Right concentration
The Ten Perfections

The Ten Perfections were not officially documented until after the Buddha’s death. These qualitites were recognized as necessary for anyone aspiring to become a fully awakened buddha.

  • Virtue
  • Renunciation
  • Wisdom
  • Energy
  • Patience
  • Truthfulness
  • Resolution
  • Loving Kindness
  • Equanimity
Step 1. Life is Full of Suffering

In the First Noble Truth, the Buddha said life is full of suffering (dukkha). Dukkha arises out of ignorance, which leads to thoughts, which lead to consciousness, which generate feelings, that generate desires or cravings, which create grasping or attachment, which create the condition of dukkha. Step One is the process of recognizing this Truth. Buddha said we should respond to this Truth by seeing it clearly, not shying away from the pain, but understanding the cause(s) of our suffering. Buddha recognized that even in our moments of fulfillment we are grasping toward more.

There are three kinds of suffering:

Ordinary suffering which includes every day conditions: birth, death, grief, despair, disease, old age, death, fear and loss.

The suffering which is caused by change; the impermanence of conditions, the constant state of flux of all that exists.

The suffering which comes from clinging to aspects of our self: ego, body and mind.

Our suffering is caused by our craving for what we don’t have; for more of what we desire; and from attachment to both.

Text or Verse

Birth is suffering: sickness is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are suffering; not to obtain what one wants is suffering.
The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya) 9.15

Of those things that come and go,
which are affected by suffering, change and decay, one cannot say that this is the Self.
The Buddha

Grief and sorrow in the world come to those who hold the world dear….but happy are they who are free from grief because they do not hold he world dear.
The Doctrine of the Buddha

There is a place without substance, even beyond the Great Beyond that I call the end of suffering.
The Buddha

Practice

Buddhism teaches there are Three Refuges, one of which is the dharma or the Truth. I take refuge in the dharma when I commit myself to seeking the truth; and to living by the principle of truth. Dharma is the truth about the way things are. In its refuge you can move more easily into acceptance of “what is.”

Step 2: Came to believe that the cause of our suffering is our desire for pleasure.

The Precepts, the Hindrances and the Eightfold Path are all available for taking inventory. Classic Buddhist inventory uses the training precepts. These are the fundamental moral principles the Buddha taught to avoid creating negative karma. This step requires making a decision to follow the Buddhist path of liberation by taking refuge in the practice of wakefulness, truth and fellowship.

The Eightfold path is a series of steps developed by the Buddha which, if followed, will result in an “awakening,” much like the 12 Steps. The only criteria necessary to follow the path is a sincere desire for lasting happiness and a commitment to do the work (the practices).

The path is divided into three practice areas:

WisdomRight View and Right Intention

MoralityRight Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood

ConcentrationRight Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration

The path is designed to help us address our harmful habitual mental and physical patterns which we have developed during our lifetime. It requires practicing new skills with persistence. If successful, we will find ourselves living a more virtuous life, feeling more serene and awakened to a higher understanding of consciousness.

Text or Verse

Those who are pure in heart and single in purpose are able to understand the most supreme Way. It is like polishing a mirror, which becomes bright when the dust is removed.
The Dhammapada

Looking within, finding stillness – free from fear, free from attachment – know the sweet joy of the Way.
The Dhammapada

The Way is not in the sky. The Way is in the heart.
The Buddha

Practice

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from harming or killing all living beings.

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from stealing and taking that which is not mine (over-consumption).

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from causing harm through sexual misconduct.

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from harmful speech.

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from the misuse of intoxicants and substances that cause the loss of awareness and dull the mind.

Step 3: Made a decision to let go or our attachments.

In the Third Noble Truth the Buddha tells us desire ends when we let go of craving and attachment; the pain will dissolve. When we gain a deep understanding that all things in life are impermanent, unsatisfying and without eternal substance, we are ready to start letting go of our attachment to the conditions and our desire for change. We cannot experience Nirvana or bliss until we let go of our clinging nature.

The Buddha’s discovery was that the end of suffering is possible in this lifetime. With practice, we can realize this goal. The centuries of Sangha (Buddhist communities) stand witness to this fact.

Text or Verse.

Those who realize that the body is no more substantial than the froth that floats on the waves of the sea, realize that this life is nothing more than a mirage.
The Dhammapada

Attaining only to the ineffable, the one whose mind is freed from thought and desire crosses over to the other shore.
The Dhammapada

Practice

The practice focuses on the continued and repeated acceptance that all things are impermanent, unsatisfactory and without an enduring substance. All things come about as the result of a series of causes and conditions which are also impermanent and subject to a constant state of flux. This practice allows our rational brain to understand that whatever we may cling to is transitory. Our rational brain knows that true happiness cannot be served by transitory conditions, but needs a constant source of supply. This Buddhist practice is in total alignment with the Third Step – acceptance of what is and letting go of expectations of what is not.

Step 4: Made a decision to follow the Eightfold path.

The Precepts, the Hindrances and the Eightfold Path are all available for taking inventory. Classic Buddhist inventory uses the training precepts. These are the fundamental moral principles the Buddha taught to avoid creating negative karma. This step requires making a decision to follow the Buddhist path of liberation by taking refuge in the practice of wakefulness, truth and fellowship.

The Eightfold path is a series of steps developed by the Buddha which, if followed, will result in an “awakening,” much like the 12 Steps. The only criteria necessary to follow the path is a sincere desire for lasting happiness and a commitment to do the work (the practices).

The path is divided into three practice areas:

WisdomRight View and Right Intention

MoralityRight Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood

ConcentrationRight Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration

The path is designed to help us address our harmful habitual mental and physical patterns which we have developed during our lifetime. It requires practicing new skills with persistence. If successful, we will find ourselves living a more virtuous life, feeling more serene and awakened to a higher understanding of consciousness.

Text or Verse

Those who are pure in heart and single in purpose are able to understand the most supreme Way. It is like polishing a mirror, which becomes bright when the dust is removed.
The Dhammapada

Looking within, finding stillness – free from fear, free from attachment – know the sweet joy of the Way.
The Dhammapada

The Way is not in the sky. The Way is in the heart.
The Buddha

Practice

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from harming or killing all living beings.

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from stealing and taking that which is not mine (over-consumption).

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from causing harm through sexual misconduct.

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from harmful speech.

I undertake the training Precept to refrain from the misuse of intoxicants and substances that cause the loss of awareness and dull the mind.

Step 5: We speak truthfully, harmoniously, pleasantly and meaningfully

This Step relates to Right Speech which is based on saying only what is true and what is useful. Words are inherently powerful; they have the potential to create and to heal; as well as to harm and produce chaos.

Text or Verse

He avoids slanderous speech and abstains from it. What he has heard here he does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension there; and what he has heard there he does not repeat here, so as to cause dissension here. Thus he unites those that are divided; and those that are united he encourages. Concord gladdens him, he delights and rejoices in concord; and it is concord that he spreads by his words.
Anguttara 10:176

Practice

The Buddha divides right speech into four practices:

abstaining from false speech; lying; misrepresenting the truth

abstaining from slanderous speech which intends to harm others; abusive speech

abstaining from harsh speech; speech which creates disharmony and separatism

and abstaining from idle chatter

On the contrary, a Buddhist’s words should be truthful, reliable and dependable. One practicing Right Speech, speaks words of harmony and encouragement, words that are meaningful and appropriate to the circumstance.

Step 6: Our thoughts and resolve are of renunciation, good will and harmlessness.

This Step relates to Right Intention which is a threefold process:

the intention of renunciation or detachment

the intention of good will

the intention of harmlessness

These three are opposed to three parallel kinds of wrong intention: intention led by desire, by ill will and by harmfulness. Just prior to the Buddha’s enlightenment he reflected that his thoughts could be separated into these two distinct groups (right & wrong). When those of the second kind arose he saw that they brought distress to himself or to others – or to both. They obstructed wisdom and led away from freedom. But whenever those of the first kind arose they were clearly beneficial, conducive to the growth of wisdom and an aid to the attainment of Nirvana.

Text or Verse

The thought manifests as word. The word manifests as deed. The deed develops into habit, and habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.
The Buddha

Let us live happily then among the greedy!
Among those who are greedy let us dwell free from greed.

From lust comes grief, from grief comes fear;
He(she) who is free from lust neither sorrows nor fears.

Let us live happily then, not hating those who hate us!
Among those who hate us, let us dwell free from hatred.
The Dhammapada

Practice

The practice is based on simple cognitive behavioral principles. When we become aware of negative, potentially harmful or unhealthy thoughts we replace them with positive thoughts. One of the most powerful practices which changes our attitude immediately, is to thought switch by enumerating a list of gratitudes for the situation we are in or the person who appears to be challenging our equanimity. This practice effects immediate positive results.

Step 7: We align our actions with our intentions and resolve.

This Step relates to Right View. Right view develops in stages. We commonly begin our quest for truth through a direct insight into the first Truth – suffering. Our habitual views are challenged and appear lacking. Our search begins. We come to appreciate that some of our views are wrong and we modify our actions (karma) accordingly. More wholesome actions bring stability of mind which inclines toward reflection and meditation which in turn deepens our understanding. The process is a gradual one. It requires understanding the Five Aggregates and learning self-management of them: body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness.

Text or Verse

Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a long stretch, in the same way this Doctrine and Discipline (Dhamma-Vinaya) has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual progression, with penetration to wisdom only after a long stretch.
Udana V.5

Practice

There are five components to the Buddhist practic of Right View:

Generosity – the act of giving freely and anonymously without expectations of return

Virtuousness – Being accountable for our own actions and not blaming others or external circumstances or causes for our actions; refraining from criticism

Renunciation – letting go of material things we do not need and our ideas of what “should” or “ought” to be for oursevles and others

Karma – action with good intention; making careful and considered choices

Four Noble Truths – cultivate a thorough understanding of these truths

Step 8: We embody compassion for all sentient beings

In Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta the Buddha explains that mental or intentional purity is threefold: non-greed, non-ill-will and non-delusion. Regarding the manifestation of non-ill-will the discourse describes a virtuous person as: He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in the resolves of his heart. He thinks, ‘May these beings be free from animosity, free from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!’ Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997).

Text or Verse

In safety and in bliss may all creatures be of blissful heart.
Whatever breathing beings there may be,
No matter whether they are frail or firm,
With none excepted, be they long or big or middle-sized, or be they short or small,
Or thick, as well as those seen or unseen,
Or whether they are far or near,
Existing or yet seeking to exist, may all creatures be of a blissful heart.
Let no one work another one’s undoing,
Or even slight him at all anywhere;
And never let them wish each other ill,
Through provocation or resentful thought.
Metta Sutta

If you do not take care of one another,
who else will do so?
The Buddha

Practice

Metta in Pali and Maitri in Sanskrit are the practices of unconditional and unattached loving-kindness often practiced by holding a strong intention for the happiness of all human beings. Tonglen is the practice of taking in others’ suffering and giving out love or blessings.

Tonglen practice: begin by placing yourself in a comfortable position. See yourself as tapping into a great energy larger than yourself. Bring to mind someone who is suffering. Feel their presence with you, using whatever sensory information you have to make the connection. Feel the heaviness of their suffering in your body. Experience their suffering as a thick, tangible darkness. Breathe this darkness into your body with thoughts and feelings of compassion. Breathe calmly and slowly and with each breath embrace this suffering with your own heart. See yourself as an instrument of the universal energy of compassion. Allow this energy to fill your heart. Experience both the power and the Light of this universal energy. Extend this light to all who suffer and need comfort. Breathe in this collective suffering and breathe out one single, deep, loving breath. When you are ready return your

Step 9: We recognize and respond to feelings of remorse in our daily meditation

Remorse is one of the Five Hindrances which are obstacles to meditation, happiness and our ability to lead satisfying lives. During meditation we come to understand their power and begin to develop skills to overcome them, so they no longer have power over our thoughts and actions.

Text or Verse

Do not mislead anyone, or scorn anyone, anywhere.
Never wish for the suffering of others because you are angry or irritated.
The Buddha

Practice

Right Concentration (samadhi) which is the practice used to address the Five Hindrances, is a single-focused concentration. With this practice we place our attention on a single object, often the breath or a candle. We focus the mind on the object and let the thoughts which emerge come and go. We observe the thoughts, but do not attach our attention to them.

Jhana is meditative absorption which allows negative thoughts and influences to be released so that deeper insights can be realized. There are two aspects to Buddhist meditation, one is the ability to develop a sense of calm and tranquility (the mind chatter stops) which is called (samatha). The other aspect is insight (vipassana) which is the byproduct of first achieving a quiet, calm mind.

Step 10: We observe the Five Precepts

The Five Precepts are the five categories of action from which everyone should abstain (much like the 10 Commandments). The difference is that in Buddhism there is no final authority who judges our actions and doles out rewards or punishment. In Buddhism, everyone has the right to voluntarily choose to live by these Precepts out of compassion for themselves and for all sentient beings on Earth. When we live by these Precepts we ensure all creatures absolute safety and we know we cannot create negative karma.

Text or Verse

Right resolves are the resolve to renounce the world and to do no hurt or harm.
Majjhima-Nikaya

So long as the desire of man towards women, even the smallest, is not destroyed, one’s mind is still in bondage.
The Dhammapada

Practice

The Five Precepts:

We abstain from killing any being – people, animals, and all living creatures. It is our intention to offer safety to all beings, everywhere without discrimination.

We abstain from taking things which have not been given freely to us. Things not given freely belong to someone else.

We abstain from sexual misconduct defined as sexual abuse, extramarital affairs, and sexual relationships with those who are underage. It is our intention to protect others and ourselves from sexual harms.

We abstain from lying. The essence of Buddhist practice is to seek the truth. Lying creates and perpetuates delusion. Lies have the capacity to create physical and emotional harm. It is our intention to prevent potential danger.

We abstain from intoxicants which includes even small amounts of alcohol and recreational drugs because they cloud our ability to be mindful. They can also contribute to breaching the conduct specified in the other four 

Step 11: We practice mindfulness in our meditation and in our daily living.

Mindfulness is being aware of the conditions of the mind (of your thoughts). In Buddhism we learn there is an “observer” which can step aside and observe both our thoughts and our actions. There is a rull range of conditions which can be experienced by the mind from serenity through fear and anxiety to the bliss of Nirvana. For any one to become fully awakened, they must learn the art and practice of mindfulness both during meditation and during normal day-to-day activities. Mindfulness keeps us in touch with ourselves and with the present moment. It provides the opportunity to make choices: changing our thinking, letting go of negative thoughts, and selecting actions from a range of options. With practice, mindfulness becomes a way of living.

Text or Verse

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change: the Four Noble Truths, impermanence, dependent origination, not-self and past karma.

The courage to change the things I can by being mindful in the present moment so that my thoughts, speech and actions will not harm myself or others now or in the future.

And the wisdom to know the difference between doing what is skillful and what is unskillful.

Meditate deeply.
The Dhammapada

If you meditate in earnest, with a pure mind and kind deeds,
leading a life with discipline and harmony with the dharma,
you will grow in glory. If you meditate in earnest, and have
spiritual discipline, you can create an island for yourself
that even floodwaters cannot overwhelm.
The Dhammapada

Practice

Mindfullness is a 2500 year old practice taught by the Buddha. It helps us learn the art of calm repose in all situations. It helps develop heightened attention and awareness. It is a practice that we can do as we go about our normal activities.

Begin by mentally stopping the self-talk chatter.

Become aware of your breathing.

Become aware of your surroundings.

Check in with each of your senses. What are they experiencing – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Allow any one of your senses to draw you into the experience of the present moment.

Relish this sensory experience for as long as possible.

When you are ready to move on express gratitude for the time spent in the eternal now.

Step 12: We seek refuge in the Sangha.

During his life the Buddha taught and ordained discicples who became known as the Sangha. The primary purpose of the Sangha was (and is) to continue to teach the precepts. The Sangha is considered to be one of the Three Refuges or jewels of Buddhism. It is respected as a community of Noble Beings who have realized at least one of the four stages on the Buddhist path to spirituality. When someone takes refuge in the Sangha, they are actually relying on one of these Noble Beings for guidance, much like a new member in AA relies on a Sponsor to guide them through the Steps and support them as they practice their new way of living. Each of the following stages defines an individual’s karmic obligation.

The first stage is the Stream-Winner, one who is free from the first three of the Ten Fetters which are the afflictions common to all humans. The first three include believing that your self (ego) is separate and individual; skepticism or doubt of the teachings (Dharma); and that following the rites and rituals will ensure the attainment of spirituality.

The second stage is the Once-Returner, who is also free of the next two Fetters which are sensual cravings and ill-will.

The third stage is the Non-Returner, who is fully free of the all the first five Fetters and will not be required to return for another lifetime.

The Arahant is the final stage, and is free of all Ten Fetters. An Arahant is a fully-awakened being who experiences the bliss of Nirvana.

Text or Verse

So long as space remains,
So long as sentient beings remain,
I will remain in order to help,
In order to serve, in order to make my own contribution.
The Bodhisattva’s Vow interpreted by the Dalai Lama

Practice

Buddhism teaches there are Three Refuges one of which is the sangha. I take refuge in the sangha when I commit myself to compassion, loving kindness, generosity and living a moral life. I commit myself to supporting and being supported by the community. I fulfill this commitment by regularly attending gatherings and working to support the growth of the community.