Experts from The Zen of Recovery “It is my personal belief that Bill W., the author of the Twelve Steps, was an American Buddha, that he attained enlightenment as a result of his tremendous suffering and then passed on his profoundly simple teaching to us. He has saved millions from death and never, during his lifetime, asked for anything in return, not even fame, using only his last initial in lieu of his name until his death. Truly the mark of a great bodhisattva or saint. When the history of the twentieth century is written, I am certain that Bill’s introduction of the Twelve Steps will be viewed as one of the greatest spiritual, if not religious, movements of the time.” (p. 6) © 1993 Mel Ash ------------------------------- “Buddha taught that our original nature, the eternal, unchanging self that has always existed, is within the reach of everyone. Everybody, claims Zen, is already complete and as one with their true selves. Only our dualistic thinking hides this shining truth. Just as the addict must fully and unconditionally accept his or her disease to attain respite, so all beings have to come to terms with the source of their suffering before they can become what both Taoists and Native Americans call “real human beings”. (p. 58)
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