Self-Reliance and Freedom

The way is paved...

Self-reliance is a good thing but it failed when I tried to break the bondage of a self-imposed exile from humanity. Setting aside the idea of taking to a mountain cave, I had to surrender to the notion that I might need a power greater than myself to steer me out of that ugly cul de sac. However going the way of a hermit appealed to my ego, I found that I had to surrender to something more common and simple.. The Buddhists call it the Three Gems: I seek refuge in the Buddha; I seek refuge in the Dharma; and I seek refuge in the Sangha. This translates neatly into how AA works if we say: I seek shelter in our Higher Power; I seek shelter in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of AA; and I seek shelter in the Fellowship of AA. Born-again Christians can also participate in these three by saying: I seek safe harbor in the Name of Jesus Christ; I seek safe harbor in the Gospels; and I seek safe-harbor in the Church. What they mean to me, personally, would be something like all three because I can easily see where each of these is infinitely more productive that a solitary stab at it on my own.