“Recovery” and The Four Noble Truths

The word “recovery’ in recent history has been used a lot.  Nowadays we are hearing it in relation to our nation’s economic situation and the path back to health.  The word recovery means a restoration or return to normal condition.  This begs the question of what is normal?   Perhaps we will address that question down the road a bit.

What we do know-What we have become aware of is that things are not working to our satisfaction. We have become aware of a disturbance.  We can deny it no more.  In some cases the situation seems to spiral and we notice dysfunction.   A desire wells up in us.  This desire is for the present moment to be different from what it is.  The desire for “what is” to be different from what is – is suffering.

We suffer whether we are aware of it or not whenever we have any degree of desire for this moment to be anything other than it is.  Of course, with anything, there is a sliding scale as far as the degree to which suffering presents itself.  I guess the poles would be from mildly irritating to excruciatingly unbearable.  I think you get my point.  I started this with the concept of recovery because I have seen a connecting pattern between the Twelve Steps of AA/GA/NA/DA and all the other A’s and Buddha’s Four Noble Truths.  

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