The 12 Steps and Zen Koans

If you belong to a 12 Step Group, at one time you will hear someone say, "Upon working the steps, one day you will see where the Steps are working you!" The same can be said when you meditate with Zen koans ... a koan can pop into your life when you least expect it, giving you a new perspective on matters. Here we are practicing with koans to see how they can deepen our understanding of the 12 Steps in new and unexpected ways.

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Saturday, October 17, 2020

Step 10 -- Am I giving life or killing?

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 Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. Koan: Freely we give life; and freely we kill. (...
Monday, September 14, 2020

Steps 8 and 9 -- How are you mending?

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 Step 8:  Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Step 9:  Made direct amends to such peopl...
Saturday, August 1, 2020

August and September Koan for Steps 8 and 9

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Dear Friends, Again, as we did in June and July, we will be sitting with two steps, two months, with one koan... Step 8:  Ma...
Sunday, July 12, 2020

Steps 6 and 7, A Strategy

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Step 6:  Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Step 7:  Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. ...
Monday, June 1, 2020

Two Steps, Two Months, One koan

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   Dear  12 & Zen Friends:  With what's going on in my town, county, state, nation and the world -- I'm feeling exhausted t...
Saturday, May 9, 2020

Suffering through Step 5

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Step 5:  Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Koan: Layman P’ang said: “From out o...
Thursday, April 30, 2020

12 & Zen for May

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  Step 5:  Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.   Koan: Layman P’ang said: “From out...
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Bill K.
We try to carry the 12 Step message to those who are suffering, "and to practice these principles in all our affairs." In Buddhism, our practice includes the vow to save all beings. Here the practices are melded into one -- bringing freedom into our life.
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