Back in 1953, the members of Alcoholics Anonymous published their second major piece of literature entitled, "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" as a further aid (coupled with their first published work, "Alcoholics Anonymous") for the maintenance of sobriety for current and future members. Within the pages of this second work, (Step 10, page 3) one discovers the sentence, "It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us."


That is a fascinating sentence worthy of deep meditation. Perhaps the first fact of interest is that it was not written by a theologian or religious scholar, but is widely assumed to have been written by one of the two founding members of AA, a recovering alcoholic stock broker. One must truly marvel at the daring and sense of self-assurance required for any human being to place such a qualifier on any pronouncement. If the term, "spiritual axiom" has actual meaning, it brings into one's meditation that if there be one spiritual axiom, how many more may there be? And does it not also tax us to ask ourselves just what this spiritual axiom is asking of us?


My 1971 edition of World Book Dictionary defines 'axiom' thusly: 1. a statement taken to be true without proof; self evident truth: It is an axiom that if equals are added to equals the results will be equal. 2. an established principle. 3. a maxim; rule; law.


Assuredly we could not find consensus within the first definition. More humans than not would agree that if some very sick sexual predator raped and killed their child, they not only would be disturbed, but would consider themselves to have every right to be disturbed. Which speaks also to the second definition. Few would agree that the statement as written is an established principle . . . quite the opposite, in fact. So we are left with the third definition. We are left with the idea that the statement is being put before us as a, "Spiritual Law." It is within this definition, then, that we need to determine the truth or falsehood of the statement. It will not be easy. It cannot be done quickly. I, however, know that it is truth, and I believe I can convince you all of the truth of it. This blogging will be a work in progress for a long time to come. At some point I will let some friends of mine know it exists, and welcome any and all others who may stumble across it.


Logic requires a base, does it not? If I am going to come into agreement that Socrates is an animal I am first going to need agreement that all men are animals. Thus, if we are going to logically determine what is important in being alive we need consensus on a base to build our reasoning upon. there is depth to a human being. Perhaps it is depth of thought and nothing more, but there surely is depth that each of us can agree exists in this business of being a human being. Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Sociologists and others make very good livings plumbing the depths of individual human beings.


If we can be in agreement with the actuality of depth within us so that we can speak with mutual understanding of feelings associated with that depth. We can then deal with terms like 'hurting inside,' (mental anguish) versus 'hurting outside' (physical pain). This is important in order to decide what is 'deeply' and eternally going to be the most important goal to attain in this business of being alive. The theologian Paul Tillich has written extensively about this depth within us and if you need more convincing as to its reality I would point you to his writings. If we are in agreement that to be human is to have depth of being, no matter by what name it is called; Psyche, Soul, Awareness of being, etc. then we are very close to a common definition of that which would be of maximum importance to every human being.


Simply put, we all want to feel as good inside as we can possibly feel. Herein is a truth that defeats all argument. It makes of all altruism nothing more than wise selfishness. It brooks no successful arguments from those with lofty philosophical and moral values, for they are always striving to measure up to those values for one basic reason only: they all want to feel as good inside as they can possibly feel. I now urge you to meditate upon this. I would urge you to set up arguments against the truth of it and watch them fall. In so doing, you will finally get to know yourself as you have not heretofore known yourself, and you can finally relax in the solidity of that truth. More to come - Love and Blessings - Chuck