The Way Of Powerlessness - Advaita and the 12 Steps Of Recovery

POWERLESSNESS = STRENGTH

We suffer from the most insidious kind of addiction - one we don't even realize we have. It is the addiction to power itself.

Both the Twelve Steps of recovery and the ancient teaching of Advaita reveal that powerlessness is the secret to genuine strength.

The proposition that lasting peace in life can come through the recognition of complete personal powerlessness may seem counterintuitive and ultimately ridiculous. Yet, lasting peace is the miracle The Way of Powerlessness makes possible.

Wayne Liquorman (b. 1951) describes himself as being “completely ordinary.” He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and then attended the University of Hawaii where he graduated with a BA in Creative Writing. He then returned to Southern California, married, fathered two children and started an import/export business. A nineteen-year bout with active alcoholism and drug addiction ended spontaneously in 1985 leaving him sober and a spiritual seeker. His goal became to determine, “what power in the Universe could transform me so suddenly and against my will.” After 16 months of daily involvement with the Twelve Steps and intensive spiritual seeking, he met his guru, the retired president of the Bank of India turned Advaitic Sage, Ramesh S. Balsekar. He soon began publishing Ramesh’s books and arranging Ramesh’s speaking tours. Spiritual Awakening occurred for Wayne in April of 1989, soon after which he wrote the book NO WAY...for the Spiritually Advanced. He published the book under the pen name Ram Tzu because he didn’t want “a bunch of miserable seekers cluttering up my living room.” Clearly, life had other plans for him. In 1996 Ramesh instructed Wayne to teach. When Wayne tried to convince Ramesh he was not suited to be a teacher, Ramesh answered his objections with the simple words, “if they come, talk to them!” People began coming and Wayne now spends half of each year traveling the world, talking about personal powerlessness and Advaita to groups of interested people (and often has a bunch of spiritual seekers cluttering up his living room when he is not traveling!) His Living Teaching and his powerful presence continue to touch the lives of many. This is his fifth book. Wayne’s schedule (including free Live Internet broadcasts) and further information about the Living Teaching of Advaita can be found at: www.advaita.org.