From Buddhism to Bhakti: A Personal Journey in 12-Step Recovery

Spirituality, like recovery, is deeply personal. What works for one person may not resonate with another. For many, Buddhism's non-theistic, impersonal approach provides profound peace. Its focus on mindfulness, detachment, and impermanence offers clarity and guidance. But for me, something was missing. I wasn’t just seeking inner peace or mental clarity; I was looking for a personal connection—a relationship with the Divine. That’s when I discovered Bhakti: the path of love, devotion, and surrender.

As I explored various teachings, it became clear that my heart longed for a personal relationship with a higher power. This is where the path of devotion became essential for my spiritual growth and recovery. I found that devotion wasn’t just about following a set of rituals—it was about building a loving, personal connection with the Divine.

The Struggle with Buddhism’s Impersonal Approach

Buddhism’s teachings on non-attachment and impermanence helped me understand the nature of suffering and the importance of releasing control. I began to practice mindfulness and meditation, learning to observe my thoughts and cravings without reacting. This approach gave me peace of mind, but it still left me feeling spiritually empty. I wanted a deeper connection, a sense of intimacy with the Divine that Buddhist teachings didn’t provide.

Buddhism helped me see the transient nature of life, but it didn’t offer a relationship with something I could love and surrender to. I needed a form of spirituality that spoke to the heart as well as the mind. That’s when I started seeking out a more personal, devotional path.

The Personal Path of Devotion

The more I dug into different spiritual traditions, the more I realized that devotion was the answer. The Bhakti path, which is rooted in love and surrender, became my home. It wasn’t just a path of following rules—it was a path of relationship. Through devotion, I could connect with a Divine presence that loved me unconditionally.

For me, the Bhagavad Gita was the key. While many people are introduced to Krishna through the ISKCON tradition, I didn’t resonate with their highly regulative approach. My temperament, shaped by years of recovery, needed flexibility—not strict rules. I needed a form of devotion that wasn’t about following dogmatic practices, but about love and surrender.

Krishna, as depicted in the Gita, wasn’t just a concept; He was personal. His call to surrender to Him resonated deeply with me. I found that through surrendering to Krishna, I could let go of the need for control that had plagued me for so long. It wasn’t just about believing in Krishna—it was about trusting Him and feeling His love in return.

Integration of Bhakti and Recovery

The teachings of Krishna in the Gita became a natural extension of the principles I’d learned in 12-step recovery. In recovery, I was taught to surrender to a higher power. But that higher power didn’t feel personal to me at first—it was a vague, abstract concept. When I turned to Krishna, I found that surrendering to Him gave me direction and purpose. He became the personal anchor I needed to heal.

The 12 steps provided me with a structure, but I needed a spirituality that didn’t feel like another set of rules. Bhakti allowed me to connect to a Divine presence that didn’t demand perfection but welcomed me with open arms as I was. The flexibility of Bhakti, combined with the structure of the 12 steps, helped me find a way to live a life rooted in both love and self-discipline, without it feeling too rigid.

The Role of Ramana Maharishi, Ramakrishna, and Neem Karoli Baba

During this search for a personal relationship with the Divine, I came across the teachings of Ramana Maharishi, Ramakrishna, Neem Karoli Baba, and other great saints. Their emphasis on surrendering to the Divine will resonated deeply with me, though in different ways.

Ramana Maharishi's path of self-inquiry, or Atma Vichara, deeply influenced my understanding of spiritual practice. While his method was more introspective and focused on finding the true self, I found that his underlying message of surrendering to the Divine presence within connected to my need for a personal relationship with God. I started to see that surrendering was not just an external act, but an inner attitude that could dissolve the ego and connect me to something greater.

Ramakrishna, with his passionate devotion to Kali, also provided a model for how intense love for the Divine could become transformative. His life was a clear example of how Bhakti could be a pathway to spiritual realization. His devotion to Kali wasn't about following a prescribed set of rituals—it was about offering his heart in love, surrendering his entire being to the Divine. His teachings made me realize that devotion wasn’t about perfect practice—it was about surrendering to the flow of divine love.

Then there’s Neem Karoli Baba, whose simple yet profound teachings on love and devotion helped thousands of people around the world find their way back to the Divine. His emphasis on serving others with a heart full of love and compassion struck me deeply. It taught me that devotion wasn’t about withdrawing from the world—it was about being deeply engaged with it, but through the lens of love and surrender.

These saints and teachers helped me realize that the path of devotion wasn’t about rigid rules or doctrines. It was about opening the heart to the Divine and allowing that love to guide every aspect of life. Through their teachings, I saw that Bhakti could be deeply transformative and still be personal, allowing me to build a real relationship with Krishna that felt natural and filled with love.

The Power of Surrender in Bhakti

Surrender, in the context of Bhakti, is not about weakness. It’s about trust. Through my devotion to Krishna, I learned that surrendering my will wasn’t a loss of control—it was the freedom to release the anxiety of trying to control everything. The more I surrendered to Krishna’s guidance, the more I found peace in the process.

Recovery, like Bhakti, is about letting go—letting go of the need to manage every outcome, every feeling, every thought. In both contexts, surrender is liberation. It is the freedom to trust that the Divine will guide you where you need to go, and that you are not alone in your journey. Just as I learned to let go of control in my recovery process, I learned to trust Krishna to guide me in my spiritual journey.

The Path to Healing: A Personal Relationship with the Divine

If you’re struggling with the more impersonal approaches of Buddhism or other non-theistic traditions, I encourage you to explore Bhakti. It’s a personal path that speaks to the heart. It invites you to develop a relationship with a Divine presence, whether that’s Krishna, Shiva, Durga, or any other form that resonates with you.

The practice of devotion doesn’t require rigid rules or doctrinal purity—it simply asks for love, trust, and surrender. Through these qualities, you can experience healing, not just on a mental or emotional level, but on a spiritual one as well. Bhakti gave me a framework for spiritual practice that felt organic and natural, which complemented my recovery process.

Conclusion: Surrender as Healing

Spirituality and recovery are deeply intertwined. Bhakti, the path of devotion, gave me the tools to heal from addiction by helping me connect with a personal higher power. The love and surrender that Bhakti teaches are not just practices—they are powerful forces for transformation.

If you find yourself seeking a deeper connection with the Divine, or if you’re struggling with recovery and spiritual dryness, consider turning to Bhakti. It may be the key that unlocks the peace and healing you’ve been looking for. Through devotion, we find the strength to surrender, to trust, and to be healed. And most importantly, just as in recovery, if you work it, it will work.

Awakening to THAT