The Chuang Tzu – The Tower of the SpiritThe Chuang Tzu – The Tower of the Spirit
Tao of Our understanding Alcohol Recovery Podcast
Buddy C, Brian, Drew and Oscar connect the Taoist story “The Tower of the Spirit” with 12-step recovery, focusing on sincerity, ego and Wu Wei in daily sobriety. Through humour and personal sharing, they question performative spirituality and highlight acceptance and presence as practical tools for living sober.
42:03•10 Aug 2026
The Tower of the Spirit: Letting Go of Spiritual Ego in Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Seeing a Higher Power as the present moment can soften the urge to control life and support acceptance in recovery.
- Wu Wei is described as the right action happening through a person when ego, fear and self‑centred planning are set aside.
- Spiritual display and “performative virtue” are linked with ego and inner unrest, even when the actions look good on the surface.
- Sincerity – being genuine and free of pretence – is presented as a key safeguard for both spiritual peace and emotional stability.
- Caring too much about others’ approval is compared to being their prisoner, while letting go brings greater inner freedom.
“…actions go astray when they become deliberate, reflexive, and intentional.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation from the Tao of Our Understanding Alcohol Recovery Podcast brings together Buddy C with Brian, Drew and Oscar to look at recovery through a classic Taoist story, “The Tower of the Spirit,” from Thomas Merton’s version of Chuang Tzu. Right from the start, the chat roots spirituality firmly in everyday recovery.
Buddy shares how his Higher Power has become “this moment… the stuff I like, especially the stuff I don’t like,” linking Taoist ideas with the 12-step focus on acceptance: if he can be where his feet are, the urge to control life softens. The group then enjoys a “synchronistic moment” as Drew tells a story about a desert hiking trip, a hidden oasis and eight last‑minute reservation tickets that appeared at just the right time.
Rather than trying to engineer such events, they joke about “Mr Magoo‑ing” their way through life and simply staying grateful when things line up. The heart of the chat is the reading of “The Tower of the Spirit,” especially the line: “actions go astray when they become deliberate, reflexive, and intentional.” From there they unpack Wu Wei as action that happens through them rather than by them, and they question how much ego sneaks into “spiritual” behaviour.
Oscar warns about spiritual ego and “performative virtue” – doing good so people see it – while Drew’s Seinfeld “tip jar” story gets everyone laughing about how badly they want to look generous. Money in meeting baskets, quoting the Big Book in other fellowships, praying in churches, worrying what others think – everything circles back to sincerity. As Buddy puts it, caring about approval turns you into a prisoner.
Letting go brings a quieter kind of peace, even when life is still life. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re trying too hard to be spiritual, this one might hit close to home.
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