During our last class, Alan mentioned the use of refuge in fighting alcohol addiction. I wasn't sure if he directly connected this to the issue of AA "higher power" language, but I personally found the idea interesting and thought-provoking. Refuge itself is a little flexible in its interpretation. Thanissaro Bhikkhu even mentions that each of the refuges have two different senses. On the one hand, refuge in the Buddha can be be dirrectly in the Shakyamuni figure himself, but on the other hand - and Thanissaro would say more ideally - you take refuge in Buddha in terms of awakening, your own potential for awakening. THis is like really calling upon your highest self. SO in some ways, it is like seeking external power to help, but in another sense its coming from inside.
Them there is also the use of the Dhamma - and the Sangha. Both of these have some external equivalence of power to help us, almost no matter how you interpret them.
I think just the fact that refuge is so integral to Buddhism, and rather flexible in its moment-to-moment interpretation helps keep it open to a variety of people using it in the way that they themselves find useful. At the same time, I wonder which ways of interpreting and using refuge are more effective for alcoholics themselves.
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