“Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:” (Page 59, Big Book)
“This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along.” (Page 84, Big Book)
“Step Eleven suggests prayer and meditation.” (Page 85, Big Book)
… and passim.
The polite offering of the programme is presented repeatedly as a ‘suggestion’. There is another word used, though:
“Further on, clear-cut directions are given showing how we recovered.” (Page 29, Big Book)
“If we have carefully followed directions, we have begun to sense the flow of His Spirit into us.” (Page 85, Big Book)
So, what is it, then? Suggestions or directions?
This can be best illustrated by the following statement:
“I suggest you follow the directions.”
‘Suggestion’ denotes the manner of proposal by the proposer.
‘Direction’ describes the content.
When someone suggests something to me, that is merely the manner in which something is delivered to me.
What is delivered to me? Directions.
What you do is make a suggestion.
What I receive is directions.
This should snuff out any notion that the directions are optional bolt-ons to the programme. No. They are the programme itself, and there is nothing else on offer.