Thanks everyone for your wonderful insights.

I would like to share my learnings and experience on this topic. Until a few years ago, I was under the impression that we need to abstain from certain things to achieve contentment, peace and even self realisation as we need to be able to calm our mind and the thoughts to become more self aware. I felt that it was difficult for me to abstain and if I was to do such an act, I would be doing it out of fear or lack of sincerity in my action.

Thanks to my teacher and his wisdom (not relating to any religion per say), I then learnt that we do not need to abstain from anything. We are human beings who have needs and desires and until we fulfil these desires, we wont be able to progress on the path of self-realisation. Yes, it is one thing to be mindful and self aware about the effects of various intoxicants on our mind, body and soul and to keep it in moderation but it is another thing to abstain totally.

He said that as we progress on the spiritual path by practicing meditation, purity of intention and selfless service, sooner or later, these intoxicants will themselves leave us. We dont have to leave anything and any path, which tells us to leave something (or avoid something) to achieve self-realisation is probably not going to work. As the purity and light in us increases, we will automatically be attracted to things, which nourish our mind, body and soul. It didnt make sense initially but after 2 years or so of practising above, results are becoming more evident. The desires are lessening and impulses are definitely less and the need to follow social norms regarding intoxications do not matter as much. So far so good.

Does this make sense ?

Jasmine

Hi Robito the Buddha @robito

Thanks for your response and it is not too far off from what I was expecting :). Thanks for the opportunity to comment on your post.

I need to make it clear so that there is no confusion : I do not know much about Buddha except for some stories I had heard about him when I was growing up in Thailand as a young soul. I love all the Buddha statues though and my house is full of laughing and happy buddhas. From a young age I have never aspired to be like someone religiously. With recent light of wisdom, I have come to learn that we are all on our own journey and are an important component of the whole universal consciousness, which Buddha was part of. So in a sense, we are already a Buddha. Hmmm…a difficult concept for some to get their head around this but it has started to make sense to my inner being. So I am already a buddha and so are you and so is everyone else :). We just do not know it as yet as our consciousness has not evolved to that level.

I am not sure what your experience has been but in my practice, I have noticed that every session of meditation builds on the previous and every selfless activity / self awareness action does the same. To me, this means that with every session, we are getting filled with more light and positivity. If this is indeed the case then how can someone who is truly practicing meditation indulge in any form of activity, which reduces their positivity (this activity can include a state of drunkenness). I am not talking about an adhoc practice of meditation here. It needs to be a daily practice and part of our schedule like how we brush our teeth daily (i think most do ;), have breakfast, go to work etc. And I have realised that over time, it becomes such a crucial part of your life and it becomes an intoxicant in itself. You become high on positivity and the light you can share with others to bring more love and compassion in their lives. Do you see what am I getting to ?

I think every religion preaches the same – love and that we are all connected. The form, which keeps us together is energy, which can neither be destroyed nor dissolved. It just changes form. A person high on substance intoxicants on a regular basis will not be able to generate enough positivity to practice meditation until his or her level of awareness rises. However, a person who is having intoxicants in moderation will still be able to practice mindfulness everyday as long as they have some discipline in their lives and with each session, the positive energy should rise. As this energy rises, you will be not be attracted to things that bring your positivity down. Universal law about energy seems to be quite straightforward – like energy attracts like. By the way, this is not my law but my experience confirms it. I like to believe in things that I can experience first hand.

So coming back to your question about intoxication and can it be a compassionate action ? Well, it depends. You need to define intoxication and what is this intoxication trying to achieve ? If an intoxication raises your consciousness or someone elses, yes then it is a compassionate action. If it doesnt, then no, it is not.

Does this add any more clarity to what you are asking?

Sending you loads of positive energy. You will be in my prayers tonight.

J

I am not religious, nor a Buddhist. I have just read many different sources on spirituality and have concluded that everyone is saying the same things – be self-compassionate, compassionate to others, and live in the moment now. Everything else is extra topping (ie. how we go about that and whether or not there is a Higher Power are personal decisions).

It’s cool that you have found such similarity in your spiritual reading, but I worry that you may be glossing over some very real differences in what different spiritual teachers are saying. I don’t think the question of whether there’s a Higher Power is ‘extra topping’. I think it makes a big difference whether you believe moral behaviour to revolve around how you treat other people (compassionately) or how well you live up to the wishes and guidance provided by God (a compassionate higher being). The effect may be the same, but the motivation is very different. Likewise, “living in the moment” is a popular teaching now, but generations of people considered the spiritual life to be all about living for heaven’s sake, in order to secure a good afterlife. I feel like you’re doing yourself and these people a disservice by waving your hand and saying “oh, well, it all comes down to the same thing.”

Par example, you also say —

… the Self that I am referring to is that part of us that seems to guide us. It is the best of who we are. It has many names – our intuition, inner child, Higher self or maybe even soul. I usually call it my intuitive spirit because it is the spirit of who we are.

You are right. I have no idea what the Buddha called that part of us. I follow dharma (the teachings of buddha) which I understand to be the natural way of things – that we are all connected and not separate – rather than the unnatural way of materialism ‘things’ and the ego and I.

I have no idea what the Buddha called that part of us. Uh, well, as it happens, the question of whether there is a Self or not was a hot topic in the Buddha’s time. What the Buddha had to say in response is complicated, but you may have a read of this and gain a sense of it: (the start of Talk 2 has the passage where Buddha is asked the question) http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/selvesnotself.html

I’ll leave you to explore if you feel like it but I do feel called to point out that the Buddha’s answer was not: “Why yes, there is a higher Self, and all you need to do is look for it within you and follow its guiding light!” I wonder if that surprises you.

Your site is called ‘How to be a Buddha’ and you say you intend to follow the Buddha’s teachings to see what happens. If you then backpedal and say “Well, actually I’m following general spiritual teachings”, I feel a bit cheated as a reader. I think your project might meet with more success if you’re clearer about what you’re doing, and whose teachings you are following.

I hope your break does you good, and wish you all the best with your blog/project.

Respectfully,

Will