Distilledliquorisnotanaturalsubstance.Itisprocessedintoapotentformwhichisinjurioustothe
bodyandmindandtherefore,notsuitableatallforusebythoseadvancingonthespiritualpath.The
sameappliestonarcoticsandallother“recreational”drugssuchasmarijuana.Allofthesedistortthe
spiritualperceptionwhiledamagingthephysicalbody.Nodrugcanproduceahigh,whichcanbe
comparedtospiritualbliss.Therefore,resolvetoleavealldrugsbehindandbecomeintoxicatedwith
spiritual feelings and aspiration.
Alcoholandotherdrugabuseareextremelyinjuriousfactorstothepersonality.
Drugsandalcoholkillcellsintheorgans,especiallythebrainandtheliver,andim-
pairone’sthoughtprocessandsenseperception,whichleadtoself-destructionand
orinjuriestoothers.Thebodyissomewhatlikeamachinethroughwhichspiritual
energy(consciousness)flows,muchlikeelectricitythroughelectricalwires.Ifthe
wires(nervoussystemandbrain)aredamaged,theelectricity(spirit)cannotoperate
properly.Thedesireforhappinessandliberationofthespiritmanifestsasadesire
ofthespirittoexpandbeyondtheconfinesofthebodyanditslimitations.Not
knowingthatthisexpansioncanbeaccomplishedthroughmeditation,ornothaving
enoughwilltoapplythemselves,somepeopleseekthefeelingof“blissfulfree-
dom”throughdruguseandabuse.Drugusecausesthetemporarydisconnectionof
theego(ordinarywakingconsciousness),sopeoplelaterrecallafeelingofbliss.
Alongwiththisillusorybliss,drugsalsocausecriticaldamagetothebrainand
nervoussystemandfurther,thedruginducedexperienceisunpredictableandun-
controllable,thuscausingmoreillusionsandmentalagitationinthemindalong
withphysicaldependence.Thefeelingofblisscomesfromareliefofstress.Stress
istherebecausethepersonislackingaspiritualbasisinlifeandtheyareignorantly
tryingtofinditthroughthedrugs.Inreality,thebestway(andreallytheonlytrue
way)toachievetrueblissandecstasyistotrainone’sownmindtoreachthose
higherlevelsofconsciousnessoftheSpirit.Thisprocessmaybeaccomplished
throughthepracticeofvirtuouslivingandmeditation.Inthismannertheprocessof
discoveringpeace,contentmentandblisswillbeintegratedintothepsychenatur-
ally,avoidingthementalorphysicalimbalancesofdrugabuse.Advancedspiritual-
ityentailsgoingbeyondtheego.Thisprocessoccursnaturallywhenyousleep,in
thedeep-dreamlesssleepstate.Whenindeepsleep,theegoisnowheretobefound
andapersonexperiencespeace,rejuvenationandbliss.Themysticpathistheartof
discoveringthatgloriousbliss,notthroughdrugs,sleeporrelationshipsorany
worldlypossessions,butthroughinnerself-discovery.Note:Itisimportanttonote
