Intoxicating substance should not be become
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My first intense spiritual experience was before I consumed alcohol, hallucinogenic substances etc. It took me years of rigorous adherence to one school of thought. It's like digging deep at one point to reach water. The state of joy and oneness I experienced(was) is truly worth the effort.
Consuming alcohol,smoking and other drugs was forbidden, criminal and blasphemous from my original school of spiritual practice. I am ever grateful to this rigorous closed approach, because it helped me reach goal faster. After this experience I was free from polar judgemental behavior. Good and bad became mental explanations rather than events. My association of alcohol, smoking, drugs as “bad" was freed. I was open to newer experimentation on myself.
I started with smoking Charas(indian pressed hash) as it was available with wandering saadhus. That experience left me rather confused I must say. I was on a hyper-drive and reached “zero point” of my spiritual journey. Time paused here allowing me to show my deficiencies and freedom. The world and its bondages disappeared. I was stoned to state of joy. It takes me hours of being in meditation, but couple of puffs opened the gateway! I tested alcohol, MDMA, LSD and every drug I could get my hands on. I must say the end result for me was spiritual bliss.
I was convinced intoxicating substances was gateway to experience My God.
This was good till one day, I tried substances with bunch of people I never met before. It was more like a scene from horror movie for me. I could experience their fears, frustrations, their doubts, their anger, their lusts and it became my emotions! I won't say I did not have these emotions before, but after this exclusive experience I could differentiate my experience distinctly from others. I am not sure if it is words or emotions we start reflecting; we learn from others and we have impressions of emotions from other people. These impressions remain deep seated,enhanced and prolonged when under influence of substances. With company of like minded it is great, but if intoxication happens with people who have different “frequencies” it can hamper your “spiritual practice".
Secondly, I was already exposed to certain state of self-induced hallucination during my meditations. Intoxicating substances helped me get to that state faster. If I did not know the mental state I enjoyed, I might easily get strayed. Be it spiritual meditations or substance induced state, one must never be victim of circumstances. It is easier to get carried away and be victim when under influence of substance, hence intoxicating substances are not recommended during spiritual practices.
Another reason why substances are not recommended is - our effort is reduced. When we receive the reward and pleasure of all hard work and meditation with one puff or drink, we don't put any effort. It's like buying an award, you feel happy about it but you can't appreciate it.
Spirituality is more about the path than the goal. With intoxicating substances although the goal seem similar, path is not.