The bad habit of addiction has been widespread in society for a long time. Especially in the life of youth, addiction has spread its wings following peer pressure and the wrong company!
If one does not intoxicate (consume the intoxicating thing), then all friends ridicule him, “Oh! You don’t take this? You are a weakling!” This provokes his ego, and then, he takes on the path of addiction. In certain societies, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol is considered to be of status. To maintain that status, people get trapped in addiction. When one is living a life only imitating others, how can that be called living life? Addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, opium, marijuana, etc. is so terrible that once trapped, it is difficult to come out of it. But if one receives the right understanding, then it is possible to be free from the addiction of these things.
To be free from any vice, the understanding of its risks, one’s unflinching determination to come out of it, and a constant awareness against it, are required in the foundation. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan has given an understanding of such 4 steps, with which sooner or later, but for sure, one can come out of the addiction.
Step 1: First of all, a 100% conviction of “Addiction is certainly wrong” must be established.
When we understand addiction as addiction, and not as a subject of our fondness, then we can be free from it. But people have believed that there’s happiness in addiction.
Today, with material science, external happiness is limitless. However, on the other hand, inner happiness has dried out! The balance between inner and outer happiness has been distorted. While on the one hand, facilities of home, food, travel, or the basic life necessities have increased considerably, on the other hand, worries, stress and depression have also equally increased. Happiness is nowhere to be found in this world, therefore human beings are busy hunting for happiness outside. Finally, they take happiness from cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. But by enjoying this happiness, one is binding terrible bad karma; to experience the results one has to go to the animal life-form. When one understands such a big danger, that’s when the return from addiction begins.
Step 2: Then, a detailed analysis of “How is addiction wrong?” must be done.
An impartial analysis of the risks involved in addiction must happen. Addiction is a bondage. It is such a disease that abducts the consciousness (chit), it doesn’t allow the consciousness to focus. When a craving occurs, at that moment the consciousness gets dirty (impure).
With addiction, comes so much helplessness and dependence! In case the shops are closed for an hour and thus one does not get a cigarette, there’s panic, panic! Not only that, addiction harms the body as well. Life-threatening diseases like jaw cancer and cancer of the lungs and intestines sink in. Not only that, when the tobacco is chewed and spit and when the fumes are made of the cigarette, along with it, in that addiction, we are spitting and burning the hard-earned money. The family members of an addict get unhappy and he too gets unhappy.
The son drinks, comes home late at night and sleeps tight, but by worrying for him, in that tension, the parents cannot sleep all night. An addict loses his respect in society. To maintain prestige one consumes intoxicants, on getting addicted, that very prestige bites the dust. In short, one walking on the path of addiction himself welcomes his social, financial, mental physical and religious downfall.
So many people consume wine or alcohol believing it to be a fashion, and they think, “What is wrong with that?” But in alcohol, a lot of violence happens. To make alcohol, fermentation happens, in which some organisms get created, squeezing which the juice is extracted, from which the alcohol is prepared. It does a tremendous loss. Just like on touching electricity, we feel the current, similarly, on drinking alcohol, one gets affected immediately and all of the awareness is lost. One loses consciousness. On the other hand, cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol create intoxication; then normal awareness gets lost.
How to Help Youth Overcome Addictions? Let’s watch:
https://www.dadabhagwan.org/books-media/videos/english/how+to+help+youth+overcome+addictions/
Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, while explaining the dangers of addiction, says,
“Person becomes like wood (jad). Then, he doesn’t get any good thoughts or so. Therefore, those who are developed, after coming out of these addictions, their brain develop very well! Now again it should not get spoilt.”
Step 3: As many times one intoxicates (consumes addictive material), those many times one must repent.
Despite our 100% determination to be free from addiction, the addiction does not leave in one go. Then what is to be done? As many times one intoxicates, those many times, go to the God in whom there’s faith and ask for forgiveness, “That which happened is wrong!” In his (God’s) witness, vow to not allow that mistake to happen again, and for that ask for strength. In this manner, keep strengthening one’s own opinion of being free from addictions. As many times the mistake happens, if those many times we repent with a true heart, then finally, we get free from it.
Step 4: Protection of the Addiction must not be done.
“Addiction is wrong; it is harmful to me” Despite that inner remorse remaining constant, when someone comes and says, “Why are you smoking a cigarette?” at that time, we happen to defend our mistake, “I smoke just one a day.” Or “It is necessary to smoke to keep the mind fresh!” When we say so, we are said to have protected (taken the side of) that mistake. By protecting any mistake, it gets extended, and we cannot get free from it then. Rather at that time, we should accept our mistake, “You are right, Brother. It’s my weakness.” Then, the addiction will leave. The moment we said, “There’s no harm in this”, that very moment, addiction entrapped us. “Addiction is always a bad thing only” and one must keep on believing that, then one day, it will surely leave.
By adopting this scientific way of being free from addictions, countless people have come out of addictions and are living a life full of self-respect.
Do you know who Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan is?
Read here:
https://www.dadabhagwan.org/spiritual-masters/pujya-dadashri