I started to use liquor to reduce cholesterol, and forgot Krishna. What to do?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“I’m getting attached to all the materialistic things & forgetting Krishna. The more I attach the more I fear and do sins. I think every night that so many wrong things and sins I did throughout the day and I try not to do again but I’m losing control over my senses. I quit intoxication 3 years ago but again I started doing and every time I feel guilty when I do it & I know it’s wrong but something happens inside me which let me do it. I gone through lipid profile check up and in reports my bad cholesterol was 50 points high and on internet I searched the ways to reduce cholesterol and I found that whiskey and wine converts bad cholesterol into good So, I started drinking whiskey. In the beginning I drank little but Is is becoming my habit. As a professional I’m a teacher and there are students who used to smoke and by my counseling they quit but I started smoking and becoming habitual now I’m very tensed what will happen in future. I know I’m wrong and want to quit every bad habit but not able to. Please show me the path.”
REPLY:
You are very weak in self control. In fact, you are not strong in determination and devotion. That is why, you easily fall prey to maya’s glares.
Who said whiskey is good for cholesterol? Aren’t there any other good methods to control bad cholesterol? Why do you trust the untrusted sites in internet? Don’t you know self medication is dangerous?
Unless you consult a doctor, you can’t get a customized recommendation for your health. There are so many sites in the internet that are run by unqualified persons.
Whiskey is not a medicine. It is an additive product that ruins one’s life. Can we consume cyanide just because it is sweet?
I have heard some people drinking liquor to cool down their body or to become free from body pains. How body pain is cleared? By relaxing your nerves. Because of such serious relaxation of nerves, the nerves of a liquor consumer become weak and hence his stamina is lost. And, liquor definitely affects the liver that is very difficult to correct if affected.
The problem is with you only. A man should live with some policies. He can’t live like animals. Even animals do not use intoxicants. Why should we?
It seems that you are living with highly materialistic people and do not have sufficient devotees association. Unless you have determination to remain pure and have association with devotees and good charactered persons, you can’t remain without intoxicants.
So, first start to develop more association with the devotees. Stop liquor and smoking on a single day. No business of reducing day by day before stopping. Fix a day. Let it be tomorrow. Resolve that from tomorrow, you will not touch liquor and cigarette. After stopping, follow this from tomorrow:
(1) From the day of stopping, apply leave for a week. Remain in home with family. DO NOT BE ALONE AND ALWAYS BE WITH GOOD/ PIOUS PEOPLE AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
(2) Visit the nearest Krishna temple every day and involve in satsangha. Sing bhajans, honour prasadam, spend time with the devotees.
(3) Invite some devotees every day to your home and discuss with them about Krishna. Thus, make yourself forcibly busy with good people.
(4) Spend more time in performing services to Lord like aratis, offerings, chanting, etc. Chant throughout the day till your holiday ends.
(5) Remain reading the literatures related to Krishna. Forget about intoxicants and thus engage yourself in the thoughts and services to Krishna.
(6) Whenever you get the inducement to drink or smoke, go and meet any one beloved person like friends, parents, brothers and sisters and spend an hour with them.
Thus, successfully spend that week without intoxicants. After starting to go to job, maintain friendship only with non-smokers and non-drinkers and also pious people. Go to work, finish and immediately go to temple or home. Chant in the time available throughout the day. Do not give even a few minutes to your mind to think of intoxicants.
Feel shy that you are using the products that have nasty odour. The odour of tobacco smoke is the worst smelling one that all of us have inhaled while passing on roads. I have heard the drinkers telling that liquor is the worst tasting liquid. Even plain water is tasty, but, liquor is the worst tasted liquid.
Why do you use such nonsense products that have worst odour and taste? Just because you started one day, you have become addicted to it. Remember, once your lungs or liver is affected, they can not be corrected and the person will have to meet death with pains earlier.
Since you have not seriously tasted the nectarian taste of developing devotion to Krishna, this liquor and cigarette have attracted you and controlled you. Once you seriously involve in devotional practices and services to Krishna, you will definitely lose your interest in these nonsense things.
Do as I advised above. You will get reformed.
My request to non-smokers and non-drinkers, NOT TO START THESE HABITS, EVEN CASUALLY. ONCE YOU START, MAYA WILL START TO CONTROL YOU BY MAKING YOU USE THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN.
BEWARE OF THE TRICKS OF MAYA. All the best.