Marijuana and Spirituality

You're the one who stated that Shiva is a form of supreme consciousness?
How do you know that? Do you have proof? You're the one being dumb.

Do you have a hotline with Shiva and have a direct conversation with him, confirming that.

 

i wouldn't say every time i smoke the herb is a spiritual experience to me, just because i don't wanna use it that way all the time, certainly not when i'm around with friends. when i'm on my own i always start to explore my thoughts and feelings towards things an persons i encounter in everyday life. in that sense its meditative, because i go much deeper into my own mindstate than i otherwise would. when i decide put down the herb for a while, the smoking on my own experience is the experience i start to miss after a week or 3

 

Good post.
It's good to know that there are intelligent posters who use their own minds and make their own decisions other than the "pseudo-spiritualist", DEA types we see around here...

 

I think you are seriously off the mark here. The existence or non-existence of Shiva isn't the point - the point is that to millions of Hindus he is God, and they regard God as the supreme consciousness. Therefore if you think that he is being depicted as human being you are mistaken.

What I personally believe is neither here nor there.

It seems odd though that if you reject all ideas of spirituality as mere chemical naunces of the brain you bother to post in a thread about dope and spirituality and use material taken from a culture whose beliefs you don't accept anyway to try to make some kind of point.. what was the point BTW?

 

What I personally believe lies in the activity of the brain. There's my proof.

As to what you personally believe, where is your proof?

 

Since I haven't actually said I believe in anything, I can't see what there would be to prove. I've simply stated facts about a culture of which you evidently know only a very little.
You are making too many assumptions. I haven't said I'm against cannabis - you just assume I am because I pointed out your flawed arguments.
Perhaps you need something more powerful than cannabis to liberate your mind.

Also you failed to answer any of the questions I put to you such as why use stuff in which you don't believe to justify smoking dope? It's a simple question.....

 

I think this is an argument of nihilist and existentialist views.
Getting back on topic, its been some time since I made this thread. Since then I have been writing in my journal a lot more and painting a lot more. I've been exploring a lot. I love how cannabis really stimulates creativity.

 

Ill just say this: I am a deeply spiritual person, with a side I usually speak from, but dont speak about, and I have been smoking pot casually for six years. I have never felt that it enhanced anything about my spiritual life, but that it just made me giggle or got me 'stoned' for a little while, which is never fun to hang out with. Its interesting to me, how different people feel about this. To me, I can easily live without pot.

 

"who fit the mould to, unmould, so to speak"

Lol

 

I had to add this last bit to your story, kizen, for that is how I heard it. As these three are speaking, along comes the Buddha and says, "Mouths are moving."

 

Ah! thanks man =D

I got it out of this book im reading called the magic bus by rory maclean.

its a great read, so far!

x

 

I didn't read much of this thread because it's a pain to the ass on my phone, but thanks to PHX for posting the interview with the guy from the world mind society. I think much of what he said is not new in concept to many of us canna-enthusiasts, but the simplicity and directness with which he spoke just overwhelmed me. it's so great to get reminders like that. I like to think I respect the sacredness of herb by using little, by engaging in uplifting or productive pursuits, etc., but I can improve by doing more with it. there's no limit to the blessings that are available if you know how to get the most from this beautiful herb.

 

I like the way Rastafarian's use the term 'Get Lifted'. That is exactly what it is. And why deprive your being of doing so??

 

A friend of mine is heavily into philosophy and he tells me how repitition is supposed to be good for the mind....and how if you repeat actions (weight training for example) or listen to repetitive music e.g reggae.... it opens your mind to allow you to think far more freely, its part of our DNA to act in repitition apparently, we are after all 'creatures of habit'

Then of course you have the fact that the holy herb is in the bible many times and is outlawed by the 'powers' in this world who have for some reason deemed it 'wrong' whilst alcohol is deemed perfectly ok.

They say its because it affects your brain.....and yes it does, positively, it does the exact same to a humans brain as this repitition i mentioned before, it unlocks a part of your brain which doesnt limit your power to meditate.

So Rasta smoking herb, and listening to repetitive reggae music is unlocking your brain from the shackles of mental slavery and allowing you counsel with < insert preferred deities name > and allowing complete meditation and mental freedom.

I am a Rasta, and since smoking herb and listening to reggae music there has been no end of positive changes in my life and i emplore anyone here reading this to try what i suggest at least once.

Rasta dont smoke herb for recreation, they smoke herb for meditation. I seriously ask everyone here, either on your own, or with people who share an enlightened attitude, put on some serious spiritual reggae music like certain Bob Marley songs, Joe Higgs, certain Damian Marley songs, Gregory isaacs etc... most reggae music from the 70's was based upon the word of Jah, and just sit and take it in whilst getting very high and i can garuantee you will gain at least one realisation that will suddenly smack you in the face like a tonne of bricks, something so obvious yet so eluding.

Myself and Rasta dont use herb for recreation because if you abuse something, it could abuse you back, think about that. The buzz is good, but what good is buzz?



For anyone who has tried what i said, and has woke up from 'western slumber' as i call it, find as many speeches and quotes from Emperor Haile Selassie I and study them, and know these are the words of God in the eyes of the Rasta, then you will see the true wisdom, righteousness and freedom that Rasta attain.

For anyone just about to flame me in any way, if its about my beliefs, or the way i came across whilst discussing my beliefs then know that i mean no disrespect to anyone elses beliefs, 'do not judge others by their faith, for nobody can know the will of god' - Jah Rastafari Emperor Haile Selassie. If i came across as preachy, or trying to convert people, or too powerful in my delivery then of course again, i mean not to convert people, because i dont want to convert the wrong person along the way.

 

Yumyum, I like your explanation and can accept it. Personally I won't try it - it is not my path and I don't feel the need for anything external to carry me forward. Also I notice that a lot of the itme people use such explanations as an excuse to get high, which is quite a destructive pattern of self delusion that causes harm on every level - spiritual intellectual, emotional and eventually physical. I have also noticed some who start the practice with the best intentions but at some point lose the plot, and God becomes less important than pot. Of course, this is true of most religions - the danger of mistaking the path for the goal is a common and terrible one.

 

I am not depriving myself of getting lifted, I simply do it without the herb. And I feel sometimes that herb users can be as pushy as the Christian missionaries who came to my country to proselytize.

 

All I say about marijuana or any other drug with spirituality is: To each his own.

If it works for someone, then go for it. If it doesn't then don't, just don't try to make everyone follow the same path you go. For me psychedelics have helped a lot, but for some people that have only complicated things.

Also don't use other people or scriptures or anything to justify anything you do. Do it for yourself and judge for yourself if it is helpful or not.

 

i think these two can very well go hand in hand when it comes to the idea of diving into the mind and controlling it as well as being spiritual and even seeing the other side... what else is out there.

 

I haven't read the entire thread, just kind of skimmed it. I'm Pagan and can't offer anything to further the discussion in terms of marijuana's use in Hinduism orRastafari. However, in traditional Gardnerian witchcraft, substance use is one of the "eight-fold ways of making magick", or altering consciousness. Within the path of substance use is included everything from incense and aromatherapy to intoxicants and drugs. Wine is considered to be the most "traditional". One version of the Book of Shadows I discovered online issues warning against the dangers of marijuana in the section regarding this path, however, the warning was clearly added later and not consistent with other versions I'd read elsewhere.

Not all Pagans are witches or Wiccans, and even the ones who are don't necessarily give two hoots for so-called traditionalism or the Book of Shadows. Nonetheless it cannot be denied that substance use has its place in neo-paganism, for better or for worse, and this includes marijuana.

There is, among the many persuasions included under the blanket term of "witchcraft" a group of practices known as "hedge-craft", "hedge witchery" or "hedge witchcraft". The "hedge" in this term refers to a boundary, specifically a boundary between worlds. "Riding the hedge" is a shamanic practice that involves altering consciousness to cross boundaries. This may or may not involve the use of drug, but given that hedgecraft is also associated with herbcraft and potion-making, it's unlikely that it doesn't. Natural substances such as marijuana and mushrooms are likely to be preferred by the hedgewitch over sythetic intoxicants like LSD, although I'm sure plenty of them may use that, too.