Marijuana and Spirituality

A Hindu holy man puffs ganja on the banks of the river Ganges in Allahabad, India.


Namaste Bhaskar,
Is that you? j/k

 

Here Parvati is shown lovingly offering bhang, the favorite herbal intoxicant of ascetics to Shiva. They are both seated on a leopard skin. The ashen Shiva wears a loincloth, armbands, and Rudraksha bead malas as also precious necklaces. A snake coils around his neck forming another necklace and also at the same time partaking of the bhang being offered to Shiva.

 

How do you know it isn't tomato soup? Heck, I could paint a picture of you with a bloody knife in your hand, but that wouldn't make you a murderer. As for the sadhu, Bill already answered that one.

And as I said, I have smoked in the past and it did nothing good for me, so I quit. If it works for you fine, but why try to push it on me? Sounds like a something a fundamentalist pothead would do.

 

what about lsd, did that do anything for you?

 

Never tried it. I honestly feel no need for drugs. Through meditation and contemplative living, I find I am making steady and meaningful progress. That is my path and I am following it sincerely.

 

Namaste Bhaskar,

Since in a previous post you suggest that mind and body are to be dropped.

Since mind and body are to be dropped, then, what is the difference between outside and inside oneself, a beginning and an end, the useful and the useless.

Even the useless can be useful...

Peace

 

Steve, you have taken two statements (one of which was not mine) made from two different standpoints and put them together creating an apparent paradox. From the absolute standpoint, everything has to be dropped and then there is no inside or outside, no beginning nor end, useless nor useful. To oen in that state where is there any question of smoking or not sine the body itself has been dropped? In such a case there is neither useless nor useful, for there is nothing to be gained or lost. Thefore nothing can be either useless or useful.

The other statement, a quote from Swami Krishnanada's commentary on the Yoga Sutras, is from the standpoint of our current experience as seekers in the process of letting go. The first step in that process is to let go of all externals, sinc we still see the world as internal and external. Only then can we turn to the subtler mind and body identifications and let go of those, for that is a much harder thing to do.

 

Right.
And for that, we might as well be dead.


:jester:


Later, Bhaskar.
Have a good nite,
Stev90

 

howgh

 

Gandża make me aware. First was De Mello and I Ching. Then I smoked for first time and laughed, laughed and laughed. And I started to think about this Krishna's world and I discovered that the wisdom is inside me and I can draw it like from the well using Gandża as a catalise. I discovered White magic and the power of suggestions. Then once....

I tell you a story, because I like you as you're listen and do not laught from me that I'm from other nation.

SO:
I was in
Cracow on hippie gathering in local abbey where monks on special reason once allowed to use their secret chambers for out usage : pray and talks.
I felt there alone as I didn't know many and they sayed with themselfes and I was only 16.
After second day the gathering has ended and I with 3 others to park near main chacram of Earth in Planty park (yes: chakram of Earth's heart is in Cracow) me bought one wine on us 4 and sit on the bench. Then colegue said: 'I wish we have a Gandża' and can you believe!! It happened. Men walking a path heard that and took a small bag from his pocket and gave us. We had a pipe, we fill it with weed and smoked. We drunk a wine and started fooling around looking into dumps, dancing and smiling too people around. And then something happened: our auras stood on fire of complete happiness and WE BECAME ONE PERSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have seen with 8 eyes, heard 8 ears, think one thought, be happy with one happiness in full unity.
That was for a while until we walked in silence only experiencing that inside. We started to talk in our minds as for a while our brains were fully tuned but i was disintegrating and we fought to squeeze as much knowledge as we could.
That was about half my live back but I sill remember that as a culmination of my life. And other two guys also. The last one lost memory of that time. He found th men which gave us a Gandża on the train station and gave him the rest back.

Let the peace message spread all over the world. I waiting to be with you all my brothers and beloved sisters.

 

Do you have proof of this uhm, supreme consciousness??

Or is it possible that such claims were/are made under the influence of drugs.

 

Stev, asking for proof of God from a source outside of yourself is like proving that God does not exist to another person, in that both are impossible.
Surely people make claims of discovering a supreme consciousness behind the scenes whlie intoxicated, I've done it many times myself. But there are those who do not have to intoxicate themselves to initially discover, to have that profound, quieting experience of being put in your place.
And anyway, what do you need proof for? Your not having trouble making your own observation and choices now, are you?

 

It's irrelevant, as the artist who did the pic of Shiva no doubt did believe in a supreme consciousness. Possibly he believed Shiva to be That.

Shiva has been said by many different people to be the supreme - I expect some had taken mind altering substances, whilst others hadn't.

 

Tradition of Bhang

http://www.holifestival.org/tradition-of-bhang.html


Tradition of Bhang

​

Associated with Lord Shiva, bhang has now become synonymous with holi. To the extent that bhang drinks have now become an official Holi drink.

Culled from the leaves and buds of cannabis - the very intoxicating bhang helps to escalate the spirit of holi - a festival which does not recognise any restrictions. Lip smacking thandai, pakoras and vadas, all having bhang as a very essential ingredient, are savoured by all on the day.

Bhang Preparations in Banaras
The tradition of consuming bhang on holi is particularly rampant in North India where holi itself is celebrated with a gusto unseen anywhere else.
But, the hub of bhang is Varanasi or Banaras, the land of Shiva worship, where bhang is prepared on its famous ghats.

Anywhere on the ghats one can find large number of men engaged in the process of preparing bhang. Using mortar and a pestle, the buds and leaves of Cannabis are squashed and ground into a green paste. To this mixture milk, ghee, and spices are added. The bhang base is now ready to be made into a nutritious, refreshing drink - Thandai, a healthy alternative to alcohol. Bhang is also mixed with ghee and sugar to make a tasty green halva, and into peppery, chewy little balls called 'golees'.

A Brief History of Bhang
Bhang was first used as an intoxicant in India around 1000 BC and soon became an integral part of Hindu culture. In the ancient text Artharvaveda, Bhang is described as a beneficial herb that "releases anxiety". Bhang preparations were sacred to Gods, particularly Shiva. One of Shiva's epithets was "Lord of Bhang" as he is said to have discovered the transcendental properties of the mixture.

In imitation of Shiva, many sadhus use Bhang to boost meditation and achieve transcendental states. Besides, Bhang or cannabis is also believed to be popular amongst Sufis as an aid to spiritual ecstasy since a long time.

Bond with the Bhang
Ancient as it is, bhang has become a inseparable part of Indian tradition. So much so that it has become symbolic for a lot of things. They might be, or rather they are, pure superstitious believes. But if one understands the inherent sentimental and emotional nature of Indians, one can very easily feel the emotional bond people have with bhang.

Associated with Lord Shiva, hemp plant is regarded holy by the Hindus. There is even a belief that to meet someone carrying bhang is an omen of success. And, if longing for hemp plant foretells happiness, to see it in dreams ensures prosperity for a person in future. Also, walking underfoot a holy bhang leaf spells doom for a person.

People also strongly believe in the medicinal properties of the hemp plant. If taken in proper quantity bhang cures fever, dysentery and sunstroke. It helps to clear phlegm, quicken digestion, sharpen appetite, cure speak imperfection and lispering. Besides, it freshens the intellect and gives alertness to the body and gaiety to the mind.

What is bhang?
Cannabis Rank: Genus
Genus of three closely related species, often hybridized.
Cannabis is dioecious, i.e. individual plants are either male or female. The female plant is the more potent, especially when unpollinated (hence sinsemilla = without seed).

The plant has an ancient relationship with humankind, and has long been cultivated as a source of medicine (the buds), fiber (the stalks), and food (the seeds). It has been found in neolithic Chinese archaeological sites, and is mentioned in the earliest Chinese pharmacopoeias. In India it is associated with Shiva and has played an important role in religious life as a sacred inebriant.

Botanical Suffix: Linnaeus
Habitat: Native to Central Asia, now found worldwide.
Isolated Chemicals: THC Concentration varies greatly by strain.

Namaste Bhaskar,

I suppose, Swami Krishnananda is suggesting that these Hindu devotees are engaging in an activity that is useless?... no?

 

Maybe you think claims Shiva is the higher divine consciousness are less plausible if they are made as a result of drug use? Or maybe you think they're more plausible?

You seem to be getting into a strange kind of situation here - if the sadhus who use ganga are merely hallucinating the experience of a divine consciousness, ie if there's nothing really there which is divine, then clearly it's useless to try to use them as justification for cannabis use, since all it's led to for them is a kind of collective hallucination of something they call Siva and worship as God.

 

On the other hand if you have a belief in a divine reality, then perhaps cannabis, as well as other things, can help open you up to an actual experience of that.

That would seem to be the working hypothesis of the Hindu sadhus who use it.:H

Others use non drug methods such as meditation etc. I don't see why you find that hard to accept.

 

Yes.

 

ANd as someone who grew up in North India and lives there, I can tell you that that article quote is extremely exaggerated.
Of course, you won't accept that, since you only see what you want to see.

 

You may be on to something here, Bill, as consciousness is merely the activity of the brain.

As far as this supreme consciousness goes, if any of you have experienced this via non-drug methods, please provide proof that it is what you claim to be, as opposed to it merely being another form of self-deception.

 

If you believe that, it's a bit dumb to use the example of Indian sadhus to justify smoking dope. They would merely be engaged in self deception.