Food, Medicine, Drugs

We can analyze everything that we consume (physically or mentally) in terms of its gratification and dangers¹ to understand better. In general:

• Drugs have instant or short-term gratification and bad long-term consequences.

• Medicines may not have instant gratification, but long-term benefits.

• Foods have some level of gratification and reasonable benefits.

Whether it is a food, a medicine or a drug, if the instant gratification is high, we easily get hooked into them. It takes clear understanding and proper discipline to move towards long-term benefits.

Meditation practice starts as a medicine for our suffering; and then it becomes a nourishing food. Since it does not offer any instant gratification, most people do not go for it or give up quickly or fall for spiritual materialism.

Physiological -vs- Psychological drugs

For the most part, people have a better understanding and awareness of physiological drugs (such as alcohol) and their consequences. Nobody thinks of them as a good medicine. Still people get addicted to them.

On the other hand, people do not have a clear understanding or awareness of psychological drugs (such as hope²) and their subtle, complex, long-term consequences. Hence people often praise and celebrate them. But they are the major source of our suffering. The world is still very much under their seduction.

When we are addicted to a physiological drug, we clearly recognize that we are its victim. But when are addicted to a psychological drug, it becomes part of our identity; we simply become its slave without clear awareness of it.

(How about music, movies, etc.³? Are they food, medicine or drugs? What kind of drugs?)

Seduction of Hope

Like alcohol, hope gives quick gratification and comfort. Hence we are easily attached to it. The main problem is that people often take it too seriously as a proper strategy. Hope is the fundamental commodity of all spiritual materialism. It is just playing on our weakness.

Hope is illusory, not real, not factual. It is an escape mechanism when we are incapable of facing reality just as it is. When we try to escape and run away from our problem, it only strengthens our fear. Hope is other side of fear of the same coin. With the cycle of hope and fear, we always have to keep running, never finding any deeper peace or well-being.

Hope is Not a Real Strategy

Alcohol isn't a good medicine.

Hope isn't a proper solution.

Hope is free of real substance,

An empty substitute for courage.

Without self-confidence,

Blind beliefs bound to grow.

Without self-confidence,

All other beliefs become useless.

So long as there is desire,

There will be suffering.

So long as there is expectation,

There will be disappointment.

So long as there is hope,

There will be fear.

When we hide in fear,

We also lose love.

When we deny reality,

We also lose peace.

——

CK. Kamaraj

15 April 2020

Also Read:

• Mindful Prayer

• The Challenges and Pitfalls

• Why is self-control so hard?