Transformation of an insensitive addict
Raja began his day with Bacchus and ended it with Bacchus. During the day too he consumed Bacchus. One particular night in a sozzled state, he went to a parish in the neighborhood and broke down. The priest consoled him and narrated his own story. Apparently the savant of God was once addicted to morphine and snake bites. Raja’s body chilled and he remained transfixed, gazing at the cross and hoping for some redemption . But this insensitive person , hosting an insensitive mind over a period of time had become an insensitive addict.
Next morning once again in a state of stupor, he landed at the doorstep of Satya Sai Baba’s temple. The priest was performing Puja and was taken aback at the entry of this unwelcome visitor and admonished him for the aberration. He asked him to pray to Baba for grace and a speedy recovery. The insensitive mind again acted as a barrier for blessings to flow.
Raja’s behavior did not alter and he continued with consumption of alcohol. It had taken a severe toll of his system. He suffered from a bout of jaundice. On recuperation, he continued with the habit. His drinking had become quotidian and there seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel. He had become alcohol dependent and there seemed no respite from the malady.
Alcoholism is an illness, which needs to be appreciated by the family and society and every addict needs treatment to combat this illness. The healing can be spiritual, metaphysical and necessarily physical.
There were fights, repeated squabbles and altercations within the family. His children were petrified and in constant state of anxiety and tension , while encountering their father. The mother ceaselessly and incessantly cursed the day she was married to the ungrateful and insensitive person. Raja began selling the silverware of the family and even dipping into his provident fund, to procure the daily quota of alcohol . The couple had minimal interaction. Physical intimacy was tormenting and torturous to her body and soul. He mind was scarred by endless abuse by her stone-hearted and inconsiderate husband. However, she bore the brunt with remarkable fortitude . Her life appeared dark and gloomy.
But , she prayed for the recovery of her husband to Lord Hanuman and recited Hanuman Chalisa unfailingly apart from fervently praying to Raghavendra Swami of Mantralayam . This was on the valuable advice and guidance offered by Raja’s grandmother. Prayer provided her with some mental comfort and succor and she had a space to declutter an overloaded and a teeming mind brimming with only negative thoughts.
Who is an addict?
A person who is addicted to any particular substance, say an illegal drug or alcohol !
What is addiction?
A physical or psychological need for a habit forming substance, such as a drug or alcohol. In physical addiction , the body adapts to the substance being used and over a period of time requires increased amounts to reproduce the effects originally produced by smaller doses, without which the addict has withdrawal symptoms
“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic , be alcohol or morphine or idealism” wrote Carl Jung.
An addict lives in a state of denial and is a highly selfish and self centred individual. They can be termed as chronic self centredness or selfishness. Their monkey minds only crave for that additional stuff!
Such individuals are obsessed with only their own selves and that is the centerpiece of their nightmarish and macabre existence.
How does one bring about a 360 degree change in their lifestyles?
- Seek professional help under the aegis of a psychiatrist.
- Get admitted to a
- Seek assistance from professional
- Make them realise that their self centred behavior is hurtling them to their own
- Seek spiritual help and Divine intervention only through deep prayer and surrender.
- The addict can join associations such as Alcoholic Anonymous, so that he realizes that there are several others like him who suffer.
- Practice of Yoga and Pranayama.
- Make the addict undertake a course in the ancient Buddhist technique of Vipassana .
- Make the addict do the ‘ Happiness Programme of the Art of Living.
Most importantly , the addict should not live like a recluse and cloistered in the dark confines of their unlighted and unilluminated minds.
He should be made to think about the problems faced by the society and become welfare oriented. The idea and spirit of doing service / Seva to the society would channelize energies to a positive direction. Problems faced by the addict should appear smaller than those of the society.
The addict should begin sharing his joys like toys and not merely sorrows . It is law of nature that what gets shared enlarges and magnifies .
Incase joy and moments of happiness are shared , such thoughts will get magnified. Such acts have a salutary effect on the mind and the addict may begin to feel happy and make an attempt to get out of the hole. Then the million dollar realization would dawn that there is life beyond the watering hole.
The addict needs to live in the present moment and lift his level of Prana / Chi. Breathing technique like Sudarshan Kriya , has a palliative effect and bring about the awareness in the individual to start living in the present moment and he makes amends with himself, the family and society.
Raja , is sober today and recovered with the abundance of love and blessings he received from several masters and by undertaking the Art of Living course. There are several people like Raja who are in dire straits requiring immediate attention.
They need to traverse the path from the present insensitive state to becoming sensitive to the needs of their selves, family and society.
As the talismanic President of US says,” Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for the change we seek.”