Overcoming All Addictions

The Vedic Viewpoint and Other Spiritual Perspectives

Now is a good time to start letting go of addictions. There are unlimited addictions which we are all exploiting to some degree. There are the obvious habituations such as street or prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine, coffee and other caffeine drinks, chocolate sugar, animal flesh, junk food, overeating, under eating, and binging and purging. Then there are addictions to abusive or dysfunctional relationships, sex addictions and self -mutilation. Some have addictions to shopping, overspending, using credit cards, gambling, overworking oversleeping, laziness and procrastination. There are mental addictions IE, negative thinking, hate, anger towards self and others, etc. The list goes on and on and I'm sure you can add to it. We think we are enjoying the object, substance, person or situation which is ultimately giving us so much misery.

I like the analogy of the camel. The camels' favorite food is thorny twigs. As he eats them he is thinking how delicious these twigs taste, as they are piercing his mouth. He thinks he is enjoying its flavor yet it is his own blood he tastes. This is the perverted mentality in which we are trying to enjoy in this material world.

The first step to overcoming an addiction is to realize the situation is giving us more suffering than pleasure. This gives us the impetus to give up this bondage. That is where conscience comes in handy. The problem is it is hard to hear conscience when we are addicted, yet to become actually conscious we need to give up addictions. The more addictions we have in this world, the more unconscious we are to reality and truth. Our addictions are like coverings over our consciousness, keeping us from our true self and real happiness. They bind us to the material conception of life, restricting us from real pleasure. When one has the knowledge of right and wrong, good and bad, healthy and unhealthy, and uses their higher intelligence to follow these universal truths, they can become free from addiction. Generally one has to go deep into their past to find out their insecurities, self hates, fears, rage etc., to realize why they are using these substances and situations to cover up their emotional pain. Addictions are used to escape ones self or something within our past that caused so much pain in one way or another. We can't bear to face our thoughts or emotions so we run to this or that to try to block it out.

The next step is that one has to come to a deep understanding that we are powerless over our addiction by ourselves. We have to go into deep prayer and beg God within our heart to kindly help us on all levels to overcome this self denial, hatred and bondage. Ask Him to give us the strength, courage, wisdom and the desire to do His will. Gods' will is always for the highest good and greatest joy and in no way does He want us to be in any kind of suffering or bondage. God helps those who help themselves, and now we have to take appropriate action to change. We are the cause of all of our suffering and we are the only ones who can choose the right path or not.

All addictions are in relation to the bodily concept of life, though we are not these bodies. We have to actually come to the spiritual platform by understanding our constitutional position as eternal, spirit souls, part and parcels of the Supreme Soul or Creator, also known as Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, etc. When we come to this understanding, it is the great impetus to give up all of our nonsense. In this age of Kali, (Quarrel and hypocrisy) the quickest recommended way to transcend all addictions is to chant the names of God, no matter what your religion, race, gender, occupation, etc. We as spirit souls have to reconnect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead to actually be happy. There are unlimited, transcendental names of God one can say, sing or meditate upon, but the most recommended combinations of names for rapid advancement is the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. God is nondifferant from His name and He is present when one chants it. Pronunciation (har-ray) (ram-ma)

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

This practice is nonsectarian and universal. You need not give up your present religion to chant these names of God. It is best to chant on a rosary or beads of 108. Hold them in your right hand, in-between thumb and middle finger. Thumb one bead towards you for one full mantra. One should keep increasing their number of rounds as they progress. Sixteen rounds a day is the recommended number to chant to come to full consciousness. This is not brain washing, it is brain cleansing. Our brains and hearts are full of so many dirty things and material addictions. This chanting will wash away all unwanted, unhealthy things and we will come to our real senses and happiness. This is the process and it is tried and true. Please give it a try and you will experience transcendental pleasure. Who knows- you may even become addicted!

By Jayasri Radha

Read Bhagavad Gita As it is By Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada

For complete information on chanting, go to-

www.stephen-knapp.com/chanting_hare_krishna.htm

Also www.krishnaculture.com