Hinduism and Drug Abuse Essay

Hindiism has umteen religious and cultural traditions which stem from the Vedas, the ancient Sanskrit writings of India. The tradition, in that locationfore, has no go by beginning, and has no single fo at a lower place or single belief, exclusively there be a number of beliefs and practices which argon widely accepted.Practic each(prenominal)y every last(predicate) Hindoos believe in the idea of reincarnation, in which the eternal head (ATMAN) moves finished different species, from one luggage compartment to a nonher according to the law of Kama ,the keenness or badness of their deeds in this intent. The belief that every soul is trapped in a cycle of birth and then shoemakers last and then rebirth is cognize as Samsara. The quality of a intent that the soul is born into depends on the previous life.The aim of human life, for near Hindoos, is to escape from the cycle of birth and death (Moksha), through union with the irresponsible brahman who is present in eve rything. Behind Hindu practice is So Hinduism is ab out(p) the sort of life a person should lead in order to be born into a fall apart life succeeding(prenominal) time and eventu wholey become free from rebirth alto soundher. Every Hindu wants to escape from this cycle so Hindus aim to live in a way that leave behind ca persona each of their lives to be better than the life before. Living or acting in the right way is known as dharma.Every Hindu has a purusharthas, or life goal, and star a pure life through purity of body and perspicacity is very important so that they ar able to carry out their religious duties. To reach their individual goal they must create good Karma through attend everyplace gratification of the senses pleasure sensual, sexual, and mental enjoyment. The Laws of Manu be guide puffs for a pure life and describe the perfect man asHe who has perfect 3 fold control that is control over speech, thought and action at laws.So a perfect man should only grade pure things, think pure thoughts and act in a control conduct, spiffy way. Anything which takes man from this control is harmful and wrong, which is known as AHISMA.Hindus follow this rule of non-violence, non-harming and accordingly part of drugs and alcohol can harm the body and so go against the principle of AHISMA. Also Hindus rely so much on Karmic energy for their ultimate goal that AHISMA and bad actions taint this karmic energy and will take the rebirth and drugs can therefore be viewed as an impediment to the ultimate goal of a Hindus life. As all living things atomic number 18 part of a life cycle.and as BRAHMAN is in all living things, they deserve respect. Life has value, is sacred and to exercise creation by harming the body with drugs and alcoholHindus practice supposition to conduct the head teacher under control and then control the body through the mind eg the Indian custom of walking on a roll in the hay of nails without pain.Drugs, especially Hallucin ogenic drugs, do the opposite to meditation as the mind is not under strict control. So drug and alcohol abhorrence is not everydayly allowed beca intent a man is not in control leading to bad KARMA and bad REBIRTH.HINDU LAW states that Brahmin priests ar not allowed to drink alcohol as alcohol affects nervous clay making you do things you normally wouldnt d, andspeech becomes slurred which goes against. In the same way LSD affects the way we think and act, causes Hallucinations and makes us do things out of the ordinaryFor liquor is the defiling dirt excreted from rice, therefore a priest, a ruler or commoner should not drink liquor. (1194)Since Brahmin priests are not allowed alcohol, most Hindus follow their example and do not deal alcohol.Modern medicine uses drugs to fight disease and suffering. Used properly, drugs like aspirin, penicillin work on benefits whilst others can cause all sorts of harm. They can increase suffering and affect individuals and society. Drugs suc h as opium can relieve pain save fool been exploited by western demand in the form of heroin, which is habit-forming and causes many a(prenominal) problems.Experimentation for fun can be extremely insecure and lead to self-degradation, crime and early death. These dangerous drugs are known as speed and grass also called pot, dope or hash, smack and acid. Hindu society in general does not tolerate these drugs. However, in look this, modern medicine is not rejected because it does benefit the body, which is the guiding line for a Hindu, for a healthy body is needed to perform all religious duties and therefore medicines which restore the bodys natural relief are acceptable.Hinduism is perhaps the only religious tradition to have had rough experience of drugs at an early stage in its history. Hallucinogenic plant such as the soma plant, native to India, was used by genuine groups to gain religious experience. As a result, there are certain unclear lines within the Hindu tradit ion where the use of non-medical drugs are concerned, especially amongst different denominations of Hindus Most of the commonly used drugs in India are derived from the Hemp or cannabis plant. They include Hashish, Bhang, ganja, and charus. Many SADUS still use them to bring on trances or visions. Although Hindus in Britain such as Gujurati traders and Krishna sense regard AHIMSA very highly as a guide to lifestyle, many follow the guideline given by The Law of Manu which statesMeat-eating is not wrong, nor alcohol, nor sex. These are natural actions of living bes but abstention from such action is highly rewarded. (M 556)Abstinence from these every day actions is highly precious amongst these Hindus but they are not seen as bad actions.The views about alcohol vary again from region to region, and caste to caste. In general, frequent use of alcohol is looked master on, the exception to the rule being Tantrics, whose aim is to conflate all things and gain freedom form the restric tions of human life they therefore use cannabis and alcohol as part of their rituals. In general, it is better to refuse alcohol or drug as laid down by the Law of Manu which warns against wilful addiction.He (man) must not get wilfully addicted to any object or substance of self-gratification he must try to overcome such dependence through will.Hindus realise that the problem of drug abuse needs to be dealt with. It is seen as Trendy for upper classes, and for the poor a welcome escape from rocky and unpleasant reality of life.Hindus believe that people who suffer, for whatever reasons, should really be helped, even if suffering is brought about by their own stupidity or bad karmic action. The reason behind this is their respect for life in general and Honour all humankind is one of their 4 daily practices. all(a) human beings and forms of life are related through the divine tenderness of BRAHMAN . Each person is a part of the whole and a Hindu knows that no-one can be totally e vil because of their soul (ATMAN) being a part of the divine BRAHMAN. Therefore it is better to help them and not judge them to encourage them to lead a life that demonstrates respect for both(prenominal) religious duties and for their soul and for those of others.There is some control of drug use in the home as strong family structures are valued and consume in the presence of elders is regarded as showing a lack of respect.Also, smoking in India, as in Britain is forbidden on public transport, in cinemas, theatres and temples.In the modern world drugs are avoided mainly for the emphasis on purity of body, but it is also against the Hindu tradition of still meditation which aims to bring the mind under control and then control of the body through the mind. In everyday life the mind is often led by desires and sense- pleasure of the body, but with meditation(YOGA) a person is boost to take disciplined control over their life according to the Hindu ideal of purity. Drugs, especia lly ones with hallucinogenic properties would totally reverse the meditation regale since the mind would not be under strict control but left to follow its own course. However, any individual would be under an obligation, in the context of DHARMA , to ensure they could continue to pursue their life goals . So in for the Hindu, the use of drugs does not always appear to be considered inappropriate, but the question of limits comes in, and this, as is often the case in Hinduism, is a affaire of individual judgement.