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Sadhguru looks at how there is a psychological and physiological basis to smoking and addiction, and how we can deal with both these aspects.
Question: I smoke a lot. How do I deal with that?
Sadhguru: Today, there is sufficient awareness about the impact of any kind of intoxicants or stimulants. Earlier, they were printing in small print on the packets: “Cigarette smoking is injurious to health.” Today, it is printed as a big image: “Smoking kills” or “Smoking causes cancer”.
It is not a crime to have cancer. If you enjoy it, have it! Do whatever you want in your life, but you need to understand, every action that you perform has a consequence. When the consequence comes, whatever the consequence, if you can walk through it joyfully, do whatever the hell you please. But when the consequence comes, if you are going to cry, then be conscious about your action. Life is as simple as that. This is not about morality. A fool who acts without knowing the consequence will suffer.
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The Eco-friendly Machine
It’s just quite stupid to be smoking because the human system is an eco-friendly machine! It wasn’t built to smoke. Right now there is an enormous amount of research into fuels and engines to make our cars smoke less! If you want to make a non-smoking machine into a smoking machine, is it not stupid? If you see that, it will slowly drop off.
Ecstatic By Your Own Chemistry
There is also a certain chemical factor to this. Your chemistry has become dependent on nicotine or caffeine or whatever else. That can be changed. You will see, if you just do the Shambhavi Mahamudra, suddenly your whole system is so fired up, the need to smoke, drink coffee, tea or anything else just evaporates. Now, if you do it, it is only for the pleasure of it. One day if you feel like drinking coffee or smoking, you do so, but the compulsion and physiological dependence will be taken away.
I don’t believe in telling anyone, “Give this up or give that up.” You would just keep the cigarette down for two minutes and again you would go poof, poof, poof, because this is the biggest experience you have. For you, it is the most wonderful experience. But if I create a bigger experience for you than smoking, drinking, sexuality, drugs or whatever you have known, do I have to tell you, “Give this up”? It will just fall apart by itself. If you knew how to become absolutely ecstatic just by your own chemistry, you wouldn’t smoke or take a drink in your life. With Shambhavi Mahamudra, the first day you sit and do it, you will just burst into ecstatic states. After that I don’t have to tell you to give anything up. Suddenly your life is on line.
Drunk on Di-vine
I’ve never touched a substance but if you look at my eyes, I’m always stoned. I can be drunk twenty-four hours of the day – no hangover, it doesn’t cost anything, and it’s good for health! We look at alcohol, drugs and these things as kindergarten stuff because we can get intoxicated a thousand times over just with our aliveness. Why simply wine? You can get drunk with the di-vine!
Editor’s Note: Isha’s latest ebook, Cancer – A Yogic Perspective, gives Sadhguru’s insights on the various causes of cancer and what can be done to go beyond the disease. The book includes methods and practices to help one lead a healthy and joyful life. The book is available on a “name your price” basis. Pay what you want and download it.