Someone had asked on their Facebook wall what makes a person drink?
Lets start at the beginning. Every person has two kinds of tendencies. One that is inherent from past lives and the other is acquired in this one. This is true for every other habit of that person. The way they are built up is actually from these two sources.
Then there are two other factors necessary for the purpose of his actions. One is destiny and the other is
called free will. Destiny is a fixed path as laid out by our past lives pay backs. What you sow is what you shall reap. So destiny is fixed and you follow it to the T.
Now comes the free will. You have a choice not to create further karma in this life. That means just doing what your fate has destined and not applying your mind at all. In this way you use up your karma while not adding any newer one. In free will, you also exercise the choice of creating newer karma by using the mind.
Now lets put it in context of drinking liquor. You will have a karmic action to perform hence you drink. Your tendency can make your drink more or less. How much depends on free will. You can exercise discretion and drink less. Or you can drink more and be ridiculously tipsy. Hence Krsna advices one to do something’s in moderation. The choice is entirely yours whether you want to drink more or less, get tipsy or not at all. Avoid it or continue to dunk yourself in it. Newer karma gets accumulated as you use your discretion or mind.
This is true for every other actions in our life.
In spiritual, you do all the karmic actions prescribed in this life of yours, yet you discriminate and get out of further loops. When you are in connect with a divine Guru, he reduces the burden. Lets say its written that you have meet with an accident. You will meet with that accident, but because of the grace of your Guru you will be cushioned in impact. You were supposed to fall from top of the cliff, which you did but no great harm will come to you since you were cushioned by Him.
Now your tendency to booze will make you do that so will destiny but by exercising discretion you can refrain or give up also. And if you have an illumined Master who guides you then you are saved. Take the case of Girish Ghosh and his Master Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.
It’s written in the Bhagvad Gita that you can be your own greatest enemy or your greatest friend too. The choice is finally yours alone.
The mind can be controlled and so you can destroy your tendencies. Karma can be used up also. Yet you can stop further falls by proper prescribed actions. Not performing prohibited ones!
At the end of the day it’s all in your hands. Desires can be controlled and so can the mind by yoga. Yoga here means union with God and not some silly body exercise. Btw, no known sage of yesteryear got liberated by some silly body exercises. Take the case of Saibaba, Ramakrishna, Meerabai or even avatars like Buddha or Jesus! Surely, they meditated, not exercised!
Hope you now understand what makes you drink. More or less or never!
