Next, there is the question of drink. The water that one drinks is life giving. It issues from the head of Shiva. It is sacred. Instead of such wholesome drink, it is wrong to drink intoxicants. It makes a man forget his true nature. Alcoholic drink is utterly obnoxious. It degrades the addict. It makes him forget God. The drink addict is not conscious of what he says or does. The very sight of such a person is revolting. The drink evil has ruined innumerable families. Alcoholics have caused misery to their wives and children by wasting all their money on liquor. Of what use to the world are such derelicts?
In addition to liquor, many are addicted to smoking tobacco. Today cigarette smoking is the cause of many diseases like asthma, lung cancer, eosinophilia and heart ailments. The evil effects of smoking can be easily demonstrated. If a whiff of cigarette smoke is blown at a handkerchief, the cloth turns red at the spot. If smoke can cause such damage to a piece of cloth, how much damage will it do when it gets into the blood stream? It ruins one’s health and shortens one’s life span. Therefore, those who aspire to become true devotee of God have to give up meat, liquor and smoking.
Drink addiction is the cause of many evils. But no Government can stop this. The change must take place at the individual level. This can take place only through a mental transformation and not as a result of preaching by others. Each one has to recognise the truth and reform himself.
You are deeming this day as the sixty-ninth birthday of Swami. I have no desire to celebrate such birthdays. As I was coming I was greeted by many wishing me ‘Happy Birthday’. I am always happy. Why should anyone wish ‘Happy Birthday’ for me? Be happy yourselves. Your happiness is my happiness.
Today as an offering to Swami, give up meat eating, consuming liquor and smoking. By renouncing these three, you will benefit yourselves as well as society and the nation. Swami’s sole aim is to promote the welfare of the family, the society and the nation. If you wish to carry out Swami’s aim, renounce from this moment itself these three bad practices. Do not put it off to tomorrow. Take the resolve from this moment. Expecting that you will carry out Swami’s wish and thereby promote the well being of your family and the nation. (SSS Vol.27, pp. 227-278)
There are certain habits. Members of the Organisation should have some good habits. ‘Jaisa Anna, Vaisa Manna’-as is the food, so is the thought. As is the feeling so is the experience -’Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavati’. So we have to partake of food in a proper way. It is because of food that we have all sorts of ‘Durguna’, Duralochana’ and Duschinta’- bad habits and bad thoughts. So give up smoking. Also eschew drinking. This alcoholism and smoking are ruining your health. One without health cannot achieve any small thing. Meat eating is also very bad. If you partake animal food, you will develop animal qualities. As is the food, so is the head. So you should have regulation of food. Then the fourth one is gambling. Those in the spiritual field should immediately give up smoking, drinking, meat eating and gambling. All these four are bad qualities.
You take this meat eating. Many people have to kill the animals because of your non-vegetarianism. You are responsible for the death of those animals. They are killed because you eat them. This is a sin. What a sin to kill innocent animals and eat them.
You should know two important things. Help ever. Hurt never. We should not hurt anyone. This is the true human value. It is not human value when you just declare Satya,Dharma,Shanti and Prema. True human value is not hurting anybody. Not only that, no one should be put to any harm because of us. We should not harm anyone either by thought, word or deed or food. (DTB Vol.6, pp. 9-10)
Like flowers of various hues, each with its own fragrance, men and women are basically of the same species of the Spirit. Their fragrance arises from the Divine Essence, which is the real reason for existence. Everyone has to realize that Essence, thus ending the series of births and deaths. Like a student leaving college, once the degree is awarded-once Truth is realized-human beings have liberation. They can leave behind them their college with all of the study, which was entailed in their attendance. But the degree must be earned. Why are you averse to making the effort, which is involved? Instead, you run after one teacher or another, hoping to avail yourself of his victory. If he has achieved, of what value will that be to you? (P1 - p. 82)