Home | Addiction
QUESTIONER: We are people who have been released from one kind of intoxicant. I have been sober for thirty-three years, but we still have trouble with these other intoxications. BAWA MUHAIYADDEEN: Everyone here has used some kind of intoxicant. Some have used LSD, marijuana, or alcohol, while some were intoxicated by sex, and some were hippies. There is not one person here who has not been involved in one thing or another. About five thousand or more people have come here, and they have all been in that state, every one of them. Now they are married and they have jobs. Those who had run away from their parents have made peace with them and are living happily, serving their parents, serving God, and taking care of themselves. Each one of them was in that state for a long time, but over the past seven or eight years, they have gradually reformed and are now living like human beings. So don't worry too much. We all have to clear ourselves. There are ninety-six different types of crazinesses and obsessions. If we overcome one obsession it does not mean that we are clear, because another will come along and capture us. We may struggle hard to overcome that one, and then along comes still another. At one time we are obsessed with sex, after that we become obsessed with our children, and when we overcome that, we become obsessed with our jobs. Next the obsession for wealth overtakes us, and when we overcome that, we become obsessed with buying a house. Whenever we think we have succeeded, another obsession will appear. There are ninety-six such obsessions, and before we are through with them all, we are dead. It is impossible to completely rid ourselves of them. Until the obsession for God eclipses all others, until we can clear our own hearts, will not be free. Unless we surrender to God, unless we experience the state of true surrender, we will never be rid of these obsessions. We will never be free. People may say, "I got over this, I got over that," but inside they are still crazy with these obsessions. When an elephant goes to the river, it goes with the idea of washing itself. But after it finishes bathing, it digs into the river bottom, then sucks the mud up into its trunk, squirts it all over its body, and throws it at the other elephants. So they all end up covered with mud. A buffalo also goes to bathe and comes out muddy. The elephants and buffaloes think they are clean, but can you really call that a bath? We are exactly like that. We wash off the dirt we carry with us, but right away we pick up the same dirt and cover ourselves all over again. To say we have bathed is easy, but that kind of bathing will never work. It is within that we must make ourselves clear. Muhaiyaddeen, M.R. Bawa. Questions of Life – Answers of Wisdom Volume 1. Philadelphia: Fellowship Press, 1991. 68-69.
Article Source: http://www.godarticles.com
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen- a Sufi mystic, can best be remembered for his efforts to bring unity through understanding to the faithful of all religions. If you would like more articles on how to communicate with God, increase your faith, wisdom, improve your life and relationships, and more visit us at www.godarticles.com.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
# of Ratings = 1 | Rating = 5/5
