Questioner: I do attend a lot of courses in yoga but when I get back, I go back to my old self. I’m not at peace. How do I sustain the benefits I derive from this class onto my daily life? Is there anything wrong with enjoying a good drink? Because even doctors say a drink a day is probably good for you.
Sadhguru: The wise said, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ When did it change from the apple? An apple a day keeps the doctor away, a drink a day keeps the doctor with you. I’m not surprised if the doctor is saying that!
With a good drink in the night definitely you will not have enthusiasm to do yoga in the morning. Right now the drink whatever variety of drink you have: wine or whiskey, is just soothing you a little bit. It’s playing on your chemistry to make you feel peaceful and relaxed. If a small quantity of it is so relaxing, then if you drink a bucket of it you must be really relaxed. But it doesn’t work like that.
A little more drink, suddenly makes people violent and uncontrollable. Things that they wouldn’t have done in their life, they have done just because they had one more drink than they should have had. Lots of crime happened because they had one extra. So the question is not about, ‘Is this wrong or is this right?’ I’m not talking about this in moralistic standpoint. Are you for life or against life? That’s the fundamental question. If you are, for life, what is it that you call as life?
Right now, you know you are alive because you are alert enough. Suppose you fell asleep, would do you know whether you are alive or dead? All your experience has disappeared. So, essentially in your experience of life, awareness is equivalent life. The experience of life is such that, only what you are aware of exists for you, rest does not exist for you. Right now, you are sitting here, there is a huge tusker behind you; such a big animal. Any kind of intoxication, it doesn’t matter what kind, lowers your awareness. Why is it said that you shouldn’t drive after drinking? It is because it lowers your awareness.
If you become fully aware instead of existing here as a piece of creation, as a piece of flesh and blood, you will exist as the creator himself. That is the choice you have. Either you live here as just a piece of creation or you live here as the creator himself.
So, if you want to exist as a creator, your awareness has to spread. However, your depressions, unhappiness, confusions, alcohol, all are acting as hurdles to this attainment. So, if you are seeking only a bit of pleasure, I’m not against it. Wouldn’t you however, be interested if I give you an opportunity to have a much bigger pleasure? If I taught you how to be drunk all the time yet remain fully alert? If yes, you are for life.
It’s just that whatever yoga you did, it works only for those who practice. That’s the problem with yoga. I think it’s so with anybody. If you go to a doctor, it works only if you take the medicine that he gives you. Even the drink - it works only if you drink it - right? So, I’m not against drink, I’m not against pleasure. I just think it’s a pity that human beings are settling for such small pleasures when something far bigger is possible. I can have you drunk all the time. Free, no hangover and no doctor!
by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
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