Promoting peace and harmony from an Abrahamic perspective

What is an Intoxicant?

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An intoxicant is a substance (such as alcohol) which causes one to become inebriated, drunk, excited or confused and less able to have control over their thoughts, speech and behaviour. 

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From an Abrahamic perspective, on a deeper level- intoxicants can be described as a 'poison';  anything (both seen or unseen) that distracts us at any given moment from the Remembrance and willing worship of our Creator (to the best of our potential, knowledge and understanding): An intoxicant can be anything that we allow to enter in through or leave our physical gates or spiritual doors of perception which;

 

1) Diverts our souls (or other souls) away from the perception of Fear of and Awe for our Creator,

2) Clouds our ability (or others ability of others) to make accurate Judgement/distinction of truth from falsehood in a particular situation (or what is pleasing and displeasing to our Creator),

3) diverts our hearts (or the hearts of others) from the perception of our Love for our Creator and fellow human,

4) weakens our bodies (or the bodies of creation) from its strength (that it receives from knowledge wisdom and understanding) to serve our Master through Righteousness; anything which prevents us from either study (seeking Higher Truth through knowledge wisdom and understanding), Performing regular Prayer (for Remembrance of God) , or regular Charity (Acts of loving kindness/giving that spread love, justice, peace and truth- bringing forth unity and a higher perception of the 'Oneness' of our Creator within ourselves and others).

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What is the Higher Purpose of an intoxicant?

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Whatever exists (both seen and unseen) and however we (humans) choose to use our our free will- none can escape the worship of God- whether willingly or unwillingly. There is no Reality other than Him. He is The Best of Planners and His Will be done with or without our willingness to obey or disobey. Therefore, everything that He chooses to allow to exist in this physical world, must have a Higher Purpose- often beyond our immediate understanding.

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Intoxicants too (or anything which distracts us from the direct remembrance and worship of our Creator) have a Higher purpose. If the tools of destruction, division and separation from our perception of Reality did not exist- and if man was not created weak (and forgetful) so that he or she is vulnerable to making mistakes and being tempted into sin, then how would mankind 'fall'? If we are not able to 'fall' or make mistakes then how would we be able to discover, reveal and appreciate the hidden treasures of wisdom that are buried within the deep underground darkness of our souls which enable us to repent, mend our ways and be able to 'rise up' again to reach even higher states of consciousness and Return to our Creator? 

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If there is no Reality other than God, and if intoxicants are 'Real', then are intoxicants not merely tools of satan within the Oneness of our Creator? Intoxicants can either separate us from our True perception of the Reality of The Mercy of our Creator, or help to Reveal His Wrath through their consumption. Is poison and those who take it in and give it out- not merely vessels of His Vengeance/Wrath against those who use their free will to knowingly disobey their understanding of Higher Truth? Do intoxicants and those who choose to mix with them not collectively serve the Higher Purpose of causing a false belief of division amongst creation in order that we perceive ourselves to be separate gods beside our Creator and so allow curses to take effect upon the nation/s? And what is the curse except a blessing in disguise? Is the effect of the curse not simply that it changes our perception of Reality so that we see falsehood instead of Truth within the same space that is in fact all part of the Kingdom of God? Is the effect of a curse not that it convinces us to rely on and worship our own egos (as gods beside our Creator) rather than using it to serve its Higher Purpose in in this physical world? Is the effect of a curse not that it makes us become less able to express Gratitude to the Lord of the Worlds? Is the effect of the curse not that it deceives us into falling into hopelessness and despair and refusal of acceptance of The Mercy and Forgiveness of our Creator? Is the effect of the curse not that it allows doubt to fill our hearts and minds so that we turn away from belief/trust/faith in our Creator who Guides us, provides for our needs and protects us? Do intoxicants not lead us to spiritual decline and physical death? Do they not separate us from perceiving Higher Truth?- Does intoxication not allow us to deceive ourselves into the false belief that we can escape our human responsibility through making it more easy for us to chase after our earthly desires, which feed our own selfish egos, lusts, sloth, greed, envy, gluttony, and vengeance - bringing upon ourselves division, destruction to relationships, and to life- with our own hands? We become confused, full of anxiety and depression- and lost and trapped beneath layers and layers of waves in an ocean of darkness- unable to perceive our Inner Light which comes only with our awareness of The Oneness of our Creator. So what exactly will make us become more aware of this Inner Light so that we can find our way back Home (To Inner Peace and Everlasting Life)? 

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How can we appreciate and perceive flying higher if we were not able to sink or fall down?  How can we perceive ourselves as getting closer to our destination if we were unable to perceive ourselves from being separated from it (moving in the opposite direction)? How can we perceive ourselves to be on and appreciate the side of good/righteousness if we were unable to understand or know (through experience, wisdom or perception) what it feels like to be on the side of evil/suffering/sin? And what is it that we must eat in order to perceive 'the other side?' Is the poisonous venom of the snake not merely a tool of deception that takes us from up to down, right to left, forward to backward? Is it not the same poison that was within the forbidden fruit that caused us to perceive ourselves as 'expelled' from the Kingdom of God when we willingly ate of it and disobeyed? And if it is through the bite of the snake (its venom) that deceives us into seeing the 'curses' rather than 'blessings', 'separateness' rather than 'Oneness' with our Creator- then could it be that reflecting on the wisdom of the same Snake (and trying to see it as a blessing rather than a curse) could perhaps help us to discover the hidden Light within that can guide us back Home (to the Garden of Eden)? 

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How can intoxicants help us?

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Sometimes the pain and distress caused from our past traumatic experiences, abusive behaviour of others towards us, loss of health, loss of lives of loved ones, loss of wealth, feels as though it is all just too much for us to bear or cope with. Sometimes the physical or psychological or emotional pain and distress we feel from being in this physical world feels as though it is 'undeserved' and we convince ourselves to be 'victims' and perceive these hardships as working against our ability to feel happiness, inner peace, joy and reach our true potential towards becoming a successful human being; they challenge and question our trust in and ability to rely on our Creator Alone for help. These challenges test our faith to our limit, and each time we feel as though we will shatter, break, be destroyed by the pain and suffering of what feels like being torn apart by the Reality of the hardship of life. During these difficult circumstances where there is inner turmoil and suffering, intoxicants can seem like a blessing- offering us temporary relief from our pain and suffering, and helping us to 'forget' our sorrows and burdens. They can help to temporarily cover up over our sins so that we do not see/recognise them (and therefore we become less able to repent or seek to mend our ways),  and they help to cover up over the sins of others who have sinned against us ( and therefore we become less likely to stand up against oppression/corruption/injustice). Being under the influence of intoxicants (anything that distracts us from feeling the Oneness and Presence of our Creator so that we may Worship and obey Him)  can provide us with a sense of false 'ego' and a temporary satisfaction when we feel unworthy, insignificant and suffer with low self-esteem. They can offer what feels like a brief 'escape' from harsh Reality so that we do not have to face the responsibility of standing on our own two feet again once we have been broken, tested or fallen from a height. However, this is just the sweet scent of the poison which covers its bitter toxicity within. The toxicity beneath the layer of what appears to be a 'saviour' is the enticing invitation to becoming dependent and reliant on the substance for relief/healing- rather than seeking Direct help from its Maker. Once we become attached, we keep coming back for more, and feel that without this intoxicant we cannot function at all. So what provides us with a brief sense of 'power', in fact weakens our minds, hearts and physical strength, and leads us to give up on reliance/addiction/connection to our inner Power of our Creator as our Source of Life/Redemption. 

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Physical intoxicants can help to remove the barriers that we sometimes put up between ourselves and others, so that we feel more 'able' to 'express' our selves and be 'true' to who we 'think' we are. However the deception lies in the convincing ourselves that this is who we really are- and some of us therefore allow ourselves to express our animalistic instincts under the influence of intoxicants because we are deceived into believing that it is an expression of our true self. What we fail to recognise under its influence- is our Creator who hides within the beast within us.

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So intoxicants can appear to 'benefit' us on a superficial  and temporary level. But the sin that results from addiction to self-intoxication (and from sin that is committed under its influence) causes us more harm and pain and distress and suffering than its short term benefits/relief. Once we start to experience the bitter pain from the longer term effects of intoxicants on our lives and lives of others- through addiction, distraction from ways of Peace and righteousness, the effect on our health and wellbeing, relationship breakdown and further loss of wealth health and lives- we begin to recognise the bitter poison that is mixed and covered over by the initial sweetness of an intoxicant. 

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Intoxicants cannot exist if there was no 'truth' hidden within them. For God says 'Be!' and it is. If He chose to stop creating it, it would vanish out of existence. The benefits of intoxicants that help humanity allow them to continue existing within creation- as long as they carry and fulfil their hidden Higher Purpose. Truth can hide behind the veil of deception. Some sweet fruits can have a bitter peel that needs to be removed in order to eat it. Even the peels can be used for the benefit of humanity and creation if used with wisdom. Nothing need be wasted. Deception through intoxicants can be used as a covering of protection for spiritual forces of Truth that need to be passed from generation to generation until humanity is able to reveal it, and until the fruit is ripe enough to peel. But this spiritual wisdom that may be passed through what appears to be 'sin' on the outside will only reveal its essence and truth in those pure of heart- and only those pure of heart will be able to see/recognise its hidden Truth/wisdom and reveal it. (Ie those who seek Higher Truth always, have sincere hearts- but do make human mistakes, repent and mend their ways).

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How can intoxicants cause us harm?

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The more we are under the influence of intoxicants such as alcohol and other substances which cloud our consciousness, the less we are able to concentrate on the remembrance of our Creator ( and to meditate on His Attributes of Mercy) within, thereby allowing our animal nature to take control over our thoughts, emotions, speech and actions. Intoxicants distract from prayer, meditation, self-reflection and charity. Under its influence we become less able to concentrate/reflect/learn from on the verses of our Creator sent to guide us, and to be less able to be mindful of our words during prayer- preventing us from drawing closer to our Creator. Under intoxication we are prevented from being able to distinguish 'right' from 'wrong', or 'what pleases our Creator' from 'what displeases our Creator'. So a human being is more likely to speak and behave in a manner that is 'unjust' in the Eyes of our Creator in a way that causes harm to themselves or others when he or she is under the influence of intoxicants. Intoxicants prevent our selfless attributes (righteousness) from being able to control or rise above our selfish lusts, ego, anger, sloth, greed, envy and gluttony -leading to break down of relationships. Many intoxicants are also 'addictive' and a person can easily come to depend or to rely on intoxicants for temporary or longer term help from physical or psychological pain, and this can divert or distract them from seeking help from a spiritual perspective and from taking full responsibility for their moral behaviour; thereby preventing us from using our gifts talents and blessings in ways which help humanity reach its full potential.

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Therefore; from a physical perspective- alcohol and other substances can be described as poison because of their effect on our physical senses and because it distracts from physical prayer, remembrance of God and the worship of our Creator (through Obedience to His Commandments out of Fear/Awe and the ability to judge how to behave in any given moment) , thus leading to addiction, idol worship (will be explained later), physical relationship breakdown, division and enmity within creation.

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If we view an intoxicant as 'anything which diverts our attention from self-purification' (becoming more righteous and serving our Creator to the best of our human potentials)- we can see that anything and everything can be used an intoxicant if we choose to use it in this way. It just depends on how we choose to see it, and use it. Everything can be a blessing, and everything can be a curse depending on how we 'see' it and what we choose to do with it. The danger of looking at the world through the eyes of one intoxicated with the venom of deception, is that under its influence we start to see falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood- we become less able to see the potential/wisdom/truth within everything and therefore less able to retrieve it and elevate it for Higher Purposes. We convince ourselves that in the blurring of right from wrong, left from right, up from down, forward from backward- we are uniting and feel our false sense of 'Oneness'- but we become unable to truly appreciate the wisdom/joy and pleasure that can be found within the extremes of the Mercy/blessing and the hidden wisdom in the Wrath/curse which are part of all of the Beautiful Attributes that are Bound with our Creator within. The Oneness we feel under the influence of intoxicants is a oneness of false delusion and 'ego' that feels separate to God, and therefore we fall into the trap of setting it up as a god beside him in order that we break the first commandment and fall further into sin and expulsion/exile. 

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On a spiritual level- any word, thought or emotion that we choose to listen to, read or write about , or speak of that we willingly accept within our hearts and minds as ultimate 'truth' (which diverts us away from the remembrance of our Creator, self-purification and from performing acts of righteousness) can have 'poisonous' effects on our ability to 'perceive' 'receive' and 'share' Higher Truth/Reality (become vessels of Light) with our physical and spiritual senses -through the effects of its 'poison' (or falsehood/stain) on our eyes, ears and heart (by reducing our ability to see, hear and feel the higher Love for our Creator and fellow being). When we hold on to these 'truths' we become less able to grow, we remain static and cause it to become like an 'idol' or obsession that we worship- it prevents us from reaching Higher Truth. However without it, we can feel unable to grasp any sense of purpose at all, for we sometimes feel the need to depend on our egos and hold on to anything which 'appears Real'- (when it is in fact falsehood) in order to survive. Words can limit us in one sense and seem to put 'truth' into boxes and labels- and their Higher purpose is that using the labels we choose to put on things- we use them to communicate with one another with wisdom in order to help us find more Meaning in our lives and in order to help one another 'give' to those who have less than we do, and 'receive' from those who have more than we do. Then we let go of it and make space for Higher truth to fill us. But when we use our words to lie, cause separation between brethren, hurt, defile, abuse, slander, gossip and cause harm rather then good (and unity) -then these words become like 'poison'- others can cling onto them like false deities in a delusion that they are true when they are in fact false- and it causes both ourselves and others to experience pain and suffering, and we experience/percieve our separateness within humanity and from our Creator, and feel the Wrath of our Creator. We become less able to recognise the truth or wisdom that is mixed within or that hides behind the lies spoken (or written) by the mouths or hands of others-  when we are under the influence of intoxicants; thus leading us further astray. So physical intoxication leads to further spiritual intoxication of the mind heart and spirit. 

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How do intoxicants affect our sense of Well-being?

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Physical Well-being: The long and sometimes short-term effects of intoxication can be very harmful for our physical bodies. Very small amounts of alcohol can have medicinal benefits and are often used in medication to treat all sorts of conditions and can have preservative and wound healing qualities which can benefit humanity. Alcohol and some other intoxicants can help to relieve physical pain, and other physical symptoms. However almost always, they results in dependency, where people need higher quantitates in order to achieve the same result. A small amount of wine has been shown to help with the prevention of heart disease in some cases, but when we are not able to maintain this small dosage, we become at higher risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and organ failure. Stimulants can make us feel as though we have more physical energy ( temporary high) which can have positive medicinal uses at times- but often result in a balancing 'down' effect after we have stopped taking the substance. Sedatives can make us feel more 'heavy' and 'lazy' and tired- which can have its uses ( eg to help an insomniac to sleep) but if abused or not used with wisdom- will lead to reduced physical activity, weight gain and other physical illness caused by lack of movement. All of the physical symptoms of intoxication also impact our sense of mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. All are inter-related. 

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Mental Well-being: Intoxicants can have a huge impact on our ability to heal from post traumatic events. In the short-term- both stimulants and sedatives can help us to temporarily 'escape' from the burdens of responsibility, and from having to deal immediately with our painful psychological anxiety, obsessive thoughts which seem to prevent us from 'functioning' as we wish to do so in life. Although intoxicants can help us to 'forget' our problems, they do not actually help us in the long run as they simply cloud or cover over the wound- and our brain becomes less able to 'repair' from these wounds when we continue taking them. Each time the effects of the intoxicant wears off, we are once again face to face again with the reality of our situation, the memories, the obsessional thoughts, the negative forces that work through the perception of the mind. However, each time we are face to face with these thoughts again, we are a little weaker, both physically and spiritually due to the inner 'shame' we feel for turning away from responsibility and from refusing to 'remember' in order to heal. Each time we face a fight or flight moment- when we choose to flight by turning to poison (intoxication) - we are in fact refusing to fight our inner battle between good and evil- running away from our enemies which we believe are seeking to destroy us- as though we are afraid to stand up against oppressive forces on the battlefield. So even though we may gain a temporary relief from running away, we also make more room for fears and doubts to take over our mind, when our courage disappears. So each time we return from our state of 'covering' we see our nakedness and feel ashamed even more than the last time. This weakens our inner strength and faith in our Creator- makes us feel as though we are no longer worthy of forgiveness/redemption and we feel in a state of hopelessness, despair and darkness. We therefore become addicted to the temporary 'escapism' that intoxicants offer us- and to help relieve us from the ever growing state of inner exile anxiety and depression that our minds are falling into. This affects our physical symptoms too, once we become dependent, without our 'fix' temporary healing (intoxication) we start to experience physical withdrawal symptoms- making it even more likely that we will cling onto our addictions. 

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Emotional Well-being: Although the short term emotional effects of intoxicants may be of relief from pain and therefore temporary satisfaction and pleasure- the longer term effects, and especially through dependence- bring upon us feelings of shame, reduced self esteem, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and inner emotional turmoil. The more we are under its influence, the less able we become at controlling these emotions, and the more likely we are to remain in our willing state of 'hiding' while we refuse to take responsibility to become a better human being. When we hide from using the ability we have to 'reason', 'reflect' and 'meditate' in search for Higher Truth, we decline into an emotional and spiritual state of 'death' where we no longer see or feel clearly the moral values and principles upon which we were created. The destruction and impact that this can have on our physical emotional, spiritual and mental relationships with our Creator and others can causes further sense of 'loss' and 'lonliness' causing our emotional health to further decline into a state of darkness and we become less able to find our way out- we find it more and more difficult (during our path down the road of intoxication) to stand on our own two feet without holding on to the Hand that reaches out to us from within and around us or without being resurrected again through death and rebirth. Often reliance (and withdrawal) on or from intoxicants can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and a sense of impending doom. 

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Spiritual Well-being: When we knowingly choose to intoxicate ourselves with that which distracts us from the worship of God through seeking knowledge, wisdom, understanding, prayer, and charity (moving towards or serving our Higher Purpose through willing obedience to fulfilling the commandments of our Creator)- we are refusing to take responsibility of our lives and choosing to give power to the dark selfish evil forces (ego, lusts, sloth, greed, envy, anger, vengeance, fears, sorrows etc)  rather than Light (Attributes of the image of God) that is within each and every one of us. By doing so, we allow our inner chaos and emotional turmoil to control our thoughts, speech and behaviour. If our inner beast is tame- then less harm will be caused, but even the tame beast can turn wild unpredictably sometimes. Intoxicants, whether stimulant or sedative- can suppress our abilities to control and tame our animalistic desires (through the application of knowledge, wisdom and understanding) and so indulging in them for mere worldly pleasure (or escapism) is a bit like making a choice to put humanity into a cage while allowing our inner wild beasts to roam free- doing as they please to satisfy their physical desires (eating, drinking, sleeping, sexual desires). The most harm comes from the destruction they cause others when if get in the way of what these beasts want to attain in order to survive, and the inability to perceive that by destroying or causing harm to others in fact causes harm to our collective sense of Reality and Oneness. The change in perception of Truth that our our negative selfish behaviour has on our ability to see, hear and understand Higher Truth- prevents us from being able to see the apparent 'curses' as 'blessings' and visa versa. We become less able to perceive God in everything around and within us, and therefore turn our backs to Inner Peace- our Home. We cover over our shame with layers of false reality and deception, with delusion, and our hearts become hardened like rock- our fountains and springs stop flowing from within. This rock expresses itself as thick garments/layers of fear, anger, hate, physical self-defence mechanisms, weapons of mass destruction (physical and spiritual)  and cause us to feel 'separated' within ourselves and on earth, and split up into various tribes- ever separating. We fail to see our people as One, our God as One. The failure to sense this Oneness further clouds our state of consciousness, and we become like animals causing bloodshed and corruption moving further from our state of humanity and justice. The cry of our inner child/or what is left of our innocence screams ( as expressions of distress) while trapped within and we hear this as voices of inner despair and desperation, we see it in the eyes and hear it in the call of an orphan and that of a widow in need of our help. Each time we choose to turn away from this call for help- we kill ourselves with our own hands. This cry is like that of the Shofar of our Creator- calling us from within- to Return to our True State/purpose of humanity/creation. Either we gently and gradually remove the rock that surrounds our inner child (with the Mercy and Help of our Creator who reaches out to us from within through study, prayer and charity) in order to free the inner captives, or we become broken from the outside forces which we see as our Creator's 'Wrath' or Curse. If there is any arrogance of the heart that remains when we are broken, we refuse to Return and willingly choose to continue to disobey, willingly and knowingly choose to keep escaping from our responsibility, our humanity, willingly choosing to remain in our emotional Hell-fire- The Wrath of our Creator. Without repentance and the Mercy of our Creator- We neither fully emotionally die or live in this state of arrogance, even though our physical bodies may become destroyed and our ashes scattered by the winds into all four corners of the world. 

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How can we break free from our addiction to Intoxicants?

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Wake-up call: Sometimes it takes a major traumatic event to occur in our lives in order to break the hard rock (that has built up in our hearts due to our addiction to intoxicants) that surrounds our hidden light trapped within- in order that the rivers and streams of water, wine, milk and honey can start to flow once again and purify our hearts minds and bodies with the Spirit of Life. This major event can come in any way shape or form-sometimes as a disaster, loss of wealth, loss of loved ones, loss of health and other hardships and tribulations which seem like curses, but hold within them hidden blessings from Above (Often beyond our limited understanding) . They help to remove the arrogance that has built up through our persistent willing deviation from paths of truth, justice and peace and from our refusal to surrender to a Will Higher than our own understanding- we become reminded of the fact that without our Creator- we are nothing, and we are humbled to the point of 'acceptance' and Return.. Major Wake-up calls can help us to once again 'see' things more clearly for what they are, and become more 'grateful' for Life, family, friends, and our gifts, talents blessings which we often take for granted due to our pursuit of selfish worldly gain. Some may define these happenings like a 'punishment'- but it is important to see the Love that drives our Creator to help release us from the prisons of addiction to false gods that we have set up beside our Creator- in order that we Return to His Ways of Peace, Justice, Love and Truth. 

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Self-Reflection: When we make time and space to reflect on the consequences that our addictions to intoxicants have on our own wellbeing, the well-being of others, and our relationships (home and work)- we can gain wisdom and understanding from the pain and suffering that can be caused by allowing our inner beast (instead of The Attributes of our Creator- Who created it) to directly control our thought/speech and action through the tools of intoxication. Each time we come out of our clouded state of consciousness from intoxication, and we can once again understand the meaning of our words (used in Prayer), then we can draw a step closer to our Creator by using our speech to seek and express forgiveness, mercy help and guidance during our inner struggles and battles against our addiction to intoxicants.

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Repentance: Once we choose to humble ourselves (before our Creator), or are humbled through wake-up calls- we become closer to and more willing to 'Repent' from our mistakes that we made through our ignorance and arrogance and addiction to intoxicants. In order to truly repent from our hearts, we must feel shame, and we must endeavour to try not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Once we realise its our choice to rely on intoxicants (for salvation, instead of our Creator) that makes us more likely to lose control over our selfish nature (and pursue the ways of lusts, ego, greed, envy, sloth, anger/vengeance, gluttony etc)-we can become more able to climb out of our pits of destruction. Sometimes we may fall back in, and make the same mistakes over and over again and again- and that's when the 'doubts' of the Mercy and Forgiveness of our Creator can start to crawl into our minds...

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Re-Return: It is important to 'get up, stand up- each time we fall' and make a step or two in the right direction after each fall (or return to addiction to intoxicants). As long as our eyes, hearts and minds are looking up- and we hold on tight to the Rope of our Creator, we will eventually get to our desired destination (God Willing). Our feet can slip sometimes, and with each fall, it can feel like our efforts have been wasted- we hear the whispers of satan within our hearts telling us that we are not good enough, not worthy enough, and that we are too far gone, and that its too late for salvation and Return. Our self- esteem is crushed in order that we lose our faith in the Mercy and Forgiveness of our Creator- as if trying to destroy our hope of redemption. But let's seek refuge in our Creator and remember- what doesn't kill us, can make us stronger. Let's never give up trying... We will keep moving either upwards and closer to our achieving our Higher Purpose, or down, and further away from it. The choice is ours. Either Way- whether up or down, right or left, in or out, back or forth; He is with us, even through the darkness, the suffering, the hardship, the loss- wherever we are- it is only our Perception of this Reality that Changes- not His Presence. The further we stray from the remembrance of our Creator, the further we feel from His Mercy and Help. Remembering that He IS with us wherever we are- might give us the strength we need to Return to Him and meet our Creator once again, Face to Face. 

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Prayer: The power of Regular disciplined Prayer offers salvation from addiction to intoxicants when offered in a mindful way and with sincere intention. In order to get the most benefit from prayer- it is important to know the meaning of our words when we call out for knowledge, wisdom, understanding, help, guidance, strength, forgiveness, and mercy- directly from our Creator. But the cry of our inner beast (in a state beyond words..) in a state of desperation from behind the veil or from beneath the covering of intoxication is even more powerful. It is like the blowing of a Shofar of the horn of a Ram- When we acknowledge our Creator- is the King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods-  and beg Him to reveal Himself on the Throne of Truth, Justice, Peace, and Love. If every time we fall, we remember our God within ourselves, and if every time we establish mindful prayer and meditation- and seek His Help by praying for strength to fulfil our best potentials, and direct guidance- seeking higher Truth with sincere and humble hearts- we will find the strength to overcome the depression and anxiety and hardship pain and suffering that our addictions to intoxicants bring down upon us, and we will be released from carrying the heavy burdens upon our shoulders which weigh us down. Establishing a regular routine of prayer (morning, afternoon, evening and night) can help us to avoid intoxicating ourselves, in order that we are prepared, and in order that our words (and cries for help) are understood and have impact on our lives. 

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Seeking Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding: through study of the words of scripture, while seeking direct guidance from our Creator ( while seeking Higher Truth) the revelations of our Creator given as a Mercy unto humanity through the prophets and messengers as guidance, wisdom and Light to help us out of our darkness and addiction to false gods (intoxicants). 

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Charity: When we give, in order to seek the Pleasure of our Creator, and to purify our hearts- we amplify the call of the Shofar within, allowing it to be heard more clearly by ourselves and others. We become more able to hear the call for those who are suffering in hardship; the needy, the oppressed, the orphans and widows who are seeking our helping Hand (the Hand of our Creator on our hand) and we gain clarity in our yearning to offer a helping hand . Charity and acts of selfless love and kindness, help to remove the stains of impurity and remove the hardness from the rock within our hearts, in order that our rivers beneath us can flow more freely and gush forth out of the rock. Even if our selfish nature prevents us from giving with sincere intention, we must continue to give, withstand the temptations to withhold, so that we can become more aware of the Mercy of our Creator and become more likely to believe that we are worthy of redemption (so that we are more likely to attempt to Return). If we have no money to give: kindness is free- we can express and give freely of our gifts, blessings and talents in order to help those who have less, share our love for others, forgive others for their sins against us, show mercy instead of stern vengeance, show patience in times of anger, speak the Truth to the best of our capacity and knowledge, and show integrity, even if it seems to go against us. When we give of what we love, especially when it feels as though it is going against our nature, our words of prayer gain power to Rise above the dark forces which cloud our judgement, and we become more able to take control of our lives, accept the responsibility of our Higher Purpose, and defeat and overcome the evil forces and temptations that keep us addicted to harmful substances. 

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Remembering:

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God- our Creator- is Most Compassionate, and Most Merciful. He is All-Forgiving, as long as we repent, mend our ways and seek to draw closer to Him.. For those who do so- all their past transgressions are transformed into good.

 

to treat others how we ourselves would like to be treated

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to treat others how we would like our Creator to treat us

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that with hardship comes ease, with hardship comes ease

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nothing lasts forever except Truth

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Our Creator challenges no soul beyond its capacity. Every hardship we face, we have the ability to overcome and it is an opportunity and blessing from Above given to us so that we may transform darkness into Light, draw even closer to experiencing/percieving The Presence/Kingdom of God, and help humanity together with the rest of creation to Return to our Home of Peace. 

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Click on this link to discover some self-reflection exercises that may help us transform darkness into light and free us from our addictions to intoxicants.

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How can drawing out the wisdom from intoxicants, and its application; help us to transform darkness into Light, and death to life?

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How can a poison be transformed into a cure?  How can evil be transformed into good? How can darkness be transformed into Light? 

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The key is to seek Truth within everything. To seek God in everything. To seek Holiness in everything. Because we know that our Creator is Truth- and without the Creator, creation would cease to exist. And we know that nothing lasts forever except Truth. So when a substance is a mixture of good and evil, of pure and impure, of darkness and light, of truth and falsehood- the evil, impure, darkness, and falsehood must one day vanish and is only temporary- it remains in creation as long as it is mixed with Truth. And what is the Word of Truth? Is it not the word "Be!" and it is? So for our Creator to desire to say the word "Be!" and to permit worldly intoxicants/poison to remain in existence- there must be a Higher Purpose for it. Once we become more able to extract the Wisdom behind its Higher Purpose- then we can use that wisdom to elevate the sparks of Holiness that remain hidden in mixtures of pure and impure. With that wisdom we become able to Separate good from evil, so that the good that is within the poison can be of benefit/healing to mankind, without the side effects/suffering/destruction caused by the evil within it. The Higher the purpose we can see within the intoxicant (which has benefits and harm for mankind)- the more wisdom we can draw out of it, and the less of it will have to be wasted/be destroyed/cease to exist.

 

But how do we know what aspects from within a mixture of pure and impure, light and darkness, good and evil, truth and falsehood- to 'label' as "good" or "evil"? Are we able to 'see' this without the Help of our Creator within us? Are our minds able to perceive wisdom without Divine 'Direction' or 'Law'? Are we able as mankind to become Holy without the help of the words that have been passed down and recorded in Scripture through the prophets and Messengers sent by God? Is mankind able to connect Directly with their Creator who can then guide and judge (good from evil) without any intermediary (including Divine Revelation?). Are the prophets and Messengers through that are good examples for humanity- within and part of each of our souls, or are they separate from us? Are the Words of God that He uses to Guide mankind from darkness to Light- external to us, or are they written on our hearts? Why do we struggle to Remember our covenant with our Creator, and our Higher Purpose? Why do we struggle to 'see' God in everything? Why do we struggle to find our Inner Light so that we do not have to rely on external sources of Light? Why do we struggle to see the Inner Light that is hidden in the darkness of all our sins that surrounds us and hidden within the depths of the pit into which we fell into when we ate from the forbidden tree?....

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The reason why we struggle to see God, is because we choose to cover our sight, hearing and understanding (of wisdom) with a veil of separation (which clouds our perception of True Essence/Reality) which forces us to cling onto the concept of duality and because this duality reveals to us our false ego- which invites us to seek to be a god beside our Creator.

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In order to tear apart this veil which makes us feel 'removed' or 'separate' from our Creator and Source of Life- and in order for us to be able to see God, Truth, Wisdom within creation- we must let go of the need we feel to be able to understand everything, the need to be able to 'know' everything like God. We must become humbled from our thrones that we put our inner beast up on and willingly crown our Creator as our God, our True King, the Lord of Mankind. We must 'let go' of the need to be in 'control' of destiny- and instead 'willingly' surrender our 'free-will' to our Creator, accepting that we are nothing, we know nothing, we rely on nothing other than our Creator for Life and Healing- and that there is no Reality other than Him. We must accept the Yoke of Heaven upon our hearts, and willingly Obey Him as He guides us with His Spirit that works through us. We must allow to be broken (or gradually softened)  all the hard shells/garments (of falsehood/delusion that He allows to temporarily exist within His Space of Reality- due to it containing within it wisdom/truth) that cover up our inner Well-spring of Light and Truth and Wisdom, and allow the Creator Force to Shine through our bodies, and in thought speech and behaviour (which too are vessels of His Light) so that awe can shine His Beautiful Attributes onto all of the Worlds and with this, transform Darkness unto Light. 

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Once we become able to willingly choose to Surrender/sacrifice our ego to our Creator, and His 'Oneness' is engraved upon our hearts, we become more able to accept His Attributes of Mercy upon us (because we See his Glory), and we take hold of His Hand which directly saves us, draws us out from the pit that we have fallen into (due to our ignorant or arrogant disobedience/rebellion from Higher Truth) and gathers us back Home from our Exile. The Journey towards Higher Truth is Infinite- but we remain Home is the Place where He chooses us to be- in the Garden of Eden- where we are able to remain One, and separate at the same time. The perception of The Oneness of creation with its Creator, and the perception of Diversity within Creation- unite and are able to live at Peace with each other.

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The 'Hand' of our Creator who reaches out to us from within ourselves in order to redeem us (Light within the Darkness), is more recognisable when we use our own hand to reach out to others who need our help. One way we can do this, is to seek the truth, wisdom and light within the darkness of our past 'Sins'/Falls , repent/Return to our creator, mend our ways, and then share this wisdom with the worlds- according the best of our abilities, gifts and talents, speech and behaviour (and with the guidance of our Creator) so that our hand, and the Hand of the creator become One. When we 'seek' the Hand of God within everything ( as an opportunity to draw closer to Him)- even within intoxicants- then we are given more courage to walk through the valleys of the shadows of death without fearing evil- as long as we seek Higher Truth (than our own understanding and limited perception) and surrender to His Will ( by obeying His commandments written on the tablets of our hearts). The more we Love Him and love others as ourselves, through Love, we become able to 'read' the words that He sends to guide us, so that we are more Aware of His Presence, Peace, Light, and so that we do not go astray from Him again. 

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When our hearts become softened (or purified through prayer, fasting, self-sacrifice, charity etc) then we become more able to feel the 'Love' that is buried within us- the essence of our inner yearning to give Pleasure to our Creator and to Fulfil His Desire/Will. We become more able to feel His touch/kiss on our lips, smell the scent of His Essence, and transform darkness into light, evil to good, impure to pure, and then the intoxicants that surrounded us and caused us to go astray from once perceiving our Creator- become transformed into rivers of Wine that flow from the Rock-which make us as though drunk with Love. The Rock is obedience/submission to the Higher Law of our Creator- His Will. This wine is of pure mixture, and taste and scent, removed of the side-effects that earthly wine has (on our perception and ability to express True Selfless unconditional Love), removed of its harmful effects on our physical, spiritual, mental and emotional well-being. We are now able to just "Be!" Forever according to His Will. 

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