Dadashri: Do you gather junk inside the body, something such as alcoholic drinks?
Questioner: At times. Whenever there is feast in the house.
Dadashri: Stop that practice at once. You will become dependent. We shouldn’t accept it. It is not needed at all. Don’t touch it because it’s DADA’s Agna. Your life will run smoothly then. If you perform Charanvidhi and other rituals, you won’t need alcoholic drinks and you will feel bliss all the time. Do you understand?
Questioner: That’s true. It’s all right as a thought. But what I want to say is that from childhood we have grown up together as friends and we all belong to good families. One started smoking whereas another did not, when grown up. Should I leave the friendship of the one who has started smoking? Except this smoking habit he is very good otherwise!
Dadashri: Better to stay in Gnan and stay away from the company of people with bad habits. Our Gnan will remain intact even though circumstances may force us to be amongst addicted people.
Questioner: But how to remain free from bad habits while remaining amidst such people?
Dadashri: Try to remain aloof from them.
Questioner: How to become free from such bad habits?
Dadashri: Firstly, we must understand that addiction is a bad thing. That belief should never falter. Our determination should never be shaken. That’s how one can remain free from bad habits. The moment you say, ‘there is nothing wrong in it’ you get stuck to that habit!
Questioner: If someone has resorted to taking heavy drugs and alcohol, due to which the brain might be affected, he may have now stopped that habit. But how can one get free from its ‘effects’? Please show us some way to come out from this habit.
Dadashri: Reaction of the earlier habit will remain. The logic is that all the atoms or microns are required to be cleansed. What will happen when you stop drinking? You must always counter and say constantly “Drinking is a bad habit”! Never say it is good, or else it will affect you instantly.
Questioner: How does it affect the brain?
Dadashri: He tends to lose consciousness. It blocks ‘spiritual awareness’ with a covering. It stays throughout lifetime, though at times we believe it has been cleared. Gradually the covering gets stiffer and man becomes rock- like. He doesn’t understand what’s good or bad. So those people who have evolved and got rid of these bad habits possess a highly developed brain. So one should not slip once again!
Questioner: The brain cells get damaged through these bad habits. How to get the same repaired?
Dadashri: There is no way. That will get cured slowly with the passing of time, if one strictly does not again resort to drinks and drugs. The joy derived by taking drinks and non- veg food is to be repaid by taking birth in animal life. We must understand that there is always a ‘repayment’ of all the joys and pleasures that we enjoy and the responsibility lies with us only. This is not a hollow world! There is always repayment. There is no repayment in case of inner bliss. All other material things bear ‘repay’ clause. Take as much as you want, with the liability to repay later.
Questioner: We will have to repay the same as animal in the next life. But what will happen in this life? What will be the result in this life?
Dadashri: In the present life he becomes rigid. Almost becomes animal-like. He won’t have any respect and prestige in society.