Ashwin Nag: Namaskaram Sadhguru. I’d like to know the truth about the increase in alcohol usage and addiction in my generation, my younger generation. Very young kids, kids in school are starting to use substances, and as a safe haven, as an escape for them. And that feels very scary and dangerous. I want to know why you think kids are using this, and I want to know what you think is the best way, most organic way to get people out of it?
Sadhguru: Namaskaram Nag. I like your name. Cobras have always been very dear to me. And, if you do not know this, cobra venom also is an intoxicant, if it’s used in a certain way.
Why the need for intoxication is going up in the society. There are many reasons – one basic thing is, people are no more fighting for survival. A large segment of society has moved out of survival. When people move out of survival, they must find other areas of interest, and passionate involvement. If that doesn’t happen, the need for pleasure and the need for intoxication will naturally go up in that given society.
In this culture, even the kings send their children to Gurukula… where everybody lived with very basic needs
This is why it’s very important that even if the parents are affluent, the children should not know affluence till they come to a certain age. In this culture, even the kings send their children to Gurukula, where they studied with other children. Where everybody lived with very basic needs. Because the necessary sense of discipline and involvement and engagement with life has to happen, before wealth comes into somebody’s life. Otherwise, wealth will become a burden that you carry on your head. And this is what is happening to this generation.
And one more reason is, because these days both the parents are working largely, at an early age the needed attention, that the child needs, is not happening to the child. So naturally various deviances are taken to. And, there is not enough physical activity. When you don’t enjoy the fitness of your body, then the only other thing that you will enjoy is intoxication. If you do not enjoy the vibrance and vitality of your system, then intoxication becomes the only way. And, now drugs are not only intoxication, they’ll also make them feel vibrant for a few hours. So, massively the generation is moving in that way.
These days both the parents are working largely, at an early age the needed attention, that the child needs, is not happening to the child
And one more significant reason why this generation is moving towards these drugs is, in their minds the heavens that were promised are collapsing. Maybe still they’re not able to articulate it very clearly. They don’t have the clarity or the courage to say it. But, for a long time we have managed people, saying that if you abstain from all these things, in heaven all of this will be available in huge quantities. Now heavens are collapsing, so they’re trying to drink it up right here. So like this there are many aspects.
Fundamentally, there is no need for an individual human being to physically strive for his survival. That itself makes the need for intoxication more.
What are the solutions? It’s very very important – those of you who have growing children – you involve them in sports, other activities which engages them with nature, like trekking, mountain climbing, swimming, some intense activity. And also engagement with nature – art, music. They must become passionate about something. They must learn to know the pleasures of their intellect, their emotion, their consciousness. When one begins to enjoy the pleasures of the mind, the pleasures of the sharpness of your intellect, the pleasures of emotion, the pleasures of your consciousness – then to indulge in the pleasures of the body will naturally come down dramatically.
You involve them [children] in sports, other activities which engages them with nature, like trekking, mountain climbing, swimming, some intense activity
So, this is very important that children should go through a variety of activity and involvement, and passionate involvement in various things. This will bring down the need for alcohol and drugs. But we must understand this – today it is being heavily marketed, and I’m sorry, the movies are promoting it. Everywhere it is being made like it is a social thing. Unless you drink, you are no good.
People ask me – Sadhguru, you drink? I say – yes, I drink water. They look at me like I’m strange creature! Just water! Yes – that is the most fantastic drink that you can have is water. Because this body is made of water, not alcohol! 70% of this body is water. Definitely not alcohol. But above all, I am a different case, because I have found within my system how…. this [self] being the greatest chemical factory – if you want intoxication, you can generate it from inside. A kind of intoxication which makes you inebriated, and super aware at the same time. This is the kind of intoxication we should introduce our children and youth to. This is why we are striving to bring the technology of yoga into everybody’s life.
If you go into certain states within yourself, you will know intoxication like no drug, or no drink can ever create. At the same time, you will remain super aware, and it will do miracles to your health and wellbeing. It is time that we learn to do things in a more technologically enhanced way. We have ways for this, that people can turn inward and know the highest pleasures of life. We must make our youth experience this. Unless you give them an alternative, they will go back to the bottle, they will go back to the pill.
Right now – to be healthful, you need chemicals. To be peaceful, you need chemicals. To be joyful, you need chemicals. To experience anything within yourself, you need chemical help. So, you must understand, when a generation uses chemicals like this… if 90% of people start using pharmaceutical, and other types of chemicals on a daily basis – the next generation that we produce will be any many ways less than who we are. This is a crime against humanity. All of us should wake up to this fact, and do what is needed.
