65. Report - Problems with intoxicants

 I left beautiful Maharashtra behind me long ago. I had very nice encounters there. But like in the north of Karnataka I noticed many many drunk Indian men. I am so sad for India that this is being tolerated by governments for tax purposes.

 

Sometimes it was also dangerous for me because the drunks could become aggressive. In one place, for example, because a thoroughly educated man was annoyed that there was a foreigner in his village who didn't speak the language. I even showed him my passport, which he said was fake, and then grabbed both my wrists with one hand. With his other fist he was already swinging the punch. I'm so glad I stayed calm and confident in this situation. Let him hit me! I'll feel that physically, but I'm resting so nicely in inner peace. So no problem. So I looked at him relaxed and trusting - and he didn't hit!

 

In the next comparable situation, I had started a fight with a young man: he came to the tea stand with his friend. Both were drunk. But the young man especially, who made a lot of noise. - He was halfway friendly to me in the begin, but something made him aggressive after a while. Maybe he sensed that I disapproved of his behavior. Suddenly he became very angry and threw the heavy lid of a large water clay pot at me.

 

The lid flew a bit past my head. But I got up and did what I had never done in my life before: I stood in front of the wild guy and gave him three punches in the eye - right-left-right.

 

But he didn't resist at all! (I still wonder if he didn't hit back out of Indian tradition or politeness? ) Then the others came and separated him from me.

 

I felt a strong ambivalence within me. On the one hand, I was happy and relieved to finally have fought like a man (I used to be far too passive and didn't allow myself to fight back in fights). But now my whole body was shaking. Good! I told myself that it was right and useful to have had this experience - important for being a man. But that should be enough. I want to cultivate other powers within me.

 

In Gujarat, the neighboring state to the north, things got much better regarding alcohol (alcohol is banned there). Instead, I met a lot of very friendly people. However, one thing I didn't like there was that there was a lot of drugs being smoked in so many ashrams on the legendary NARMADA (a sacred river in India).. This is actually also forbidden, but is tolerated by the population if spiritual seekers use the drugs for appropriate purposes. I am repelled by such "dumped-up lollipops". I believe that one progresses much better on the inner path with a clear, concentrated head.