[Kuldeep]

Quote by: Technosoul Okay, the monitor might get on our case if I debate this post as I am not sure how it directly relates to the topic of smoking. Other then that smoking is one way to bring one's attention to their breathing and allows one to relax for the purposes of reflecting inwardly. So you need to establish that link between you promoting your religion and the shaman useages of smoking in their religions. (perhaps I just did that?).

Thanks a lot for being so descriptive and truthfully narrative, particularly in second post. I agree the way our discussion about power of mind has taken us off smoking topic, MOD has right to warn us to come back to smoking, which you have very nicely turned back. But then, where It would get such deep thought subject matter???

Yes, I could understand what you talked about smoking, smoke, breath attention and feeling of lightedness etc. In Hindu religion as well, Lord Shiva is known to use Shaman for going into deep meditation (smadhi). Smoking might be a tool to achieve that inward realization and relaxation but then, it affects physical body as well that too adversly. Every good thing has corresponding bad thing associated with it. So I prefer to attain state lightedness and relaxation without smoking !!!

The trick is to create a space between reaction and behavior, so that reaction too a unkind insult or deed is defused and becomes non-reaction in that new "space" allowed for in that chain.

My point is why to use smoking as a tool to create that space between action and reaction. Why not to use sucking a pencil, counting one to ten inwardly so that side effect of smoking won't be there.

Example: Once a person, a smoker went to see a doctor friend who was practicing in deep village for the benefit of poor and illiterate people. After few hours he asked for a leave from the doctor. But the doctor insisted to remain with for night and asked him to go tomorrow. He said he would have liked to stay back but he has run of cigarettes and in this deep village it is not available. The problem with him is that he won’t be able to pass stuff without smoking a cigarette. Doctor said that he needed not to worry, he being doctor would take care of him. In the morning at time of going to toilet, the doctor handed over his friend a pencil and asked him to have few deep sucking at the pencil thinking that to be a cigarette. On doing that he could go and free himself without using any actual cigarette. So my point is, it is question of how you develop your mind.

Smoke from a cigarette represents a symblolic anology to that weightless rise into the illuminated blue of the mind's sky. (had to get a little poetic in order to explain it).

I very well understand what you are attempting to tell. But, I would still opt an easier tool of mind power and self control to enter the stage you are entering using smoking as a tool.

I would object to the word "trying" (to erase selfishness) as the pathway should be effortless and any struggle will be non-productive. Ether you is or you is not selfish. The idea of trying is an idea that - you the ego can do it by self-effort and no doubt for a selfish reason. Which would conflict with the end result you are expecting.

This is a wonderful statement of yours, nay it might have dropped down from or gone up from what you call deep Blue !!!!

I appreciate from the core my heart your picking up this word "Trying". Definitely, when it comes to trying, Ego and Self Prestige bind us. Both are enemies on path of realizing absolute reality, the state of universal Consciousness.

See, your picking up smoking as a tool to go to that state is also nothing but trying only.

All right, I would chew back my "Trying" word and vomit out a different group of words "Enjoying the feeling of your own real self through mind power". Still, I feel if one is strong/firm enough at mind and has balance in own self, he need not have to take un-warranted side effect producing SMOKING as a tool.