Could A Drug Addict Become Enlightened

[Raptorsin7]

If someone were severely addicted to drugs (like heroin), where there life was consumed by the addiction, but they also spent hours a day meditating with proper technique and good concentration, could they become enlightened while at the same being addicted to drugs. Have there been examples of famous meditation teachers who were addicted to drugs while teaching?

I guess one alternative could be the drug addict losing their addiction through the process of meditation and inquiry before they become enlightened.

[Grateful Dead]

I think Alan Watts was enlightenend right? And I am pretty sure he was addicted to alcohol and tobacco

[Girzo]

Trungpa was a very famous teacher at the same time being alcoholic.

[archi]

3 hours ago, Raptorsin7 said:

If someone were severely addicted to drugs (like heroin), where there life was consumed by the addiction, but they also spent hours a day meditating with proper technique and good concentration, could they become enlightened while at the same being addicted to drugs. Have there been examples of famous meditation teachers who were addicted to drugs while teaching?

I guess one alternative could be the drug addict losing their addiction through the process of meditation and inquiry before they become enlightened.

All I see that the most of addictions diappears while marching towards enlightenment .

Anything that is left keeps you functioning in this realm with awareness of your addiction .

Note from my perspective even breathing is addition .

[NoSelfSelf]

Yes but they are usually so unconcious that they wouldnt even consider enlightement as a possibility..

[Eu Sint]

Nisargadatta Maharaj smoked cigarettes before and after enlightenment . All that matters is that you always remain Self-Conscious you are Pure Being. Enlightenment  is for everyone, regardless of their condition.

[Conscious life]

Drug Addict It's has nothing to do with enlightenment, but it is hindrance for enlightenment. 

We all Addict to certain things, like coffee, talking, theorising, thinking etc. 

[Esoteric]

Shinzen Young had a long cannabis addiction

[Meditationdude]

@Raptorsin7 ill let ya know in a few years

[Inliytened1]

9 hours ago, Raptorsin7 said:

If someone were severely addicted to drugs (like heroin), where there life was consumed by the addiction, but they also spent hours a day meditating with proper technique and good concentration, could they become enlightened while at the same being addicted to drugs. Have there been examples of famous meditation teachers who were addicted to drugs while teaching?

I guess one alternative could be the drug addict losing their addiction through the process of meditation and inquiry before they become enlightened.

 

Can a person who is heavily chemically addicted to drugs or alcohol have an awakening?  Probably not only because their addiction is consuming their consciousness to where they have tunnel vision on their addiction.  Chances are they wouldn't be meditating at all if it was that bad.

But addiction in itself wouldn't prevent you.  It would depend on the degree.  If their addiction was manageable and they spent time doing consciousness work they could.

Edited October 14, 2019 by Inliytened1

[SoonHei]

This guy posts weekly videos. He was an alcoholic. He was in alcohol anonymous as a recovering addict when his shift happened. He is fully realized. Has great pointers as well.

[Nahm]

That “become” part is misleading, more of a relative untangling of the relative added, to see that it was always absolute.

Someone else can not become enlightened.

Could a _________ (some thing) become enlightened (no thing)?

No.  

[Forestluv]

@Raptorsin7 It seems like you are using a personal construct of enlightenment. In this context, any person can become enlightened yet there are different likelihoods. It would be more likely that a master yoga teacher becomes enlightened than Trump. 

Many alcoholic/drug addict may have the disadvantage of being immersed in delusion, chaos and self survival. Yet many may have the advantage of extreme suffering. I’ve met many alcoholics/drug addicts that suffered badly for a long time and had awakenings. 

This is one idea based on how a person might create a construct of “enlightenment”. There are many other creations possible. 

[Raptorsin7]

@Serotoninluv Good point. A better way to phrase it would be, could an addict achieve enlightenment experiences through meditation, which have an profound impact on his life  like many people on this forum claim the experience effects them, but all the while still being popping heroin pills multiple times per day. i'm curious if there's any behavior patterns which would prevent these enlightenment experiences from happening, or is it simple causation where if you do enough meditation and inquiry you will achieve a break through.

[Forestluv]

@Raptorsin7 Enlightened/mystical experiences are difficult to predict or create there are so many variables. Even people that have dedicated their entire lives to teaching awakening cannot willfully transmit it to another. Consider people that spend years in therapy. The counselor may know the person’s block, yet is often unable to stimulate that in the patient, such that the patient has an “Ah ha!” realization and “gets it”. 
 

In a way, it’s like getting struck by lightening. It’s rare, yet we can increase our chances. We could climb to the top of a hill during a thunderstorm and hold up a metal rod to the sky. If that person was wearing a rubber suit, the odds would go down. Similarly, there are various methods to help induce getting struck by spiritual realization lightening. If someone is meditating drunk, I would say the chances go down. If someone was obsessed with getting revenge on someone, the odds go down. If someone is ocd worrying about failing a chemistry exam, the odds go down.

I knew a recovering alcoholic who told me about his last drink. He took his seven year old son out boating to go fishing. He drank for hours and got sloppy drunk. His son fell out of the boat and was struggling to get back in. The drunken father was yelling and slipping as he sorta tried to get his son back in the boat. Then he had a moment of clarity. He said it was like an out of body experience in which he clearly saw himself and his son. He saw the fear and struggle in his son. Not just fear of drowning, also the fear the son had of the drunken father. He observed himself in relation to his son. No rationalized bullshit, justifications, defenses, avoidances etc. He saw clearly for a moment and it stuck. He said he snapped back into him and no longer felt drunk and was now on a new path. That was his last drink. I met him 20 years after that incident and he said he still remembers it like it was yesterday. Timeless and transcendent. His relationship with his son was transformed and he started to help other alcoholics to recover. . . . This is a rare event, yet it happens. How and why does it happen? We don’t know. Was it divine intervention? Or perhaps trillions of inputs that came together at that one moment to create a “big bag” awakening. . . . The closet we have at his point to stimulate such awakenings is psychedelics. They greatly increase the chance, yet the odds are still relatively low on a single trip. There are so many factors. Yet as we learn more about the mechanism of psychedelics that number will increase.

@SoonHei Great video. I haven’t come across Paul. He expresses nonduality well. Thanks ? 

 

[Raptorsin7]

@Serotoninluv Very cool post. Thanks for the insight

[Jkris]

@Raptorsin7 I guess a drug addict - heroine as stated will not have the discipline,patience,concentration,mindfulness etc there will be a constant craving and addiction to be high on drugs so its unlikely he will be enlightened.

Again I guess Yogic enlightenment - where one is very clear about of all aspects of Truth-Reality insights intutions cosmic intelligence which may be lacking in other paths.

Yoga emphasizes the importance of healthy body prana chakras Kundalini concentration mindfulness purification etc which other paths neglect - ignore which is of great ignorance - I guess.

I dont have a clear understanding on this difference between Yogic enlightenment and other enlightenment by self enquiry or others which doesnt emphasize other yogic practices.

May be @Leo Gura

@Nahm

   Can elaborte on this difference in insights .

Its just not about being,peace but much more than that I guess - wonder ?

 

 

[SoonHei]

@Serotoninluv @Serotoninluv ?

 

His way is certainly very clear.

This analogy: 

That-Which-You-Are-Not is hearing (claiming to be the hearer) the message about That-Which-You-Are.

Now, You try to arrive at That-Which-You-Are on the imaginary horse of That-Which-You-Are-Not.

[Nahm]

Siddhartha did not become The Enlightened One. The Enlightened One was never really  ”Siddhartha“. 

 

[zeroISinfinity]

I never was an Alex. ?

Infinite Love how the Hell that happened. Eternal Dimensionles, Source? 

From All no things possible Why Love? 

• Perfect? 
• Allows eternal existance? 

Why I cutted drug addiction called self?

You cut drug addiction you return to your natural state. 

Advaita Bear is Just awesome. ?

Edited October 15, 2019 by zeroISinfinity