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| Juan Carlos Taminchi |
Hilarion: There are many of course who have commented on this and there are many ways to approach this. We would also like to add to this a different perspective. One of the reasons why these things make their appearance on a much larger level, of course seeing for instance cannabis being accepted legally in more locations in the world, in USA and of course outside USA, is a symbol. It is a way in which people are being welcomed, asked and reminded to look with their own spiritual maturity. Can you work with it in a mature way? Society at large asks the question first and it answers a question from those aspects which affects society at large, government and economic. But the economic consequences of making marijuana illegal, are weighed against making it legal. Often, this is the prime motivating factor.
But, it is a reminder to you to treat this appropriately, to see where it has spiritual significance in your life. To a large extent we see that these substances have the opportunity to alter your consciousness dramatically, to help you have a different perspective on your life, to achieve a higher state of consciousness perhaps even after years of meditation. But, at the same time, the very mechanism by which they do this is one that shuts down those same processes when that substance is used repeatedly. So the opportunity to experience an alteration in consciousness is clearly welcomed by whatever means. But, if you take those means which are chemical, vibrational from external, i.e. shot to pot, somebody touching you and giving you that experience, or something that is occurring naturally from that substance.
You open a door in which you have choices, powerful ones. Often times what you are confronted with is your own tendency toward addiction and this is very much about your own spiritual maturity; addicted to ideas of a certain kind, or a way of thinking or working with other people, or doing things as you have been accustomed to etc, etc. as you are able to rise above the particular occasion and work with it appropriately.
However, it is important to recognize that the spiritual maturity of mankind is also very much put to the test around marijuana. Because it is an ancient substance with many powerful, helpful, healing benefits and this has been well known. Additionally, as it is also well known, it is a fibrous substance; hemp as one that has many important, helpful practical uses for making materials that are very strong and can last for very long time. It is also that which can grow under a wide variety of conditions. It pushes humanity to approach it in a mature and balanced way; not easy. Not easy to work with when it is so easy then to move into the addictive portion.
You see this of course with other substances; alcohol of course which has many helpful uses as an antiseptic or that which can be used as a solvent to be mixed with many other substances. Of course, the many who are addicted to it must somehow be able to let go more of their own individuality, more of their own nature.
How this ties into the theme tonight is so important. Sometimes, by your own nature, in working with a substance like ayahuasca, like marijuana, like many substances that are altering in consciousness, something is revealed about yourself. Something powerful and not easy to understand, perhaps. Perhaps a new way of seeing or knowing yourself. It is really important when this occurs that you have some opportunity to work with that, to put it into action and to know it better and at the very least to write it down. But in some way or another your acknowledgment of that which is, rather than a denial of it, can be a very powerful tool in your own spiritual evolution.
In particular, there is a tendency when you are using these two substances that you have mentioned: that is marijuana, Ayahuasca; that you pull back and you see your world from a faraway perspective, you see your life, your own nature. You perhaps experience things in symbols. Often this shows up in your consciousness because you are not quite ready to see it and know it full on. But, if you can work with it you will find that it is extremely helpful in changing something about yourself relating to your own uniqueness.
This often is the basis upon which an addiction can get started. Because with repeated use some of those particular pathways actually shut down. This is especially true with marijuana and alcohol and other addictive drugs. Because what you have awakened often has to do with not only your uniqueness, some particular attribute about you, some talent or capability. But, the idea that you need to put it into action. For some individuals this may emerge as guilt, looking at some of the ways in your life you didn't put it into action, you held back your love, you held back your talents and capabilities.
Or, it might be a way in which you simply were afraid and now you have decided that you're not going to have that fear anymore. But whatever way in which you come to this it is important to recognize that this is the basis of your spiritual maturity from the Summer Solstice perspective. This idea of your own individuality emerging, that something very beautiful, perhaps very powerful but often times that which is unique to you is asking to be listened to, asking to be received and most importantly asking to be expressed.
