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Old 07-20-2010, 06:58 PM   #137
RED
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 909
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Re: should you smoke marijuana on your aikido journey

Quote:
Russ Qureshi wrote: View Post
Hi Maggie, I think drinking and smoking (depending on cultural context) doesn't equate with adultery. What I'm saying is these are personal choices and to generalize that aikidoka somehow are, or should have, a "higher consciousness" for lack of a better term, is an erroneous assumption. Whether you study martial arts, theology, or sit zazen all day in the monastery you are subject to essentially the same temptations as anyone else. At some point we all want/need to escape. Humans, throughout history, have wanted to get high and have found many ways to do so....All this being my personal opinion please take it as such.

Cheers,

Russ
My point, personal choices aside, smoking, doing drugs and drinking in excess is harmful to the mind and body according to modern science and common sense. In my opinion, the use of drugs to chemically alter yourself is the practice of the un-dedicated and undisciplined.

With that said, one of the codes of Budo is self preservation. Making choices that are unhealthy for you, morally or physically is not working towards your sense of preservation. You can make any personal choice you want, just don't fool yourself into thinking something is "enhancing" your practice of a Budo when by the very definition of Budo it can not.

Messing up metabolic chemicals, screwing up hormone levels and lung capacity will not enhance your practice of any Budo.
Eyes open, mind clear, heart pure, body strong. Slipping into a chemically induced false sense of reality is counter intuitive... in my humble opinion.
You can't practice any Budo without open eyes and clear perception, unclouded, unaltered except through training.

Budo is about improving yourself. If these are temptations the practitioner is working to over come these things, not embracing them.
People have always tried to get high in history. People have a history of doing lots of stupid things.

Last edited by RED : 07-20-2010 at 07:12 PM.

MM
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