Intoxicated

किसीपे हुस्न का गुरूर जवानी का नशा

किसीके दिल पे मोहब्बत की रवानी का नशा 

किसीको देखे साँसों से उभरता है नशा 

बिना पिये भी कहीं हद से गुज़रता है नशा 

नशे मैं कौन नहीं हैं मुझे बताओ ज़रा 

किसे है होश मेरे सामने तो लाओ ज़रा 

नशा है सब पे मगर रंग नशे का है जुदा 

खिली खिली हुई सुबह पे है शबनम का नशा 

हवा पे खुशबू का बादल पे है रिमझिम का नशा 

कहीं सुरूर है खुशियों का कहीं ग़म का नशा 

Phenomenal lyrics by Anjaan and Prakash Mehra. Let us point out who is not intoxicated. You might say I do not drink or smoke. These intoxications are visible. You may have some other type of intoxication which is subtle in its nature but easily visible to your near and dear ones. 

 Let us try to figure out few intoxicated people we daily see around us. A home maker who is obsessed about keeping things in a particular way without accepting others suggestions. A working man or woman who is obsessed about his work knowing the temporariness of it all. A youth who is obsessed about his love which might not last lifelong. A middle aged man obsessed about hoarding money. An aged grandfather who is bent upon enforcing his laws in his kingdom. A child who is obsessed about a toy which might eventually break some day or the child might out grow it. There is a new obsession around, across the generations now- YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat. 

The list is endless. Whenever outside environment does not give you love and support, you try to seek the need of identification somewhere else. Intoxications often start with this need to identify yourself with something more permanent. And when you fail to search your permanent position in the game of life, you enforce permanency in specific ways. Ways become habits. Habits become obsessions. And obsessions become intoxications- without which it is difficult to survive. 

By nature human mind is very clingy and restless. It sticks to its own nature of being Satva, Raja, and Tama in its own way. You cannot avoid a clingy mind. The more you try to rule it, the more it drifts away. Then come the mindfulness techniques, types of meditations and other wholistic solutions to increase awareness and consciousness. 

But we have to understand, instead of enforcing. This profound and deeper understanding can be given by the best book on counselling ever written which is true even today- The Bhagvad Geeta. 

The Shloka 2.59 says, Though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness. 

 We have to give a higher taste to our minds instead of controlling them. 

In 3.42, the Lord says, The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and He is even higher than the intelligence. 

So ultimately, one has to identify with something greater and more permanent. 

Not all intoxications are bad. Art is intoxicating. If I start crocheting, I would loose sense of time and duty. God intoxication is the greatest intoxication. Because it is the fruit of all your endeavors. God intoxication of our sages has showed the correct path to the millions. 

 We cannot force ourself or our loved ones to totally withdraw from the sense pleasure. That denies the order of change and acceptance and His rule in the world. We can simply offer the intoxications of our mind to Him- with Shradhdha and Saburi (faith and patience). One day His love and Grace would remain and other intoxications would gradually go. 

So- next time you observe any kind of intoxication, turn to Him and His words through the Bhagvad Geeta. And always have Faith and Patience.