Caffeine and Brahmacharya

The means to achieve concrete progress in Brahmacharya is to gradually start moving away from everything non-self and towards the self. What does this mean? It means one slowly but surely starts breaking one's link from dependence on everything external.

It is one's craving, attachment & dependence on objects external to oneself that has made the individual forget his default state of Âtmic bliss and has made him develop an external need of objects to keep himself happy and entertained. This itself is a vicious cycle. Sense pleasures, be they in any form cannot give lasting happiness. Sense pleasures are only sensations of nervous tingling and not anyway near true bliss. So the man who resorts to sense pleasures as a means for happiness, entertainment or relaxation fools himself with a method which has no end. A method which needs to be repeated over and over again and with increasing intensity over the course of time to give the same pleasure or 'kick ' derived earlier. This will ultimately leave man in a state bereft of happiness, peace of mind and well being, much worse than earlier.

What is meant by dependence on external objects or non-self? The non-self includes everything other than the self or Âtman (pure soul). The ancient Indian sages describe the non-self by the term 'Asath' (unreal), that which is false and the self or Âtman as 'Sath' (real). The Âtman, being the Almighty is the only 'Sath'.  Desire for the sight of something beautiful, smell of something pleasurable, taste of something delicious, sound of something stimulating, touch of or by something enjoyable, memory and then fantasy of past associations with the above five senses. These constitute the enjoyment of the non-self.  They are the thieves who rob man of his ability to perceive the bliss of the soul.  The mind gets distracted by these thieves, gets involved in their sensations and forgets its default state of infinite bliss. Even one's body, mind, intellect, consciousness and ego are the non-self. Dependence on even these as sources of pleasure has to be severed. The Âtman alone is the self. He alone is real.

The whole aim of Yoga and Brahmacharya is to rid man of this state of dependence on the above five senses and help him revert to a state where he experiences true bliss of the Âtman (his true self) to a magnitude of infinity and for ever, finally merging into the Almighty. But for this, one has to first strive to raise above the five senses through determined and sustained effort; for unless man gives up his attachment for the five sense perceptions and thereby develops dispassion for their enjoyment, the doors of Âtmic bliss do not open. Unless one distances himself from these external enjoyments, and finally overcomes even the least craving as regards them, attaining to independence, the bliss of the Âtman cannot be perceived. This is the reason why the Yogi gives up contact and dependence with everything external beyond the limit of necessity and instead focuses his energies on God-contemplation. He is giving up the impermanent dimes and nickels in his quest for the priceless treasure of the Âtman. The pleasures from the five senses reduce in intensity over the course of time, need more and more indulgence and finally rob man of his health and well being. Whereas the bliss of the Âtman is permanent, eternal, timeless and is one's default state. This is why the human birth has been awarded by the Almighty, so man can realize himself as the Âtman and reclaim his lost kingdom of knowledge, existence and bliss. It is a cause well worth the effort.

If a person has an affinity for drinking coffee as a source of pleasure, entertainment or relaxation, it is one of his associations with the non-self. The harm is not in the mere act of drinking a cup of coffee once a day, the trouble starts when this activity increases in its frequency, intensity and duration. Man first starts his tryst with the drink once every morning. He does this a few months and derives some satisfaction or pleasure. After some time in this state, he recollects the sensation of the taste and kick he derived through the drink at the middle of a day. He wants that sensation again. So he has another cup in the afternoon. Soon, he feels it better to have a third drink, late evening, for the cup of coffee gives him an unknown sense of happiness and satisfaction. Why not enjoy the sensation once more? After a few months @ three cups a day, his system develops tolerance for the strength of coffee he has been drinking and he feels the sensation reducing in intensity. What is the solution? Make it stronger and increase it to four cups a day. In this way does his dependence on the non-self called coffee increase. It finally reaches a state where he has become an addict. He needs some strongly brewed coffee every now and then, when he is tired, happy, sad, excited, depressed, stressed, anxious or bored.

Without his knowledge, a very strong affinity and craving has been nurtured towards the non-self called coffee as an inseparable part of his lifestyle. The consequences are anyone's guess. At the physical level, regular consumption of large quantities of caffeine and sugar cause him various health disorders in the long run. At the mental level, he has become a slave to this habit. He cannot think or function properly without coffee. And at the causal level, this has further strengthened the ignorance around his soul. The strong impressions produced in the mind through constant induction of the drink as a source of pleasure have created Vâsanâs (tendencies) that will always make him run towards his cup and not towards the Âtman, every time his mind needs to get away from the highs and lows of life. Much effort and energy will have to be spent to de-addict oneself from such a state. It is a state of dependence that is excruciating to the addict after a period of time. It is like being caught between the devil and the deep sea.

This is just an example of the results that arise through attachment to anything external and non-self. The above analogy can be equally applied to all other addictions to alcohol, tobacco, drugs, recreational sex, food, partying, sleeping, gambling, money making and many, many more. There are numerous other activities which appear harmless and innocent but are dangerous. Many people are addicted to boasting, talking and gossiping. They have to resort to these activities every now and then, or they feel empty. Some others are caught up with their looks, their clothes, cars and money. The slightest signs of ageing, lack of money, looking a little less pepped up or being unable to wear the dress they have in mind leaves them feeling anxious, irritated and empty. This is another addiction to something external. These external objects such as money, cars, clothes, perfumes, looks and more have become the central purpose and aim of life. They feel dead and lifeless if one of these things is unavailable to them.

Such a man will say " A life without money, fast cars and women is no life at all, I'd rather be dead or would rather sit at home than go out without these". The man has forgotten who he is. He has forgotten that these are things which are to be used in life incidentally and within the limits of their rightful purpose and nothing more. Through addiction to these things of the non-self, he has made them the purpose of his life. He now lives for them, with them and through them. Without these, his life is a big zero. Such a man goes into a serious state of depression, unhappiness and agitation, if by some stroke of destiny, these things are snatched away from him. His aim of life is to eat, drink, sleep, party, talk all sorts of non-sense and develop physical contact with as many women as possible. To him, these are the central activities for which God gave him the human birth. This is living and everything else is no life at all. To successfully carry out such a life, he needs an inexhaustible supply of money. So his next objective becomes acquiring money. Lawfully or unlawfully, it matters little. He is prepared to cheat, lie, injure, use and even take the lives of other people to sate this central purpose. This is how criminals are born. The deviation from his true self, his real purpose of birth, his default state of bliss and divinity are all lost, thanks to his addiction with the non-self. It is a deplorable and tragic state of affairs. It is like an innocent, beautiful and extremely well mannered child having fallen into wrong company and having become a criminal of the lowest order. This is what it is in reality. The Âtman or soul being a child of God has forgotten its greatness and has reduced itself to scum. It suffers incessantly and to endlessness not knowing what to do, caught in the ocean of senses and having to revert to its addiction at all times.

I have gone into the elaboration of this topic to point out the effects which come from making anything non-self as the chief source of one's happiness. The association with anything non-self on a sustained basis, as a source of pleasure, and beyond its rightful limit or purview is always a slippery slope that slowly draws man into its vicious jaws, reaching which it is very hard to escape. So a man wishing happiness and progress in life and the culmination of his existence into something fruitful should gradually distance himself from everything non-self and instead apply his mind to God-thought and God-meditation through continence.  One does not require anything external for happiness. The greatest bliss is right within oneself in the soul. This need that one feels for something external is an acquired trait and false. One only needs to ensure that he does not follow the non-self but sticks to the self through a life of Brahmacharya and God-contemplation. This is very important. It is mandatory that the mind which has been freed or is being freed from the non-self has to be applied to the Âtman or self through God-contemplation and Brahmacharya, else it will revert to the non-self again. This mind is like a monkey which should always be tied to the post called God and made immobile in his contemplation. Let loose, it starts its journey towards the non-self and takes man into the jaws of pain and suffering.

As to the effects of caffeine, large intake has an effect similar to nicotine, tannin and alcohol. All these intoxicants burn away 'Ojas' and lead to drying up of the final tissue element of digestion namely semen. Vitality reduces. Caffeine addiction causes symptoms such as insomnia, nervousness, headache, increased heart rate, anxiety, upset stomach, irregular heartbeat, irritability, GI irritation, increased blood pressure, agitation, heartburn, high cholesterol, diahorrea and nutritional deficiencies. One wishing progress in unbroken Brahmacharya should completely and fully give up coffee, tea, alcohol, aerated drinks, meat, eggs, tobacco and any other stimulant or intoxicant including drugs. Food should be wholesome, light, fresh and limited. Overeating always unsettles Prâna and an unsettled Prâna will lead to loss of semen. One should talk less and strictly avoid gossiping, getting angry, tale carrying, back biting and in general all activities that deviate oneself from the self leading to the non-self. Silence through God-contemplation is the best means. This is how Brahmacharya becomes rock solid. The peace, strength and ability that come from such a life leads to true Brahmacharya. Such an aspirant will make fast progress in Brahmacharya.

ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)