Header photo: Kelly M. Lacy
People get fucked-up to find peace.
We drink alcohol to feel peaceful inside. We drink to feel, we drink not to feel; it depends on whatever we believe will bring us peace in that moment.
We do depressive drugs to “chill”. We overeat or eat unhealthy foods to feel comfort because we feel distressed in that particular moment. We endlessly surf the internet because we fear boredom. All these behaviors, of course, don’t lead to real peace. They are destructive to ourselves and others. And we know it, even if we don’t want to admit it, because don't know or don't want the alternative.
Too much alcohol kills brain cells. It kills our organs. It kills our relationships. We know what is too much, yet we drink too much anyway. We tell ourselves it is fun. We tell ourselves it’s a way to connect with other people. Of course, these other people have to be fucked-up on alcohol or drugs, too. We all know that drunk people do not connect well with sober people. There is an obvious reason for it, but if we’re drunk or high, we avoid looking at it. Besides, our culture promotes drinking with the half-hearted reminder (obligated by law) to "drink responsibly". There is a lot of money to be made off of people's drinking.
Yet we all need peace. We need rest. We need calm. We need these things to survive as much as food, water, and oxygen, even if our 24-hour, capitalistic consumer culture rages against this fact. Peace is a human need.
So how do we get real peace? Peace that calms us down not just for right now, but for the long term? A true peace that builds upon itself and fortifies our character, rather than destroying everything we build? A peace that makes us connect with ourselves and others in a truly caring way, instead of through the fleeting, superficial bonds of shared sensations?
How do we find a peace that but actually energizes and awakens us, instead of stupefying us, exhausting us, making us sick?
Peace that is not a flight from reality, but an intense journey into reality that enables us to experience our short lives 50%, 75%, 100% more than before.
For me, it's Vipassana meditation.
Vipassana is a powerful practice that strengthens us in many ways. One thing is does is train the mind to be more aware of everything, including itself. This has huge implications for our entire sense of reality and how we experience every aspect of life. It enables us to understand ourselves much better so that we have more control over ourselves, see more options, make better decisions and live better lives.
Why do I talk about it? Because I believe if more people practiced Vipassana, they would be happier, and the world would be better. Simplistic, but logical.
I will share more about my experience with Vipassana in subsequent blogs. Ask me any questions about it in the comments.
The Valley of Love, Dalat, Vietnam, 2018