Alcohol and Drugs And the Art of Disappearing.

Disclaimer: This article discuss philosophical question of Existence. Neither it promote, Nor it gives solutions to alcohol addiction. Seek professional Help if that is your problem.

It often fascinates me why People take alcohol. I am not talking about drinking a Pint of beer daily, to help with sleeping or something. I am talking about who drink like a Fish. Obviously some goes to sleep and others would talk through their Hats, all night, Mostly about problems of life, and funny stuff. I cannot unseen the similarity between this and a Monk meditating on a mat, in peace and quiet. Their approaches seems to be totally different but the question they try to solve by means, seems to be so obviously similar. It's the question of existence.

The Art of Disappearing

Let's compare and Alcohol Addict and a Monk approach the same problem.

An alcohol addict would keep on drinking, due to tolerance, and addictive nature of the alcohol. They would crave the mental experience of the reality altered, by the substance. Most often they seek pure pleasure out of this. I do not assume, they would do it for "Forgetting problems". But it seem the alcohol seems to be a means to escape the reality, otherwise be too painful to bear. Addiction to this feeling will be more, when there are obviously enough problems in life, which are unsolvable, and painful to deal with. Alcohol seems to give a temporary easy solution to solving our daily problems, by giving us an opportunity to totally forget about it. "The art of Disappearing". What does a monk do?

A monk seems to have seen the same problems. And identified some of them are not solvable. I am sure they have enough reasons to get into Alcohol or substance use. But they do not do that. As they have seen the solutions given by Alcohol and substance seems temporary. Instead they try to get to the core of the problems. Which is within oneself. The problem which is universal to all the living beings, with a consciousness. I am not sure about plants, but every tiny creature on earth seems to posses one and I can see all their problem is the same. They feel exist, without knowing why? It seem to be unsolvable. So, easy solution is try to escape by other means, by Alcohol substance.

The Art of Disappearing

Compared to the monk and The alcohol addict, an ordinary man who is unaware of such a problem exist would just start solving them. One by one, and might even gain a large sum of money, or live a "Happily Married life". Until they reproduce, and decay. I consider this the natural means of living. For most of the practical purposes this would be fine. But, the ones who are seeking a truth in life, and value this more than anything else, will become spiritual at some point, as they can see there is no difference between going to work everyday and becoming a drunker and broke anyway. No amount of money will make us understand truth in life.

Final remarks to the Art of disappearing

If you generalized this idea, I would say every problem in every living being try to solve, roots from the question of existence. And Monks and Alcohol addicts are trying to solve this by practicing the "Art of disappearing" by Either permanent or Temporary measure. An ordinary man would just follow the animal wisdom of solving the problem when it arise, as he cannot see the problems which did not arise, except in immediate future.