from Davee Evans
The recent shift in medical marijuana policy reminded me of the infrequent and yet ongoing conversation about Buddhism and drugs. I recently read a paper published at Erowid, titled Psychoactive Plants in Tantric Buddhism, specifically discussing cannabis and datura usage in various Tantric sources. Then there was a Tricycle issue devoted to the topic of psychedelics, followed by Allan Hunt Badiner and Alex Grey's book Zig Zag Zen about Buddhism and psychedelics. I shouldn't be surprised that there's a synergy for people interested in the inner workings of the mind to explore many mind altering mechanisms. But this then highlights again the difference between renunciant-style Buddhism where intoxicants are avoided per the precepts, and later yogic-styles of Buddhism where anything goes. I wonder if the renunciant style is more in accord with Western puritan culture.
In the Erowid paper, the authors find a number of references to cannabis in Buddhist texts, some as medicinal references and some as practice elements. But the research is still slim. They note that yogi's practicing the Tara Tantra were required to mix cannabis and alcohol for effective meditation practice. In the Mahakala Tantra it's included among a long list of medicinal recipes and described as the "perfect medicine" according to W. G. Stablein's doctoral dissertation from Columbia, and then also recommended there as an elixir to transform the body and mind in the service of liberation. And D.B. Gray's translation of the more popular Chakrasamvara Tantra includes the quote that cannabis will help one "become a yogin who does what he pleases and stays anywhere whatsoever."
Renouncing intoxicants makes easy sense. If one is practicing meditation to become more and more clearly aware of the mind stream, then why ingest anything that makes that mind more fuzzy. If I were to guess why intoxicants have such a strong tradition in tantra, and this is just my own hypothesis, it's that the unpracticed mind is inherently fuzzy already so it's useful to practice directly with that quality. This has something to do with creating more contrast. Mindfulness meditation would be just one example of increasing contrast in a gentle way. Interrupting the ordinary flow of thoughts makes the mind stream more clearly visible. But then anything might cause one to sharpen the contrast and see what's going on more clearly, if it were used with that intention. That could include visualizing the world in a different way, or just approaching things in a new way intentionally. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche recommended off-hand once that one could wear work clothes to bed and pajamas to work. I consider that suggestion in the same vein. It's not that being an odd person is helpful, but doing things to bring up emotions like embarrassment could be a way to have more contrast in one's day.
But then I can see why practices like that are just not recommended widely. For me personally, there's enough coming up in a day already to have contrast around. If I were better practiced perhaps, and to the point where interpersonal relationships weren't already providing enough to consider, then sure I could do things to amp up my practice. But there's no need. I have plenty to work. I suspect if I tried inviting more chaos through intoxicants or other means now then it would just create more chaos in my day and I wouldn't gain from it. Worse, I'd be fooling myself and just thinking that I'm doing something spiritual. But I'm not sure I can criticize anyone for that approach, since it's up to each person to know where they're at.
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Thanks all, for the comments. And especially thanks for visiting Mr. Parker, the author of the paper I just discovered.
This notion of fuzziness is my own poor term, and one of the things I'm noticing in my vajrayana practice specifically in regard to contrast. So I'm not sure it either valid or historic way of talking about vajrayana. And I definitely have not practiced with cannabis though i've sat with alcohol. Probably the comparison is questionable. Interesting to hear the historical tradition has references to cannabis having more of a 'focusing' quality for practice.
But what I mean by fuzziness is a kind of dissociation from direct experience, either from conceptual overlay or just spacing out. Working with that would then be learning how the mind does that in more detail and cultivating insight.
And I think that might be different from entheogenic use as i understand it, where the purpose is visionary or bringing about direct experience. By direct experience in a Buddhist context for me means experiencing the true nature of mind directly. My poor understanding of vajrayana would be more that, like visualization practice, one might use substances or yogic practice to increase contrast using the technique to then highlight how the mind is NOT in accord with the true nature and to see that directly more so than to bring about states of mind where one is in accord with the true nature.
But then, that may have more to do with how my practice just brings up more contrast than direct experience and I'm extrapolating from that.
Hi Davee,
Thanks for the clarification.
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"one might use substances or yogic practice to increase contrast using the technique to then highlight how the mind is NOT in accord with the true nature and to see that directly more so than to bring about states of mind where one is in accord with the true nature."
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This accords in a general way with my understanding of how datura was understood in some (but by no means all) contexts. However, the use in generating special powers (similar to shamanic abilities) was probably a more widespread use.
Warmly
Ryan
its a very thin line that one has been treading on , but how to monitor and maintain it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack! however the bill has its pros and cons, on a personal note, coming here from buddhist reading it is radical reading ! one must say!
regards
Someday I imagine we will all live in a land were men and women alike are free to do what they choose to do with their own bodies. A world were one really does have right to pursue happiness as they see fit. Even if it is sitting at home smoking from a glass pipe.
Sunflowerpipes.com
I have been using medical marijuana occasionally for about a month to help deal with some arthritis pain. Now I have never really used it much as a kid or anything, maybe three times total, so I didn't really know what to expect. I was hoping for something better than vicodin, maybe like the experience i had trying oxycontin a couple times.
cartucho r4i
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