VI. ALCOHOL
Although not a type of salty food, alcohol is considered a “toxin” that goes hand in hand with meat, and therefore needs to be discussed thoroughly.
Alcohol is at the top of the “four walls” (wine, sex, wealth, anger) and is also on the list of “five precepts” (Killing, Stealing, Sexual Misconduct, Intoxicants, Lying). Therefore, both ethics and religion prohibit the use of alcohol.
1. The reason is because alcohol is harmful to the body, mind, society and morality.
2. Why is it necessary to ban alcohol?
a) Harmful to the body:
Some people believe that drinking alcohol helps them eat better and digest food more easily. This may be true, but the benefits are only temporary, while the harmful effects are many times greater. Alcohol is a hot substance that causes the viscera and other organs to work harder (excitant). The more active they are, the more the body wears out and deteriorates. It is like a traveler walking, if he walks slowly, he may not be fast but he will not get tired easily, but if he wants to hurry, he has to run; and running makes him tired quickly, and when he is tired he has to rest for days, so he wants to be fast but becomes slow.
Moreover, the human body needs to be kept healthy, first to preserve life (entretien de la vie), and second to fight against the countless harmful germs that constantly invade the lungs. When the organs are weakened by alcohol, humans are more susceptible to many serious and contagious diseases.
b) Harmful to the mind:
Chemists all agree that alcohol contains many toxic substances. Drinking alcohol is no different from using poison to poison your own viscera, and the viscera are closely related to the brain. When the viscera are weak, the brain is weak, and when the brain is weak, the intelligence (intelligence) decreases, and the weakness of the brain also damages the senses (les sens). Therefore, people who drink a lot of alcohol often have trouble concentrating, their hands and feet are numb, and they are deaf and blind.
c) Harmful to society:
Alcoholics not only harm themselves but also affect their children, because the strength and weakness of children depends on the nature of their parents. The hygiene book Langsa says: “90% des idiots sont des enfants d’alcooliques”. This means: “In a hundred fools, ninety are children of alcoholics”. Therefore, alcohol is not only harmful to individuals but also to society. In our country, people are thin and weak, if we do not eliminate the “alcohol problem”, I am afraid that in the future we will become a “strong” people in this Viet Dong land.
d) Harmful to morality:
When alcohol enters the body, it makes people excited, and when people are excited, they talk a lot, so the saying goes: “When alcohol enters, words come out”. And if you talk a lot, how can you avoid getting into trouble, how can you avoid offending people and causing arguments? Arguments also destroy harmony.
The saying also goes: “A drunk person is like a crazy person”. When you are drunk, you don’t care about right and wrong, and you often do things that are harmful to your reputation and violate the law.
On this point, it is only necessary to discuss a few words, so do not think that everyone knows it.
On the 15th day of the 12th lunar month of the year Binh Dan (1927), the Supreme Emperor of Jade, who also wrote CAO DAI, descended to the Holy See of Tay Ninh and gave the following not indulging in intoxicants:
“Listen, my dear disciples, to the reasons why you must abstain from alcohol.
As I have taught you before, the human body is a composition of true spirits, each of which is eternal. It is important to understand that the five viscera and six organs are also composed of living beings. Their functions, whether conscious or not, are governed by my command, as I have revealed.
Now, I will use your physical bodies to explain further. Previously, I spoke of how alcohol harms the physical body. The human body is still animalistic, requiring food and drink to sustain life. When alcohol enters the stomach and intestines, it spreads throughout the five viscera and six organs. The human heart, which is like the main engine of life, is also affected by alcohol. It is forced to work beyond its natural limits, causing the blood vessels to circulate excessively. This, in turn, causes the lungs to produce insufficient vital energy to purify the blood. This impure blood then accumulates in the body, introducing impurities into the living beings within. Each of these beings, when affected, becomes ill. Over time, the body becomes weak and eventually dies. This is how your physical bodies can be destroyed by alcohol. Many people have even lost half of their bodies due to its effects.
Now, I will speak of the harm alcohol causes to your souls.
The True Spirit is the second body of each of you. It is a subtle energy (le sperme évaporé) that envelops your physical body like a mold. Its center is the brain, its entrance and exit is the nose, and it is called the Vi Hộ. The Dharma Protectors constantly guard the True Spirit there. When you cultivate the Way and achieve union with the vital energy, the vital energy will then reach the True Spirit, uniting with it and allowing you to transcend the ordinary and become a saint.
Thus, the brain is the source of the vital energy. When the blood vessels circulate excessively, the brain becomes agitated. This makes it difficult for the True Spirit to remain calm and control the body. The body then becomes confused and regresses to an animalistic state, losing its human qualities. In this state, it is impossible to attain the qualities of a god, saint, immortal, or Buddha. Furthermore, when the spirit is in a state of chaos, it leaves an opening for evil spirits to invade, inciting you to commit sinful acts and causing you to suffer the cycle of reincarnation for countless lifetimes.
Therefore, I forbid you from drinking alcohol. Obey!
*(1) The brain is the mind, cân are the tendons.
*(2) The second body is the second body of a human being, which is difficult to see with the naked eye (Périsprit). The second body is formed by the refinement of Essence, Energy, and Spirit.