legality of what i do

[Tarantism]

it is my sinsire belief that the legality and usefullness of drugs in this country is a serious problem.

the first thing that strikes me as odd and incorrect is the forcing of old christian morals upon modern citizens. why is it that everything that cannot be explained by the so-called "word of god" (actually just written up by a dead white guy as the recounting of a tale of a possibly ficticious character named Jesus Christ, among other "holy figures" or "prophets" or "decyphles")...is considered incorrect or evil, better said by the bible thumpers of the world as the "work of the devil". many of the natural psychedelic substances have been in our diet and in shamanic mystical religion for centuries longer than any christian or judian derived religion. there is even a good amount of evidence that supports the "Stoned Ape Theory", first thought up and organized by Terrence McKenna during his explorations into drug and human history, and the minds limits of understanding the origins of our unique consiousness. why condemn the very things that brought us to where we are? its affecting the archetype of the balance, and if we do not soon remember the symbiotic relationship that we have with the ancient mushrooms, then how can we have hope for further expansion and progression of the human race?

now, since it is unlikely that the suits will legalize psychedelic entheogens and other psychotropic and psychoactive substances anytime soon, we must at least change the way that they are catagorized. LSD is not as dangerous as heroin, and marijuana isnt dangerous at all. it doesnt make sense that you can get arrested and sent to prison for having a quarter of magical herbs in your pocket.

another problem is the fact that we are filling our prison systems with skinny harmless drug users instead of the white pride fucks or murderers or rapists, AKA people who pose a REAL threat to society.

i believe that the reason that cocaine, marijuana and hashish are still illigal is because the government is making too much cash from collection fees from the border runners.

i found an interesting article on the therapeutic usefulness of psychedelics, its pretty recent too, //http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/186/6/457.pdf

i believe that the most useful drug for exploration at this point is N,N Dimethyltryptamine...mostly due to the work of Dr. Rick Strassman, M.D.

In addition, it has been proposed by Rick Strassman that the pineal gland is responsible for manufacture of endogenous dimethyltryptamine (DMT) although this is only speculation. There are some who believe DMT has a role in dreaming and possibly near-death experiences and other mystical states, and, although not proven, it was hypothesized in 1988 by Jace Callaway that DMT is connected with visual dreaming. Dr. Strassman expanded upon this theory in his book: DMT: The Spirit Molecule. However, significant (or any?) DMT production by the pineal gland has not been reported in the refereed scientific literature (PubMed search as of July 24, 2006).

thoughts anyone?

[Amomynous]

Well, my thought is that the taboo of entheogens really isn't a product of Christianity as you portray it. Look at the non-Christian countries. In the Middle East (Islam) drugs are even more harshly prohibited. Then in countries like Tibet (Buddhist) drugs are harshly prohibited. In fact, in places like Tibet the prohibitions can even be more directly tied to religious dogma, as intoxicants are directly prohibited by the Man himself (reference: the Five Precepts).

So if you want to understand the taboo, you have to look more deeply that the veneer of religious conditioning. It is easy to engage in dualist thinking and blame the situation on one's current dominant cultural matrix, but religious prohibitions must be view more as the method by which the taboo is implemented, not as the cause.

[lollipop guild]

Right on, anom.

On the other hand, I view the religious right as one of the biggest threats to democracy in the US. The current efforts to legislate morality while ignoring the real issues of the day make me fear for the continuity of this country as we know it. While this gubmit's (repeated and failed) use of draconian measures in the WOD is an indication of their systemic incompetence, the WOD is only one issue where this trait rears its ugly head.

Imo, the gubmits refusal to offer equal civil rights to gays and lesbians is another symptom of our cultural sickness. And mobilizing voters in key states by putting the fear of gay marraige/civil rights into the ignorant, god-fearing right ia another example of the lengths the neo-cons will apparently go to have things their way.

Unfortunately. I'm guessing History will judge the current administration's civil rights abuses against gays and lesbians as evil much sooner than It will mourn for those imprisoned/maimed/killed by the WOD.

Btw, our gubmit stands to make much more money by legalizing and taxing illegal drugs than they will ever see by current WOD efforts. Law enforcement stands to lose the most in funding and cushy apprehensions if/when they are weaned from the WOD teat and forced to start chasing folks perpertrating real criminals against others.

guild rep #8

[Tarantism]

good points, i probably shouldny pin so much on religious right, but i do see the moral blueprint for this and other countries written by religion, and i dont know if that is nessesarily correct in this day. religion is a dying practice, as the ignorence for the physical world slowly disappears thanks to the laws of physics and chemistry, biology, etc. people are less and less afraid of gods and demons today than even...twenty years ago.

but thats not the point. i think that people should be looked at equally unless they harm other humans...so i guess i look down on the powers that be for that reason. but no government is going to be as pure as one would hope i suppose.

[Amomynous]

Right on, anom.

On the other hand, I view the religious right as one of the biggest threats to democracy in the US.

Yep. They happen to be a big sticky wicket in the US. Currrently, probably the stickiest.

The problem is when you get too far to the left or the right. Then again, the middle is pretty insipid too

[Tarantism]

two sides of the same coin in legislative hollywood.

[VajraPirate]

Amom,

Please read the following and reconsider your stance on the topic of wether or not intoxicants are used in the practice of Tantrayana ( a major form of tibetan Buddhism ). Pay attention to the last paragraph, as it was the only one I really needed to post, but I thought the rest was good background info.

Having received an empowerment, we may then practice a sadhana (sgrub-thabs). The word sadhana means a method of actualization, namely actualization of ourselves as the Buddha-figure for which we have received empowerment. Other names for a sadhana are "self-generation" (bdag-bskyed) and, in anuttarayoga, "antecedent practice for realization" (mngon-rtogs).


Performing a sadhana entails recitation (kha-'don) of a ritual meditation text describing the self-visualization process and a complex series of further practices based on that self-generation, such as reciting mantras and making offerings. Going through the entire series of visualizations and meditations in the sadhana resembles going through a strenuous physical workout in a martial arts or ballet training.


Neither a sadhana nor a guru-yoga is the same as a puja (mchod-pa). A puja is an offering ritual during which we make offerings to our tantric masters viewed as inseparable from Buddha-figures. If we have received empowerment, we also visualize ourselves as Buddha-figures during the puja; otherwise, we may not. If we have not received empowerment, we may only attend and observe the ritual, but not participate in it as a member of the assembled round for the ritual feast (tshog-'khor, ganacakra).


During a puja, we offer tsog (tshogs), a ritual feast, which usually includes a torma(gtor-ma) - a sculpted cone of toasted barley meal and butter - as the actual tsog meal offered to the tantric master. In anuttarayoga, the feast also includes specially consecrated alcohol and meat, representing the transformation and use of the aggregates, elements, and subtle energies in our bodies for gaining realization. After the tantric master and other participants taste the offerings, alcohol, and meat, each gives back small portions of the leftovers, which the master's assistant collects on a plate and offers outside to regional guardian spirits. At the end of the ceremony, the participants eat or take home the remaining leftover food. It is a degeneration of the practice for the participants to consume the remaining alcohol, as if a tsog were an excuse for getting drunk.

[Amomynous]

There is ample evidence that intoxicants -- even strong entheogens -- have been historicaly used in Tibet, especially as the religion was influanced by the indiginous Bon faith (see for expample Christian Ratsch's Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas for a discussion of the situation in Nepal). What's more, things like alcohol can at times be used ritually or symbolicaly is many faiths, even those prohibiting intoxication. Many people, in fact, interpret the last of the historical Buddhas' precept "Do not use intoxicants" to mean "Do not use drugs or intoxicants to the point of intoxication."

But this in no way invalidates my thesis that prohibitions against entheogens do not arise from the Christian religion, or really any other religion: the religion is used to implement people's deeper need to enforce control on others. The religious dogma is just a cultiural artifact of more deeply seated desires.

And while in Tibet intoxicatns have been used, let us not forget that drug use has been punnishable by death, and at times the indiginous Bon Po were suppresed by the Buddhists, sometimes violently and with great bloodshed.

[senorsalvia]

But this in no way invalidates my thesis that prohibitions against entheogens do not arise from the Christian religion, or really any other religion: the religion is used to implement people's deeper need to enforce control on others. The religious dogma is just a cultiural artifact of more deeply seated desires.

================  Damn  :shock: ----------  That's one great summation!!  I constantly find myself incredulous as to how many folks blame "Religion" for peoples desire to enforce their own values/morals/...  Well put Amom.........(senor genuflects appropriately _

[VajraPirate]

But this in no way invalidates my thesis that prohibitions against entheogens do not arise from the Christian religion, or really any other religion: the religion is used to implement people's deeper need to enforce control on others. The religious dogma is just a cultiural artifact of more deeply seated desires.

And while in Tibet intoxicatns have been used, let us not forget that drug use has been punnishable by death, and at times the indiginous Bon Po were suppresed by the Buddhists, sometimes violently and with great bloodshed.

In no way did I mean to invalidate your thesis, as I assume it is a working one. I merely mean to point out that in some cases use of intoxicants is endorsed by Teachers and practioners. The Tsog ceremony is the only case that I know of where this takes place, but it does take place and is allowed. I thought it relevent to the conversation at hand.

Also it was an excuse to talk Tibet. :oops:

Btw if you have a copy of the book you mentioned I would love to buy/trade for it.