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Expert: Alex Wilding - 7/24/2009


Question
Hi there, i've been doing my research on buddhism and i found it very interesting. My question is if i follow the path of Siddhartha Gautama will i need to give up smoking marijuana and drinking ayahuasca??? Because i found my way through Buddhism through these two. I know that Buddhism is against intoxication but how about MARIJUANA(it makes me relax) and AYAHUASCA(it opens my 3rd eyes)? Thanks again.

Sai

Answer
You said it - Buddhism is against intoxication. So these things are not encouraged, in fact they are discouraged, but there are worse things.
If you can stop - great.
If you use them, but moderately and without harming anyone - not too bad.
If you get out of your head, hurt others, damage your health, do bad things to fund the habit etc. etc. - then bad!
Hope that helps a bit.

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Alex Wilding

Expertise

I have practiced and studied Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions since the early 1970s, and have a good knowledge of theory, history and of the struggles of trying to practice the teachings, including meditation, while leading a normal, modern life. I am also available to provide background information for journalists.

Experience

I have been a practitioner since the early 1970s; have run a small Buddhist centre in the English Midlands and was vice-president of Kagyu Benchen Ling e.V. in Germany, for whom I managed three large Buddhist summer-camps. More importantly, I maintain a habit of personal practice. I am the "owner" of the Kagyu list at Yahoo.

Education/Credentials
My first degree was an M.A. from Oxford. I later obtained a Master of Philosophy degree for a research thesis in "Initiation in Tibetan Buddhism" from Leicester University. I also have engineering and educational qualifications.

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