According to Sai Baba, there are many kinds of addiction. He said.” As desires multiply, the will power weakens and vice versa. You can find out for yourselves how when addiction to coffee, tea and smoking is reduced, the will power gets stronger. The results can be verified with just one week of practice. By addiction to various deleterious practices, man’s will power and other faculties decline in strength. The will power should be strengthened by giving up bad habits and it should be directed towards social service.”
But how do we give up these bad habits? If it was easy to stop, addicts would. They would no longer be driven by their desires: power, money, lust, food, intoxicants, etc.
However, trying to change without the help of a power greater than yourself is next to impossible, in my opinion. Asking for help requires humility. When a person is powerless over alcohol, for instance, we say he or she is an alcoholic. There is treatment for alcohol addiction which is defined by medical and psychological sources as a threefold illness—physical, mental and spiritual.
Meanwhile, covering up for the addict’s indulgences, keeping secrets, telling lies, all this merely aids and abets and keeps the abuser from seeking help.
The all-loving and compassionate Sathya Sai taught, “Alcoholic drink is utterly obnoxious. It degrades the addict. It makes him forget God. The drink addict is not conscious of what he says or does. The very sight of such a person is revolting.
The drink evil has ruined innumerable families. Alcoholics have caused misery to their wives and children by wasting all their money on liquor. Of what use to the world are such derelicts?”
The fact is many alcoholics and other addicts are highly placed individuals, professionals, movie stars, and persons holding good jobs. Addicts belong to every caste and creed.
Happily, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is ready to help. He consistently said, “Take one step towards me and I will take a hundred towards you.” So, there is no shame in asking for the miracle of His Grace.
As the Loving Protector of those in need, he warned, “Drink addiction is the cause of many evils. But no Government can stop this. The change must take place at the individual level. This can take place only through a mental transformation and not as a result of preaching by others. Each one has to recognise the truth and reform himself.”