Page 108 - final working of the ultimate healer

withstand the effect of daily living diminished. They became obsessed
by the spirit of the tobacco. To qualify this statement let us look to the
origins of the smoking habit that is now so prevalent in our society.
Sir Walter Raleigh is reputed to have brought tobacco back from
America. He is said to have observed the natives of that country
smoking these leaves. What he didn't realise was the significance of
what he saw taking place. The Indians knew how powerful the spirit
of the weed was and sought the power of that spirit to carry their
prayers up to the Great Spirit. To the Indian the tobacco plant, along
with all other plants has an important place in creation and thus had
the respect for the spirit the tobacco contained. Indians do not get

addicted to tobacco.
Alcoholic beverages are not really manufactured for their
taste. They are manufactured for their ability to release the drinker
from their present state into another condition. There are many
degrees of intoxication. The essence of the manufacture is therefore
determined by the requirements of the imbiber, to get variously drunk.
That is the real spirit of alcohol. The American cannot handle this
spirit, it is too powerful for them as is the spirit of tobacco too
powerful for us.
This therefore is the basis for addictions, the ingestion of
spirits that are too powerful for us. Very often when a person ventures
on their spiritual path these addictions diminish as the spiritual power
of the pilgrim increase. Agencies acting against addiction often invoke
the power of Spirit to help the addict recover. If we can understand the
nature of the addictive substance then we can strengthen ourselves
against it. Put it in its place, regain your own power and all will
become right again. There are many powerful agencies in the area of
hard drugs. In their place these can be useful for mankind when used
correctly and contained in the right quantities. It is only when we fail
to understand their nature or overindulge that they become our master.