A Bottle Changed My Entire Life…

We got together at a friend’s house every Saturday, it was freezing cold but we didn’t care. Our hoods were pulled up tightly as the wind howled against us, we were on a quest to get our hands on alcohol and the weather wasn’t going to stop us, in fact, nothing was.

This group consisted of my friends and I – we were all aged between 21-24 at the time. It was the weekend and our routine was to send one of our friends into the wine store to get alcohol, then head to one of their houses to drink all night. We thought we were so grown up and clever, but for me, this was the start of a very slippery slope that would almost destroy my life.

We repeated this routine every weekend to the point where our lives revolved around alcohol.

1 year later

After joining Colombo Dhamma Friends of Mahamevnawa, I found myself beside the stupa at Angulimala Maha Seya after traveling to various sacred religious sites. I started reflecting on my past and the majority of things I’ve done that I’m not proud of but that were under the influence of alcohol. I got a huge awakening after I dedicated myself to practicing sila that day and realized that everything that came along with intoxication was not something I wanted to be a part of anymore. I also realized that I was able to reflect on my past and realize my unwholesome acts because I was committing wholesome acts the entire day. Towards the end, after all the train of thoughts, I was disgusted by the thought of alcohol. Disgusted by the fact that I let a bottle have power over my life and that I how I previously had no shame in allowing it do so since nothing good ever comes from it. I mean what good is going to come out if you’ve been drinking all night and slurring your words? Is stumbling out of a pub cool? Is not remembering the conversation you had with a friend unifying?

At the end of the day, I’ve come to realize that no one can stop putting the stuff into your mouth but you. Nobody can quit drinking but you and if you are looking for that one person that will save you from this dangerous journey of Samsara, look in the mirror.

And with that, I made a vow by the stupa to never ever let another bottle have power over me ever again. That I would not even settle for a glass of wine. That I would refrain from taking intoxicating things just as the Supreme Buddha did. Since then, I’ve never taken my mind for granted and decided to protect this clear and sober mind And turn my life into a meaningful one.

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5 thoughts on “A Bottle Changed My Entire Life…”

  1. Just mentioned the name of the Enlightened one, The Buddha His supreme quality unwavering. ….. it doesn’t change anything. …. but it saves from all that matters. …..

    Reply
  2. I have many things to say about this but I will just say a one. I can still remember the first day I went to Mahamewna Monestry. As I can remember so far at that time I was just six years old. The first day I went their was just to read story books. But I read the small books and then the Dhammapada Books. From those Dhammapada books I learnt the value of observing the eight precepts on poya days. From that day onwards I never stopped observing eight precepts on poya days even though I missed my classes

    Reply
  3. Namo Buddhaya
    I’m Thushan P and a primarily a Christian by faith.
    When life could hit to its deepest point and lost everything, it is through some divine intervention that I found this Colombo Dhamma Friends while browsing..
    The journey with CDF has impacted my life so much to its fullest.
    I never realized its a temporary world that we are living in and I urge without waiting a hard knock on life, join this amazing and change life that can be live to it fullest with joy, peace, happiness..

    Reply

Index

9 Buddha Qualities, abandon suffering, aggregates~khanda, alcohol, anger, animal world, anuttaropurisadammasarati quality, araham quality, Aṅgulimāla Arahant, bad association, bhagava quality, buddhanussati meditation, Buddhism, Buddhist, Buddhist etiquette, chanting, Chattamanavaka Gatha, compassion, confidence~saddhā, courage, craving, Culla Kammavibhanga Sutta, death, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, dharma classes near me, Enlightenment, evil deeds, first noble truth, Four Noble Truths, friendship, ghost world, giving~dāna, good actions, gratitude, greed, guided meditation, heaven, ignorance, impermanence~anicca, jataka, jealousy, karma, Katina, Katina Clothing, kids dhamma school, killing, life of Buddha, Life of Buddha with English Subtitles, Load Buddha, lokavidu quality, losing loved ones, loving-kindness~mettā, lying, Maha Satipatthana Sutta, Mangala Sutta, marks of a great man, meditation, merit~puññā, Mihintale, mindfulness~sati, Mora Paritta, Mundane Right View, nibbāna, Noble Eightfold Path, noble truth of suffering, non-attachment, Offering Katina Robes, online dhamma school, ordination, origin of suffering, parents, paritta, patience, pilgrimage, practice, precepts, psychic powers, pujas, Pāli, rains retreat, Rainy season, rare human birth, Ratana Sutta, respect, right speech, right view, sacred places, Sakka God, sammasambuddho quality, samsara, Sangha, Second Noble Truth, sexual misconduct, similes, Sri Lanka, Story of Buddha, stress, Suprime Buddha, Sāriputta Arahant, Taking advice, Third Noble Truth, Triple Gems, uposatha, Vas Season, Venerable Maha Moggalana, Vesak, vijjacaranasampanno quality, virtue~sīla, wisdom, Work, worldly conditions, wrong view