Drug (ab)use and Zoroastrianism

Dear Dino

I believe Mehran actually agrees with me that your "liberal view" is very Zoroastrian.
As long as you enjoy yourself and do not harm creation, you can in principle use as many drugs as you like.
But drug abuse is an entirely different matter. When the drug takes over your mind and disrupts it, you are denying yourself your right and your sacred duty to nurture your personality. We do love sobriety, you know, the sober mind is sacred to us.
So as Zoroastrians we are obliged to help all those people who end up in self-abuse.
But use and abuse are entirely different matters. Just remember that we don't moralize in Zoroastrianism. Which is why all the fine wines of Iran were produced by Zoroastrians and not by Muslims. They miss out on all the fun. They only serve vinegar on their poorer nowruz tables. We have excellent wines served.
And then we have not even begun to speak of the proud practice of haoma. ;-)

Ushta
Alexander

2009/7/11 MoobedyAr Mehran Gheibi



Dear Dino
dorood
As I have taught from gAthA, some of your words in this letter is in accordance with zartosht'e teaching and one part is not.
Upon gAthA evey one is free to do everything that he/she wants, but as far as results in no harm to others, even world. Sicene and scientist having good mind are the reference /authority that recognizes when a thing is starting to be harmful...
If we say it is not in concern of ous, it would be harmful too. All persons are responsible and this responsibility is universal, not local.

Nik-o shAd bAshid
KhodA negahdAr,
MoobedyAr MehrAn Gheibi.
Kerman_Iran




--- On Fri, 7/10/09, Special Kain wrote:


From: Special Kain
Subject: [Ushta] Drug (ab-)use and Zoroastrianism
To: Ushta@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, July 10, 2009, 4:02 PM


Dear friends,

On one hand, living every day to the fullest enjoying ourselves is sacred to us, since we're obliged to love this world as it is and rejoice at being part of it. On the other hand, longevity is part of the Amesha Spenta, and we're obliged to cultivate constructive habits, rather than destructive habits.
Now there's a thin line between drug use and drug abuse. I have no problem whatsoever with anyone who does any drugs in any way. I don't care whether someone's on drugs or not if they're trying to screw up my life or interfere with my plans. I experimented with drugs when I was younger, and one day it wasn't interesting anymore. Quitters usually have very negative views on drugs, but I don't. I neither glamourize nor demonize drugs - it would be irresponsible. I'd support rational drug education, if anything. Fortunately, we have that in Zurich.
Would Zarathushtra share my liberal views? How would he, according to your opinion, react to drug use? Is the distinction between use and abuse plausible at all?

Ushta, Dino