The Triangle Of Alcohol, Little Business And His Precious Life

He had been very successful business man in remote far-flung village in east. Though it’s in remote place his business was good, for it was a monopoly kind of business. He was running a small grocery store near by a primary school. He was happy and so was his family.

After decade and decades of successful business he had picked up the habit of drinking. “Drinking is root cause of all evils” he understands yet he couldn’t give up for he was addicted. The drinks he drank were proportionate to the number of days.  

It went on… as expected slowly the problems tends to creep in.  The successful business he was running slowed down exponentially and later a clock strikes where he had to shut down the business. The business was thwarted but alcohol was still his companion. For him alcohol was his every day meals. He was a happy man if he get to drink a cup of Ara(local wine) every hour.

Later he realized what he had been doing all this years, the triangle of alcohol, his successful business and his precious life. He was angry and lamented, for he had taken the life for granted. 

One night he slept at the edge of icy cliff. He was drunk that night. Right below, the hungry rumbling Jomri was following.  The river was so deep, deeper than one can imagine. He prayed that night, in his sleep, if he falls off the cliff into the river it was what he deserve. If he wakes up next morning safe, his destiny was to go to practice the Dharma. He wasn’t scared for he knew his life is but wastage.

 Surprisingly he was safe as the dawn made its way. Looking up in the blue azure sky, with the folded hands he thanked gods for giving him the second chance.

As promised with the noble objective, he packed his necessities and headed towards where he was destined to, to the beautiful hamlet of Tshothang, where his root lama (Buli Truelku), the Buddha of present day resides.  This is his fifth year of his life in retreat. He is now a learned man. He Lives the austere life away from worldly pleasure with the simple rusted mat and a worn out cloths high up in the mountains.  For him alcohol is now a deadly enemy.

“We all came into the world empty handed and so is our ending destined to.  Understanding the impermanence of life is the basic key and the first and foremost step move towards practicing the Dharma” was what he emphasized at the end of our conversation.