Like many other traditions, Eckankar has warnings about the use of alcohol and tobacco. These are not morality constraints. These are not “you shall not do this,” commandments, but they are warnings about the spiritual consequence of inebriation and intoxication. I pondered on this, and wondered how such a thing could negatively affect the spiritual path if handled reasonably. A pipe smoker, a casual glass of wine. What is the harm, what is the problem?

Often these elements are methods towards a goal: stress relief, anxiety relief, depression, and so on.

From my contemplations on Eckankar, I believe this interferes by addressing the issues in the physical (stress, anxiety) and resolving it in the physical. The issues we face: our anxieties, our fears, our stress – these are all karmic in nature. Having a drink to wash them away, doesn’t resolve the issue karmically. Instead it helps us put up with the problem. Smoking a tobacco pipe can relax a person, but again, if this replaces dealing with the stress or anxiety at hand, then one is shifting from spiritual responsibility into the realm of physical escape.