Being good is not good, nothing, not at all. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Although really what is meant by «good intentions»?
You already know my predilection for characters like Angulimala, the serial killer who wore a necklace with the fingers cut off from his victims. If we are sure of something, Angulimala did not have a good name. However, he managed to free himself, to be an arahant in life, which did not save him from suffering the consequences of his actions, of course. Big prize for the bad guy.
And in the other corner of the ring, like thousands of kilometers traveled by the Buddha, having heard almost everything he said, known for his bonhomie, the Buddha’s own assistant: Ānanda. He could not have a better balcony to free himself … and he did not.
The problem of the good ones is that they are believed to be good, which demonstrates an insuperable ignorance about their painful situation, ignorance that the bad ones do not know. The bad guys are bad because they are bad. And they know two basic things: that they are bad and that being bad is wrong. These two truths derive in only one: they know they have a problem, something that the good ones inevitably ignore.
This was one of the reasons why I immediately accepted the invitation of Noé, the master psychologist in charge of addictions at the Puerto Vallarta prison, to attend the ninth anniversary of the therapy group that is fighting to remove addictions from inmates, addictions which in many cases led them to do horrible things and that’s why they were there.
The prison is classified as medium security. The courtyard where the event was held is large, green, very green. Nice. I do not know what Vallarta has that even the jail is kind.
We were a handful of guests, teachers and psychologists for the most part who were waiting to join the group. You know, if you want to wait for everyone, it arrives on time.
After the security ceremonies of rigor, ceremonies more than anything else, we entered the courtyard and there they were. We in black and they in cream color.Since they had an accreditation on the neck, it was easy to greet each one by name.Another ceremony This promises. The ceremonies are what cause me the most laughter and predispose me to good humor.
Soon the authorities of the center were incorporated, and the list of the guests was passed. Upon reaching my name and saying my dual Mexican and Spanish nationality, applause broke out. You can not expect better reception. That they applaud you for being Spanish in Catalonia, for example, is unimaginable and in my land, ridiculous. So it is obvious that I feel in Mexico, and especially in Vallarta, much better than in Extremadura.
An improvised master of ceremonies introduced us to the musical group formed by the members of the therapeutic community. Having them entertained is essential if the problem is not addressed at the root. If you do not control reactive thoughts, they become torture that is relieved by activities. Like the music.
Between song and song, they went out to the inner stage to tell us their story, the same sad and boring story. And the guests and authorities to tell us the wonders of having spent nine years treating drug addicts in prison.
Nine years, and … they look satisfied on top of that! Nine years to do something that does not take more than ten minutes to do …
The pathetic thing is to see happiness in the eyes of teachers, psychologists and authorities produced by working to help these people, the compassion, the unconditional love that caused them and the joy of seeing them out of their addiction.
So, seeing them all, I realized that EVERYONE was a fucking drug addict and, in addition, of the same stinging drug: serotonin.
The time came when I was invited to take the stand and there was not much time.What I said did not last more than four minutes. I visibly set my sights on the authorities and the inmates, and to everyone, I asked them the question:
«If you were immensely happy, all the time, always … would you have fallen for drugs?»
The inmates, after a few seconds of hesitation began to mutter shy «no», until the «NO» became general. Then I addressed everyone, but focusing on the authorities and I released the second question:
«If all of you were immensely happy, all the time, always … would you be here today?»
The «NO» of the inmates was faster than that of the authorities. If they were happy, why would they seek happiness in a prison helping people?
After a few long seconds, I told them I was in front of a group of serotonin addicts, both inmates and authorities. All sharing the same addiction that had them in jail.One or the other side of the fence, but sharing the same space.
It’s to make you see it.
Then I did a quick review on the role of serotonin as a neurotransmitter, the need to include its precursor, the amino acid tryptophan in the diet, and that the solution to dispose of this drug in quantity and quality did not take more than ten minutes of training .
I ended up making everyone see, the nonsense that people do for a bit of happiness and what more damage does a millionaire carrying the only planet where we can live than an addict getting a substance that, mistakenly, thinks that it will give him happiness. And that mistake is the one that will take them to go back to relapse, because the real addiction keep it intact.
The jail is a greenhouse where I get a plant that can not live outside. That in a controlled environment is good, that develops, that grows and fruit is not strange.The difficult thing is that when transplanting it out it does not die.
It was the turn of a teacher who said: «My name is Pina and I am addicted to serotonin» …
It is an act that seems futile, but it is key in the liberation process. If you do not understand that you are addicted to happiness you will never understand that suffering is nothing more than your withdrawal syndrome. That suffering is not cured with happiness, as the monkey does not heal with more drugs, which is not there. That ending suffering necessarily requires ending the damn serotonin addiction. And I saw that, there everyone is in the same, and what serves some, serves the others.
Prisoners of the same addiction, in the same prison.
But the worst are the ones who are outside, doing the barbarities that those inside do when they were outside.
Then more music and a couple of cures or something like talking about God to a dedicated audience, which led me to have a better time, laughing at the nonsense that went on. The end of the party was the sudden presence of a dove on the platform that caused him to shout «the holy spirit» there you have it, you have called him! «
By my side, Pina was pissing with laughter …
Look what I have said, do not take me to any kind of religious ceremony, I know myself …
A day more than pleasant.
A nice day
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