CANNABIS HISTORY ►
Ancient Religious ,
Spiritual , & Medicinal Practices by Karla Deel , contributing writer
It ’ s October — cooler temperatures , changing seasons , a waft of mysticism in the air . In the natural world , times of abundance wane as we harvest final crops . In the supernatural world , we celebrate holidays such as Navratri and Dussehra ( Hindu ), Mawlid ( Islam ), and Samhain ( Pagan and Wiccan ), which inspires our Halloween festivities . All holidays contain rituals , which we are accustomed to whether we are religious and spiritual or not . It ’ s just a part of life . And it always has been .
Rituals are the bedrock of religious and spiritual practices . We have baptisms , hymns , chanting , fasting , praying , making pilgrimages , taking communion , going to confession , and countless others , including the consumption of cannabis . Evident by its frequent and simultaneous use by diverse cultures worldwide , there is no denying that cannabis played a strong role in the development of ancient spiritual , religious , and medicinal rituals . Documentation of the entheogenic ( spiritual , religious , or ritualistic ) use of the cannabis plant is far-reaching in religions from Japan to India to China and throughout Europe .
All parts of the cannabis sativa plant have been recorded in Chinese medical books for over 2,000 years . From seed to stem , Chinese medicine heralded the plant as a magical healer . In 2nd Century China , famous physician Hua Tuo combined cannabis resin with wine and developed a powerful pain reliever called ma yo . He also mixed cannabis with aconite , creating an anesthetic he called ma-fei-san and claimed it could be used to perform surgery .
Legendary “ Father of Chinese Medicine ,” Emperor Shen Nung .
( Art by Chris Bennett , writer / artist / scholar of Canada .)
Legendary “ Father of Chinese Medicine ,” Emperor Shen Nung ( 2700 B . C .), focused on the medicinal and healing properties of Chinese plants to ease the suffering of his people . To help with everything from gout to malaria , he developed a “ hemp elixir ,” made from cannabis leaves and cannabis flowers .
The ancient Vedic texts of India praised the plant as magical and claimed that Lord Shiva , the destroyer , brought cannabis down from the Himalayas for the “ pleasure of mankind .” Amrita , a heavenly nectar , fell to earth , and where it landed , a hemp plant grew . Indra consecrated it to Shiva , who sought shade in the shadows of the cannabis plant and ate the flowers . Shiva is called Lord of Bhang , referring to a popular tea made from cannabis leaves mixed with milk and spices . Some interpret the Vedas to say that devotees of Shiva can commune with him through the daily use of cannabis .
Sadhu Soumyadeep Paul from Kolkata , India . ( Public photo courtesy , Wiki Commons )
India ’ s nomadic holy men , Sadhus ( photo on left ), are known for renouncing worldly pleasures in search of enlightenment through yoga , meditation — and hashish . These holy men consume copious amounts of charas ( concentrates of live cannabis resin mixed with tobacco ) through a chillum ( cone-shaped clay pipe ) to connect to and emulate Lord Shiva and maintain a state of mind more capable of spiritual heights . Cannabis grows wild and plentiful in the Himalayas , providing the Sadhus with endless spiritual support .
The prophet Zoroaster , who founded Zoroastrianism , was inspired by the Vedas and listed “ bhang ” in the Zend-Avesta ( ancient Persian religious text ) as one of the most important medicinal concoctions , citing it as a great reliever of stress . Some sects of Sikhism , and Orthodox Hindus , drank bhang to assist with deep meditation . Sikhs often drink the tea , especially on the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji , founder of the Sikh religion . To those who consume it , bhang is said to provide good “ bhakti ,” or emotional devotion that assists with emptying the mind .
30 October 2021