William L White Legion in Tehran branch of Congress60, guide assistant traveler Reza
At the outset, I praise God because of giving me the chance of being among you, then I have to congratulate Bahram’s liberation from cigarettes-smoking to him. I am so delighted for getting his liberty by Mr. Dezhakam’s order and I hope him to be successful throughout his life.
This week’s agenda is about the thirteenth valley which says: “The end of each point is beginning of a new line”. I want to share my perception about this valley with you. In the past, I used to believe that when I’ve accomplished any job, it means that the job is completed (There is nothing to do anymore). For instance, if I want to purchase a car, after providing the essential money and then buying the car, I have done the job. Regarding this, the point explained and emphasized by Mr. Dezhakam was that, when we achieve something, we arrive to a maintenance period initially, it means that, we have to maintain the thing we have achieved. About the car, when my goal is purchasing a car, I have to be able to maintain it. It means that if I want to be able to use the car forever, not only its gasoline or changing oil are necessary, but also I have to maintain its components and try to keep it clean and anything else that is related to my car.
If I want to compare this instance with the process of treatment in Congress60, I have to mention to a traveler who try to achieve his treatment during the first journey. He commence the treatment process firmly, and he is determined to achieve liberation. When a person tries hard to be liberated from addiction, it will be beautiful to him, because he has achieved his goal. Although it is true that the dependence on cigarettes and its addiction come to an end by Mr.Dezhakam’s order at the end of the first journey, definitely the traveler should maintain his liberation afterwards. During my second journey, I was advised that I attend the class firmly and I maintain this attendance, also it is important to keep serving the Congress60. The least duty of a second journey traveler is that after his liberation try to keep attending meetings and classes in Congress60 and not to leave this place. We have to try to keep Congress60 meetings updated by learning, because we have not achieved the liberation effortlessly and we have to try not to lose it. Our attendance gives us the chance of being in a high level of energy and our abilities will stay at the best status.
For instance, if I want to acquire a high level of academic education, I have to try to pass different levels of education including, primary school, high school, bachelor degree and etc. successively. However, if I go to the military or army in the middle of the period of school and university, because of this gap, it will be harder for me to commence the process of going to university again. As a result, when I have the time of serving in Congress60 now, I have to use it and try to get rid of the strong bond between me and addiction. When anybody is addicted to smoking and he can get rid of his addiction, it is like defeating an enormous giant in a game.
The main point which I prefer to explain is related to a group of travelers who have treated their addiction to drugs, but they have not tried to treat their nicotine addiction likewise. This group will suffer a series of tobacco-related diseases because when a person uses morphine, opium tincture or other drugs, these drugs act like a preventive barrier against nicotine and keep it in a limited level. However, when we remove this barrier by treatment of drug addiction, we give a chance to nicotine to spread quickly and extend its destruction. That is the reason why a wide range of travelers who have not treated their addiction to nicotine, face a variety of tobacco-related diseases like heart failure.
Written by traveler Mehdi
Translated by traveler Ehsan Abolhasani