Drugs -n- Devotion?

[Nityananda Das]

Jaya Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatah!

First of all I want to offer pranamas to my parama siksha guru A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, then I fall to the ground and offer pranamas to my diksha guru Om Vishnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivadanta Narayan Maharaj!

Second, I have no intention to criticize anybody, or hurt any feeling.

Some days ago I was talking with friends about the importance of having a clean body and mind for practice Hatha Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga and how hard is for many persons to follow that "simple" step of yama and niyama called ahimsa "non-violence".

Then I said, we (bhakti yogis) only follow 4 principles (according BG the brahmins follow 9) and that for many years I have observe how many devotees fail in one or more principles.

What is important? Follow principles, or doing bhajan? It is like a "church" that you can commit a sin then ask for redemption? If you smoke then a parikram frees you from karma? It is better to smoke 'here' than being a karmi? What's TRUE bhakti (anya vilasita...)?

You CAN'T judge a devotee just by watching his/her external behavior, and if you like to do it, is not good at all for your bhakti (as Srila Gurudev allways says "Don't criticize!").

The thing is that some devotees have drugs, and for me it is OK (if is the only way to chant hare krishna, then the maha mantra will remove that stone on the path way of devotion), but as you'll know, there are many levels of drugs.

According to my dad, if you depend on sugar to eat or drink, that is your drug; according to me if you waste time watching TV, then that is your drug; according a lady devotee drink tea or coffee is a drug; according to my mom using alopatic medicine is drug; according to my brother smoke ganja is a drug; according "shiva-ganja sevakas" smoking tobacco is a drug; but as I have no idea of using any drug, I can't say that it is easy to overcome them or not.

Any thing you want to say is welcome, and if you know any sastra or guru instruction, please share with us.