Many students raise the question of excessive smoking and cocktail drinking. There was plenty of excuse for the former during the war. It is not serious psychically, although bad for health physically. Cocktail drinking is, however, inadvisable for the student who begins to make progress on the path. All strong spirits like whisky and gin, or liquors like brandy, are definitely harmful to him because he is bound to have become more sensitive than when he began the Quest. What was all right for him in the past is not so now for he has advanced since then. The further purification of the self must proceed to make possible the further illumination of the self. He may find it helpful to overcome these physical habits of smoking and drinking by taking short fasts of about one complete day in duration. During each fast he should drink water mixed with fruit juice. Two or three such days per month would help to strengthen the higher will and to weaken the undesirable habits. And of course he should pray daily for the strength to overcome them. Indeed, prayer for the Overself's Grace in this connection is most important.
-- Notebooks Category 5: The Body > Chapter 3 : Diet > # 56
