Things not to do if one sets a goal of deeply understanding spiritual consciousness.
The beginnings can begin and bring one to much further realisations and initial relationship with Divinity or Krishna if one .
Avoids any killing or violence, ( thus vegetarianism) , avoids illicit sexual activities of any kind , ( the Western countries freely promotes it ) avoids gambling of any kind ( the whole economy is based on gambling)and avoids all kinds of intoxication..( freely available 24 hours in the West)
Without this initial start of standards , and much higher more subtle standards follow , Divinity per se , remains somewhat distant , because the above activities fuel materialism and a strong identification with the body and the material world, whereas we are spiritual by nature , two energies are combating each other, but can be therapeutically combined.
The Western atheistic cultures all live lives of complete entanglements in ignorance of understanding the real sciences of our spiritual consciousness . So much ignorance is spoken of by them in the name of knowledge..scientific materialism and Darwinian hypothesis as well as the political philosophising that speaks of freedom, that in reality bind and suppress the experiences of real freedoms .
Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has explained all in his Bhagavad Gita as it is.
