Wine, Wealth, and Women - The 3 Ws: A Spiritual Guide to Power, Respect, and the Mindset Within

Wine, Wealth, and Women: The Three Ws – A Spiritual Guide to Power, Respect, and the Mindset Within

There is a timeless saying for spiritual seekers, a guide often delivered in the form of a concise aphorism: Avoid wine, wealth, and women.

To a novice on the spiritual path, this might seem like a straightforward instruction to shun these three things entirely, as though they were inherently negative forces to be expelled from a righteous life. But to a true seeker, someone who looks beyond the surface of words into the deeper current of meaning, this saying has nothing to do with the objects themselves and everything to do with the mindset we bring to them.

Let us begin with wine. The saying in no way intends to convey that wine is bad, because to call wine bad is to negate its wonderful nutritional and medicinal benefits. Wine, at its essence, is a fermented preparation, one that contains probiotics, healing nutraceuticals, and postbiotics. The modern perception of wine as merely an alcoholic drink is sadly misleading, and the forms of wine sold to consumers are not what true wine is about. There could be as many variations of wines as there are people and personalities. A wine is a naturally fermented beverage that is teeming with highly beneficial life forms. True wines are living, unlike the sterilized, marketed versions.

In fact, some of the most potent Ayurvedic medicines are crafted in this very format, known as asavas and arishtas. Consider Drakshasava, Arjunarishta, Ashokarishta, Dashmoolarishta, or Kumari Asava; these are not mere indulgences but revered therapeutic formulations. They are powerful concoctions, yet they demand to be respected. Abuse them, consume them without awareness or reverence, and what was medicine becomes poison. The correct approach is not abstinence born of fear, but a relationship built on respect.

Next in line is wealth. Why would anyone ask a spiritual aspirant to avoid the very currency of life itself? Here too, the message is subtle but clear. It is not money itself that is to be avoided, but rather the lure of it. Wealth is necessary for sustenance, for the smooth functioning of the world, and for the ability to be generous. Yet there exists a thin line, so thin it often goes unnoticed, between knowing its value and falling for its lure. One crosses this line when accumulation becomes mindless, when it is pursued at the expense of one’s own morality, character, and social responsibility. The warning is not against holding wealth, but against allowing wealth to hold you, binding you to greed, insecurity, and the perpetual fear of not having enough.

Finally, we arrive at the third W, and perhaps the most misunderstood of all: women. Why would the wise ask one to avoid women? Does it mean that men and women alike should associate only with the masculine? And paradoxically, if a woman were to avoid a woman and associate only with a man, what would happen to that man, as he has transgressed by associating with a woman? How could such a path be possible in a life of balance and connection?

The intent here is to convey the necessity of the right approach while interacting with women. To respect and revere the feminine form, to honor it as sacred, is not a sign of weakness but a hallmark of an advanced society. To view women as objects of mere pleasure or distraction is the true danger, not the presence of women themselves.

So the message, when examined with clarity, becomes clear. It is not about avoiding the three Ws in a literal sense. It is about steering clear of the negativity that can arise when dealing with these three powerful forces. Each of them—wine, wealth, and women—carries a profound potency. When approached without awareness, they can have a devastating effect on one’s spiritual trajectory. But when approached with mindfulness, they become forces for healing, stability, and reverence.

Therefore, we are called to reframe our thinking. Avoid thinking of wine in a negative way, for that is to reject a gift of nature. Instead, do not consume wine as a drug; steer clear of its addiction. When used for indulgence it will consume you. It will slowly destroy you from within. Use it with respect, as a medicine, and it will serve you.

Avoid thinking of wealth in a negative way, for that is to reject the means by which we sustain ourselves and help others. Instead, do not accumulate wealth without understanding its true purpose. Understand that when you hoard it mindlessly, you will end up losing it. True wealth is happiness; it can never be hoarded. The more you share, the more you get. Value happiness over greed, insecurity, and the fear of not having enough.

And last, but certainly not least, avoid thinking of a woman in a negative way. Respect your creator. She gave birth to you; she is the doorway through which every soul enters this world. In certain ancient cultures, Santana Dharma in particular, she is worshipped as Shakti, the primordial energy, and spoken of with reverence as Mother. Do not stoop so low as to consider her an object. Respect her.

And yes, it is not just your physical mother and the billions of other mothers that deserve your respect. The motherly spirit embedded in all of us too needs to be respected. This is the essence that has nurtured all life. This motherly, affectionate, nurturing, and living energy is universal. It transcends gender.

In the end, the aphorism stands not as a prohibition but as a reminder. The three Ws are not obstacles to be feared, but forces to be understood. Treat them with the dignity they deserve, and they will support your path. Approach them with carelessness or craving, and they will divert your journey. The choice, as always, lies not in what you encounter, but in the mindset with which you choose to engage.