(Typical Life Stories) The habit/addiction that took everything
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| Liquid ignorance tastes bad. |
The fifth precept prohibits the use of intoxicants that occasion heedlessness such as alcohol, drugs, or other means. Its virtues are mindfulness and self-responsibility [12, 13] applied to food, work, behavior, and with regard to reality [132] and the true nature of life.
Awareness, meditation, and heedfulness can also be included here [125].
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| Let's drink this and start breaking other precepts. |
The most famous Buddhist commentator in the Pali canon Buddhaghosa writes that whereas violating the first four precepts may be more or less blameworthy depending on the person or animal affected, the fifth precept is always "greatly blamable" because it hinders one from understanding the Buddha's Teachings and may lead one to "madness" [18], which is the karmic result in the future of indulging in alcohol now.
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| It's a natural product of rotten sugar. |
In ancient China, Daoshi described alcohol as the "doorway to laxity and idleness" and as a cause of suffering. Nevertheless, he did describe extraordinary circumstances when drinking might be considered less bad than what it prevents. For example, there's the case of a queen who distracts the king using alcohol to prevent him from murdering.
However, Daoshi was strict in his interpretations. For example, he allowed medicinal use of alcohol only in extreme cases [152].
Early Chinese translations of the Three Baskets or Collections (the Tripitaka of Sutras, Disciplinary Code, and the Higher Doctrine) describe negative consequences for people breaking the rule on drinking, for themselves and their families.
The Chinese translation of the Upāsikaśila Sūtra, as well as the Pāli language version of the Sigālovāda Sutta, speak of terrible consequences from intoxication such as the
- loss of wealth,
- ill health,
- a bad reputation,
- being accused of misdeeds,
- "stupidity" [in future rebirths],
- culminating with rebirth in hell [18, 153].
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| I need a swig every night to be regular in my poo. |
The Dīrghāgama adds to that that alcohol leads to quarreling, negative states of mind, and damage to one's intelligence.
The Mahāyāna Sanskrit version of the Net of All-Embracing Views Discourse (Brahmajāla Sūtra) [Note 6] describes the dangers of alcohol in very strong terms, including the crime of selling alcohol [154], which is listed among one of the forms of wrong livelihood proscribed in the Noble Eightfold Path.
Similar arguments against alcohol are found in Nāgārjuna's writings [155]. A strict interpretation on the prohibition of alcohol consumption in Buddhism can be supported by the Upāli Sūtra's statement that a disciple of the Buddha should avoid drinking alcohol "even [so much as] a drop on the point of a blade of grass."
However, in the writing of some Abhidharma commentators, alcohol consumption was condemned depending on the intention with which it was consumed. For example, an intention that was not condemned was taking alcohol in a tiny amount as a form of medicine [156] or because it is used in the extraction and preservation of plant medicines (syrups, potions, decoctions, concoctions, etc.)
Sanity and sobriety in practice
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| A little "water of life" never hurt nobody. *Burp* |
The fifth precept against consuming alcohol is regarded as extremely important because drinking alcohol leads to lack of self-control and sluggishness [72, 157], which is extremely likely to lead to breaking the other precepts [18] that one would normally if sober avoid breaking.
In Spiro's field studies, violating the fifth precept was seen as the worst of all the five precepts by half of the monks interviewed, citing the harmful consequences [18].
Nevertheless, in practice abstention from alcohol is often disregarded by lay people [158]. In Theravada Buddhist Thailand, drinking alcohol is fairly common, even to the point of drunkenness [159].
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| Do all bad things as "crazy wisdom," Dummies! |
Among Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhists, drinking beer is common, partly because it is very weak and only slightly alcoholic [155].
Medicinal use of alcohol is generally not frowned upon [145], and in some countries like Thailand and Laos, smoking tobacco is usually not regarded as a violation of the precept to avoid intoxicants.
Thai and Laotian Buddhist monks have been known to smoke as part of their culture, but monks who have received more training in Buddhism are far less likely to smoke [43, 160].
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| Let's live it up, steal, and break things. Woo-hoo! |
On a similar note, as of the year 2000, no Buddhist country prohibited the sale or consumption of alcohol, though in Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist revivalists unsuccessfully attempted to become prohibitionist by getting full prohibition passed in 1956 [43].
Moreover, pre-communist Tibet used to prohibit smoking in some areas of the capital, Lhasa. Monks were prohibited from smoking, and the import of tobacco was banned [43].
Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh included even mindful consumption in this precept, which consists of unhealthy food, unhealthy entertainment, and unhealthy conversations, among others [137, 161]. More
What about the dollar, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs?
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