Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 42Drinking Alcohol
Pāli / Sanskrit:Surāpāna
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Sutta on Drinking Alcohol (Surāpāna)
Background
The Surāpāna Sutta (Drinking Alcohol) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and is recorded in the Pāli Canon. The Vinaya Piṭaka is a collection of monastic rules for the Sangha, laid down by the Buddha in order to maintain discipline and purity in the community of those who have gone forth. This sutta specifically centers on the issue of drinking alcohol, an act considered a violation of Pārājika (a grave, irreparable offense) or Saṅghādisesa (a grave offense requiring communal resolution), depending on the circumstances and motive.
The background of this rule is tied to real events in the life of the Sangha. When there were monks who offended by becoming intoxicated, losing control, or causing disorder, the Buddha laid down a disciplinary rule to protect the virtue of the Sangha and maintain the graceful, mindful image of those who practice.
Main Content
According to the monastic rule, drinking alcohol is considered an action harmful to consciousness and to the discipline of practice. Alcohol and intoxicants are classified under the terms surā (liquor) and meraya (intoxicating drinks), including all substances capable of causing loss of control over the mind. The central point of this sutta is not merely prohibition, but a deep understanding of the harmful effects of these substances.
The Surāpāna Sutta emphasizes that drinking alcohol or intoxicants directly violates the precept against drinking alcohol, one of the five basic precepts (Pañcasīla) that both laypeople and monastics must observe. For those who have gone forth, this act is even more serious because it directly contradicts the four foundations of mindfulness and the Noble Eightfold Path, the foundations of the path of practice.
The sutta also indicates that intoxication leads to loss of control and often gives rise to other harmful actions: lying, greed, anger, or actions that violate the lawful practice of a monastic. Thus drinking alcohol is seen as a door opening to other offenses.
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