Lzh Mi Bi Vb Pc 42Drinking Alcohol
Pāli / Sanskrit:Surāpāna
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THE SCRIPTURE ON DRINKING ALCOHOL (SURĀPĀNA)
Background
Surāpāna is a training rule (Pācittiya) in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. Such training rules are lighter than major violations, but still require the practitioner to perform confession within the Pātimokkha in order to cleanse the fault.
This scripture is recorded in the Vibhaṅga, the explanatory section of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Pācittiya section, rules concerning conduct that brings spiritual impurity. The context in which this rule arose came from occasions when the Buddha witnessed monastics or devotees drinking alcohol and engaging in improper conduct: heedlessness, loss of self-control, or participation in activities unsuitable for the place of practice. Therefore, the Buddha established the rule prohibiting the drinking of substances that intoxicate the mind (surāmeraya, alcoholic and intoxicating drinks).
Main Content
The Surāpāna rule clearly states that any Buddhist practitioner, whether a bhikkhu, a bhikkhunī, or a lay devotee (upāsaka/upāsikā), must not drink alcohol or any liquid that intoxicates the nervous system. This includes not only distilled liquor but also similar substances such as beer, wine, and other fermented drinks.
The scripture details each case of violation: if one drinks once, knowingly and intentionally, for example, knowing that it is alcohol and still drinking it, then this is a Pācittiya offense. The purpose of this rule is not punishment, but to help the practitioner preserve a mind that is clear, lucid, and alert, conditions necessary for the development of meditation (jhāna) and wisdom (paññā).
In the Vibhaṅga, exceptions are also made clear: if the drink is not truly alcohol, or if the person does not know it is alcohol, or if there is no intention to drink for the purpose of producing intoxication, then it does not constitute an offense.
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