Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Dh Pc 62Drinking Alcohol
Pāli / Sanskrit:Surāpāna
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SUTTA ON DRINKING ALCOHOL (SURĀPĀNA)
Background
The rule of Surāpāna is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic rules of practice for bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. This rule appears among the Pācittiya rules, a class of offenses requiring confession and absolution upon acknowledging the fault.
Surāpāna (drinking alcohol) was identified by the Buddha as an act contrary to the spirit of practice and purity of the Sangha. The historical context of this rule is connected with the Buddha’s observation of the problems that arise from drinking alcohol: loss of mental control, violation of other rules, and disturbance within the monastic community. Therefore, he established this rule as a means (upāya) to protect the purity of the fourfold assembly.
Main Content
According to the traditional Theravāda Vinaya, the rule on drinking alcohol stipulates that a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī must not drink any kind of alcoholic liquid, to any degree. The Pāli word “surā” refers to liquors, beer, or any alcoholic beverage, and “pāna” means drinking. Violation of this rule is considered a Pācittiya, a fault requiring confession before the Sangha.
The reason the Buddha laid down this rule was not primarily the physiological toxicity of alcohol, but the fact that alcohol destroys the clarity of the mind (sammā-samādhi, right concentration). A mind affected by alcohol cannot maintain mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (paññā), two key factors on the path of practice leading to nirvana. This rule also prevents the possibility of violating other rules through lack of control.
What is distinctive is that the Surāpāna rule not only forbids drinking alcohol, but also teaches the profound relation between external action (kāya-kamma) and internal mental state. Alcohol is regarded as an intoxicating substance that causes delusion, making the practitioner lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong.
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