San Sarv Bu Pm Finot Pc 79Drinking Alcohol
Pāli / Sanskrit:Surāpāna
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Surāpāna Sutta — On Drinking Alcohol
Background
The Surāpāna Sutta (Surāpāna Pācittiya) is found in the Pācittiya, the section of disciplinary rules in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically among offenses requiring confession (pācittiya). This discourse is recorded in the foundational Vinaya collections of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, reflecting the concrete instructions that the Buddha Śākyamuni taught to the Sangha.
In the early period of Buddhism, the management of discipline was essential for protecting the path of practice and maintaining the purity of the monastic community. Rules concerning conduct, especially those related to intoxicants such as alcohol, were regarded as clear examples of mindfulness and strength of concentration (viriya). The Surāpāna Sutta is a typical example of how early Buddhism approached ethical issues through specific rules.
Main Content
The Surāpāna Sutta establishes that when a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī drinks alcohol or substances that cause loss of mindfulness, they must follow the Pācittiya rule. This is not the gravest offense (pārājika), which leads to expulsion, but it is an offense requiring confession and restoration according to the specific procedures of the Sangha.
The deeper reason for this rule is that alcohol (surā) is regarded as a substance that leads to the obscuring of consciousness (āvīrija-pañña). According to Theravāda Buddhist thought, a practitioner must maintain full mindfulness (sampajañña) in order to contemplate the impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā) nature of all phenomena. When alcohol is consumed, this faculty of observation is weakened, leading to needless actions and the loss of the purpose of practice.
The discourse also makes clear that not only alcohol itself, but any substance that causes loss of mindfulness, is prohibited. This reflects a profound principle: Buddhist practice is a path requiring continuous clarity and mindfulness. These rules are not unreasonable outward prohibitions, but wise guidelines intended to help practitioners protect their own minds.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.