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Allright so I have been bad. I have been drinking latly. And I don't like it. Well, I like drinking, I don't like the fact i drink. I going to give it up again. Which is hard. When everyone wants to party and I'm the only sober one around, yea not as much fun by a long shot.

What does eveyone else think? Do you drink? For me it seems pretty clear that no drinking means no drinking, but I know lots of other people hold different points of view about buddhist policy towards drugs. Tell me about it.

To me it depends on your actions when inebriated. Any kind of trouble making or inappropriate behavior is deemed bad. But a drink for well wishes such as a toast or even to have fun with friends seems ok to me. heart

Attachment to drinking is bad; attachment to quitting drinking is also bad. As long as your behavior while drinking is okay, and you're not doing it so often as to lead to medical or psychological issues, I wouldn't worry too much. However, as many things in Buddhism, to rid yourself of this attachment, you must do it gradually, in order to "not get attached to non-attachment." By trying to cut back little by little, you will find yourself losing attachment to drinking automatically. In this way, it is no longer a conscious decision that "I want to drink, but I don't want to want to drink"; instead, it becomes "I genuinely do not feel like drinking."

The purpose of the non-intoxication precept is to encourage mindfulness, and if you're inebriated, you can't be too mindful of the things you do. So, in my opinion, drinking isn't good. ;] And on the note of quitting drinking, here's my favorite saying again, don't try, do.

Well, everything is "mind altering" to some degree and the essence of the mind is constant alteration, being a dynamic, impermanent, empty aggregate entity (woh, say that five times fast!)

I guess, taking a kinda tantric view, alcohol can be seen as vividly epitomizing the essence of Samsara: a sweet fluid that simultaneously burns (pleasure-suffering together) and intoxicates (deludes like all conventional phenomena) in a very impermanent manner (effects generally fade away in an hour). Furthermore, it epitomizes Empty Dependent Origination because all of its physiological characteristics are dependent on our having the brains and sensory nerves to affect (i.e. there is no "real essence of Intoxication" present in alcohol, it is simply perceived to be intoxicating to pliant people and animals).

I agree that prohibitions against drinking alcohol are reasonable for Buddhists since its effects are directly contrary to most qualities needed for proper mindfulness and conduct. In fact, you usually have to be mindful of the drink before consuming it if you're to have any hope of avoiding dangerous over-intoxication (esp. since alcohol is provides more euphoria to the user even as death approaches). I admit that I drink and am very lucky for my mindfulness and self-control in these regards; most of my peers haven't been so lucky sad

Now, whether what can be said of alcohol (as a whole) applies to all mind-altering drugs is doubtful. They range greatly in their ability to affect vital life processes, reasoning, sex drive, concentration, habituation, etc, and some drug classes tend to push thought-processes in spiritual directions (notably hallucinogens and sometimes anti-depressants). However, compared to well-disciplined meditation, even the 'better' drugs tend to perform erratically, so I would say that using drugs to promote meditation or other means of spiritual insight may bear positive fruit, but that there are no guarantees like those found in the scriptures.

Well, I have had a bad history with alcohol and drugs with some family members and I have never touched the bottle or any kind of drug because I don't want to be like my family members. I also don't do drugs or alcohol because I'm a Theravada Buddhist and we're pretty strict and I have no intention of drinking whatsoever. I might drink champagne at weddings, but that's pretty much it xP

I agree with what some of the other people here said- you shouldn't become attached to drinking as much as you shouldn't become attached to not drinking.

I never saw the big deal with alcohol. I certainly don't need it to have fun, and neither do you or any of your friends. Instead of feeling like the odd one out at these parties, maybe you just not go to them, or go with other people who don't drink. And why can't you just drink socially? As in get a buzz without getting drunk?

You have a lot of choices, you know. It's not just about DO THIS or DON'T DO THIS. And if you don't have any friends who don't drink or don't know how to drink without getting drunk... maybe you should try helping them out of that habit, at the same time helping yourself. Or get new friends.

-shrug- If you're not happy, something has got to change. It's up to you to figure out what and do it.