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Alcohol
Hello,
I wonder if anyone has any thoughts regarding the effects of alcohol with dinner and then meditation later on?
For instance, this evening I had a pint of beer and a small whiskey afterwards. This was several hours ago, however, and now I'm wondering if this might take the one-pointedness and sharp focus off my meditation and whether I should simply refrain from meditating tonight and wait until tomorrow?
I realize there are clear and obvious pitfalls to alcohol, and that in some (most) schools of Buddhism and meditation, alcohol is seen as quite unskillful and one is expected not to partake as it compromises meditation, but now and then I enjoy a drink, and wonder if others have had experiences with this, or any thoughts on the matter.
Thank you!
Love to you, and love to all beings,
Tim
I wonder if anyone has any thoughts regarding the effects of alcohol with dinner and then meditation later on?
For instance, this evening I had a pint of beer and a small whiskey afterwards. This was several hours ago, however, and now I'm wondering if this might take the one-pointedness and sharp focus off my meditation and whether I should simply refrain from meditating tonight and wait until tomorrow?
I realize there are clear and obvious pitfalls to alcohol, and that in some (most) schools of Buddhism and meditation, alcohol is seen as quite unskillful and one is expected not to partake as it compromises meditation, but now and then I enjoy a drink, and wonder if others have had experiences with this, or any thoughts on the matter.
Thank you!
Love to you, and love to all beings,
Tim
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Comments
as meditation may be the closest thing to this i think it stands to reason, personally i'd get a lot more out of it sober, drinking to me is about forgetting, not learning new things, like wise for pot and all those other drugs, i mean if you do learn something from meditating how are you going to know it wasn't the drugs or alcohol talking,
for you tibetan followers would you want to be high when you go to hear the Dalai Lama speak, if your answer is yes i think you have a problem.....
Read it again.
What pineblossom said is that alcohol is a depressive.
And that's correct.
Excessive alcohol actually acts as an emotional downer, and causes the same chemical and electrical shifts within the brain as chronic depression does.
I've unfortunately known several alcoholics in my time, and all of them showed dramatic levels of depression, caused by excessive alcohol intake.
I encourage you to do some research, it's quite sobering (if you'll pardon the pun).
Put it this way - you'll never see an alcoholic who's happy. Why would you find Shift's advice 'shocking'?
Each person must see for themselves what the effects of doing or following something, would be. In order to gauge the effect of alcohol on Meditation, what better way for HappyMondays to see for themselves the difference in the state of meditation?
Shift wasn't encouraging HappyMondays to drink. Shift was encouraging happyMondays to compare.
There's a difference.... Everything in Moderation.
Including Moderation.
Moderation as in 'Policing this forum', trust me, I pull no punches when necessary.... :grr:
So, watch it. Don't mess around with other people's religion.
The Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation teaches that the things being consumed during Eucharist -- ostensibly bread and wine -- are in fact the flesh and blood of Jesus. They're not symbols of flesh and blood, they're not both bread/wine and flesh/blood. They are *solely* flesh and blood. There is no more bread-ness and wine-ness left. (This is different from a similar doctrine held by some Anglicans, known as consubstantiation.)
But the whole thing sits on Aristotle's idea of accidental properties and so allows for the fact that the flesh and blood appear *in every way* to be bread and wine. The bread will pass any bread-ness test and the wine any wine-ness test. They are flesh and blood *in the form of* bread and wine. Therefore although fables such as the one you relate are common, they are not orthodox Catholicism.
I tried, really I did.
That and a few other things......
I'm not saying that led me to believe in transubstantiation. But it made it possible to see it as at least a coherent position.
And even that confuses me.
but then, I'm in good company.
Many Buddhists find it difficult to understand that too....:)
However, transubstantiation requires belief.
non-duality is a logical premise.
I've had a fine crystal tumbler with bowmore whisky this evening. It is a rare treat.
It's not the best preparation for meditation though.
So, given that, what is the status -- belief or logical premise -- of your very own:
"...transubstantiation requires belief. non-duality is a logical premise."
You may find some internet research into the Buddhist concept of non-duality, well, at the risk of a bad joke, "enlightening".
But to BOTH of you (OMG Fed), this would take the thread off topic. This looks like a subject for a whole other thread.
Put down that sword, Fed.
for meditation? could be interesting to see how mindful you can be while intoxicated. though i don't see it being helpful lol. have fun.
It's an interesting topic, and it definitely throws a little question mark and some ambiguity into thinking about moral precepts of Buddhism. I definitely think that meditating while straight sober is far better, and I actually don't meditate when I've had a drink or two. I compared last night, and found that there was mild, MILD tiredness, but overall I felt quite relaxed and was able to be very aware and mindful of thoughts arising and passing away and was able to maintain my attention on the breath.
Again it had been several hours since I had last taken a sip, so much of the effects had begun to move on, and weren't that pronounced to begin with.
All the same, a nice experiment, but not one to repeat often at all:)
In Shambhala, it's also ok to enjoy and appreciate a glass of wine now and then. If one can be mindful and present, and one's intentions are balanced and sensible (very subjective and difficult to make any rules about), then it's fine, and even very enjoyable, and can be life-enriching.
I think there is a healthy zone between a strict adherence to not drinking ever, and enjoying a beer or two with friends, or a glass of wine, without it being a problem. One has to be aware and careful, and look at what it does, but I don't see it as harmful if you're intelligent and thoughtful about it.
As for meditation, it doesn't help really. Not the best thing, for sure.
Chogyam Trungpa WAS a heavy drinker however. Interesting. I'm not him though. No one is.
Also, any thoughts on caffeine's effects on meditation? I meditate in the morning before any coffee or tea, but meditate again at night, sometimes after one or two coffees in the day, and can feel it in me and my thoughts arising as I meditate.
Different drug I suppose!
Thank you again, all. May you be happy and free:)
Tim
So I hope you enjoy a few, but be sensitive or aware that it conditions your expectations, and its hard to walk away from. Its freaky I associate all kinds of behaviour with drinking and now I have some conditioned behaviour that puts me in the bind of trying to numb out my experience, but its a different setting and I am less forgiving while sober drinking NA beer or tea or coffee. So I am happy for the buzz but like I say its easy to crave.
This thread is about alcohol.
I am imagining a cakd dusted with powder sugar and that would go good with a porter I used to be big into microbrews.
To answer your question, yes, I have read what you mentioned. Neither support what you claim. I am open to your reasoning. So, please enlighten me on the basis of your perspective.
My tummy is expanding like a balloon, there are a lot of funny smells about and I can't sleep, let alone meditate.
Hmmm..... yet curry is the staple of many Buddhists.
It is a addictive drug like opium, etc.
It is tolerated in most cultures.
The negative aspects of drinking alcohol outweighs the positive.
Islam & Buddhism prohibits alcohol.
Alcohol is not prohibited in Buddhism.
I understand the negative effects more than most as I don't have contact with my family because I'm the only one that doesn't have a drink problem.
Of course, taken in excess results in many social ills, probably more so than recreational drugs. The odd drink, now and again is unlikely to lead us down the wrong path.
I'm sure more than a drink or two will cause meditation to go awry.
Otherwise there shouldn't be any major difficulties.
Why do people smoke? To fit in?
I derailed it, mea culpa (in my defence, not on my own.....) but let's stick to topic.
Thanks.
Not so fast. I believe in rebirth.