any Buddhists...explain to me why Buddha banned drinking alcohol?

Question

if one drinks and does nothing wrong and sleep..how

Answer 1

The Buddha's main objection to alcohol and indeed to all recreational drugs was that it befuddles consciousness thus making mental development difficult. He also often warned against alcohol's negative social effects. Consequently abstaining from all recreational drugs including alcohol is the last of the five Precepts that all Buddhists are expected to practice.
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For his lay followers the Buddha has prescribed five precepts as the minimal moral observance: abstinence from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and the use of intoxicants. He did not lay down these precepts arbitrarily or out of compliance with ancient customs, but because he understood, with his omniscient knowledge, which lines of conduct lead to our welfare and happiness and which lead to harm and suffering. The fifth precept, it should be stressed, is not a pledge merely to abstain from intoxication or from excessive consumption of liquor. It calls for nothing short of total abstinence. By this rule the Buddha shows that he has understood well the subtle, pernicious nature of addiction. Alcoholism rarely claims its victims in a sudden swoop. Usually it sets in gradually, beginning perhaps with the social icebreaker, the drink among friends, or the cocktail after a hard day's work. But it does not stop there: slowly it sinks its talons into its victims' hearts until they are reduced to its helpless prey.

To dispel any doubt about his reasons for prescribing this precept, the Buddha has written the explanation into the rule itself: one is to refrain from the use of intoxicating drinks and drugs because they are the cause of heedlessness (pamada). Heedlessness means moral recklessness, disregard for the bounds between right and wrong. It is the loss of heedfulness (appamada), moral scrupulousness based on a keen perception of the dangers in unwholesome states. Heedfulness is the keynote of the Buddhist path, "the way to the Deathless," running through all three stages of the path: morality, concentration, and wisdom. To indulge in intoxicating drinks is to risk falling away from each stage. The use of alcohol blunts the sense of shame and moral dread and thus leads almost inevitably to a breach of the other precepts. One addicted to liquor will have little hesitation to lie or steal, will lose all sense of sexual decency, and may easily be provoked even to murder. Hard statistics clearly confirm the close connection between the use of alcohol and violent crime, not to speak of traffic accidents, occupational hazards, and disharmony within the home. Alcoholism is indeed a most costly burden on the whole society.

When the use of intoxicants eats away at even the most basic moral scruples, little need be said about its corrosive influence on the two higher stages of the path. A mind besotted by drink will lack the alertness required for meditative training and certainly won't be able to make the fine distinctions between good and bad mental qualities needed to develop wisdom. The Buddhist path in its entirety is a discipline of sobriety, a discipline which demands the courage and honesty to take a long, hard, utterly sober look at the sobering truths about existence. Such courage and honesty will hardly be possible for one who must escape from truth into the glittering but fragile fantasyland opened up by drink and drugs.

It may well be that a mature, reasonably well-adjusted person can enjoy a few drinks with friends without turning into a drunkard or a murderous fiend. But there is another factor to consider: namely, that this life is not the only life we lead. Our stream of consciousness does not terminate with death but continues on in other forms, and the form it takes is determined by our habits, propensities, and actions in this present life. The possibilities of rebirth are boundless, yet the road to the lower realms is wide and smooth, the road upward steep and narrow. If we were ordered to walk along a narrow ledge overlooking a sharp precipice, we certainly would not want to put ourselves at risk by first enjoying a few drinks. We would be too keenly aware that nothing less than our life is at stake. If we only had eyes to see, we would realize that this is a perfect metaphor for the human condition, as the Buddha himself, the One with Vision, confirms (see SN 56:42). As human beings we walk along a narrow ledge, and if our moral sense is dulled we can easily topple over the edge, down to the plane of misery, from which it is extremely difficult to re-emerge.

But it is not for our own sakes alone, nor even for the wider benefit of our family and friends, that we should heed the Buddha's injunction to abstain from intoxicants. To do so is also part of our personal responsibility for preserving the Buddha's Sasana. The Teaching can survive only as long as its followers uphold it, and in the present day one of the most insidious corruptions eating away at the entrails of Buddhism is the extensive spread of the drinking habit among those same followers. If we truly want the Dhamma to endure long, to keep the path to deliverance open for all the world, then we must remain heedful. If the current trend continues and more and more Buddhists succumb to the lure of intoxicating drinks, we can be sure that the Teaching will perish in all but name. At this very moment of history when its message has become most urgent, the sacred Dhamma of the Buddha will be irreparably lost, drowned out by the clinking of glasses and our rounds of merry toasts.

Answer 2

no way! is this a fact or are you kidding? Intoxicants were forbidden in the Qur'an through several separate verses revealed at different times over a period of years. At first, it was forbidden for Muslims to attend to prayers while intoxicated (4:43). Then a later verse was revealed which said that alcohol contains some good and some evil, but the evil is greater than the good (2:219). This was the next step in turning people away from consumption of it. Finally, "intoxicants and games of chance" were called "abominations of Satan's handiwork," intended to turn people away from God and forget about prayer, and Muslims were ordered to abstain (5:90-91).

Answer 3

The fifth precept is: I undertake to abstain from intoxicating drugs or drink. This is really simple and to the point. The Buddha sees alcoholic drinks as something to be avoided and for a variety of reasons, both social and spiritual.

He says that drinking is a waste of money, there is a increased risk of quarreling, it can lead to sickness, loss of reputation, indecent exposure, it is not conducive to developing wisdom and it also affects memory adversely.

Developing one's mind is the path to wisdom which in turn leads to personal freedom. Mental development also strengthens and controls our mind; this helps us maintain good conduct.

Answer 4

Sista! has said it most eloquently and has reached the heart of the matter, it gave me goosebumps actually and I'm sorry that I couldn't give her a much higher rating she deserves a 5 I learned a lot about my own lack of understanding thanks Sista! You've got a very good insight we can learn a lot from you

. The Dharma is quite clear and the reasons are easily seen in our own experience. Go to a bar and observe alcohol's insidious effect, try and speak to anyone imbibing and you'll see the chatic patterns of the inebriated mind.

The Lord Buddha warns us and it is for us to know the truth of the human condition. To know it we must see and understand. To evolve fully is a tough enough job without burdening ourselves with poisons. Very straightforward, to keep ourselves alert and in Proper Mind...another of the Noble Virtues...takes practice and strength...alcohol destroys brain cells which can't be replaced...this self destruction is against the Dharma's message to refrain from killing....so when you're imbibing you are doing wrong by the Dharma and ultimately by yourself as well as earning negative Karma and falling from the path with the possibility of causing further harm by harming other beings including people...an all round negative....

Peace my friend....

Answer 5

I think cause back in the day the way the system was done they were not made to control alcohol and maybe due to a shortage only certain types were aloud not aying theywere all the same but close toit.

Answer 6

Sadhu to Gregory and Sista for a very good answer.Just like to add that the fifth precept is not a commandment.Buddhists voluntarily discipline themselves to abstain from it.

Answer 7

alcohol inhibits a persons ability to remain in control of their thoughts and actions. it may lead to poor decisions and actioins that may harm another person.

it has no benefits (in fact it is a poison) administered in small doses with the intent of affecting the thought processes

Answer 8

One of the Five Precepts is to abstain from any intoxicant that clouds the mind

Answer 9

Drinking is a method to not feel or be present in your emotions and buddhism is based on self-realization and you need to feel your emotions to contemplate where they are coming from,,,,which attachement,,,,,

Answer 10

Alcohol is the destroyer of the spirit; and besides that it makes you stupid, obnoxious, beligerent and anti-social.