re: alcohol

[Guest guest]

hi Jagannath

 

I appreciate David Frawley's insightful comments here, and the

balanced perspective from which he addresses the issues

 

it is clear that the vast majority of indian spiritual traditions,

excluding some of the tantric sects, suggest that the aspirant avoid

alcohol consumption - in my experience, there is no question over how

alcohol and drugs affect the mind

 

alcoholism has been a perennial issue in every society, except

"primitive" hunter-gatherer groups that never developed the

technology to make it

 

in Ayurveda, alcoholism is given a thorough exposition, and clearly

has been an issue in India for a very long time, as well as other

ancient cultures in China and the Middle East

 

it is interesting to juxtapose the identified problems with alcohol

consumption however, with the its many virtues as rendered in the

Ayurvedic texts

 

for example, in his exposition in alcoholism (madatyayadi chikitsita,

chikitsa sthana 7:54-67), Vagbhata extolls the virtues of wine, how

it gave "splendour" to the Ashvins, "knowledge" to Sarasvati,

"valour" to Indra etc, was used in the sautramani (soma sacrifice),

and to paraphrase further, can help make one more playful and liven

up a good party, and when consumed wisely, prevents diseases of vata

and kapha

 

Vagbhata clearly indicates that wine is a beverage for the

householder, for those wishing to enjoy their wealth and prosperity,

and in fact, to protect prosperity, by making one more generous and

congenial; as he says "if he does not drink wine at least once, what

else can he enjoy in the troublesome life as a householder?"

 

some may say that alcohol inhibits spirituality, but i have seen

highly realized practitioners "indulge" on occasion (and sometimes

more often), and according to the Uttarakhanda of the Valmiki

Ramayana did not Rama and Sita pass their time at Ayodhya drinking

wine while engaged in other leisurely pursuits?

 

even in Islam, in which alcohol is prohibited, sufi poets like Hafez,

Sa'adi and Rumi all use wine as a metaphor for divine intoxication,

and it is also clear that sometimes their verses refer to the real

stuff and its capacity to facilitate a feeling of divinity...

 

personally, i find significant amounts of alcohol to be a big

inhibitor of my capacity to concentrate and definitely affects my

meditation and focus so i tend to avoid it; but every so often a

little wine with meals has no discernible effect, and is helpful in

winter to digest the heavier food; in summer however, alcohol and

other heating foods are best avoided

 

best... todd caldecott

 

 

 

On 24-Jul-06, at 5:55 AM, ayurveda wrote:

Ayurveda, the medical branch of Hindu dharma, contains clearly

defined views on the use alcohol. Ayurveda uses alcohol as a solvent

for extracting the active ingredients of certain herbs. Tinctures are

used in western herbalism in the same way. Ayurveda also prepares

special herbal wines called asavas and arishtas. Herbal wines are

regarded as particularly good medicines to take for a weak digestion

and as relaxants for stress. Ayurveda recognizes that certain

alcoholic beverages (like wine) can have health benefits, like

improving digestion or circulation, but only taken in moderation.