Sunday, February 3, 2013

middle-path of Alcohol consumption

Question:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ah6JFoslt3aLXDU_S3BJ_pohBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20130131155547AAmZtua

Is there a middle-path of Alcohol consumption for some religious Buddhists?

One of the five percepts in Buddhism is:
'Surameraya majjapamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami'
majja = an intoxicant

I have come across some so-called ' hard-core religious Buddhists from birth' who interpret the above precept to justify their alcohol addiction.

This is how they do it:

'majja pama dattana' meaning, it is ok to have liquor "mada pamanin" (a small dose!)
majja/madya=middle
pamana/pramana=quantity

http://lankaenews.rsf.org/English/newsf9…
Read the comment Posted By: Calistus Jayatilleke



Answer:

1 comment:

  1. Pali word "majja" means intoxicant. No Pali language dictionary -as far as I know- gives the meaning as "mada pamanin" and that is wrong. Meaning of the fifth precept is that you refrain from "pramadayata" - getting delayed or prevented from going on the path to Nirvana by taking intoxicants.

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