Should practitioners stop using drugs?

[Jikan]

When I began practicing Buddhism seriously after some time dabbling, around age 20, I gave up drinking entirely and was a perfect tee-totaller for a decade. This is primarily because I didn't trust myself, and I didn't trust myself because I knew I couldn't be trusted with beer in my belly not to make a first-class fool of myself and cause harm to others. So I avoided it.

Since then, under the guidance of my teacher, I've figured out I am not the same loudmouth kid I was when I was twenty. Practice has changed me. So I allow myself a beer sometimes with a meal, or a glass of wine.

[conebeckham]

Thanks again for the responses. I will close this discussion with these two facts, no one has become enlightened through drug use, and DMT= Space Elves

LOL, gotta agree!

I'm not "anti-drug" by any means. But I don't think they're the answer. I suppose you could view them as tools....but they're dangerous, and double-sided. Including alcohol.

[catmoon]

I've always found alcohol to be really bad for meditation. If I'm going to have a beer or three, I have to factor in two or three days of bad meditation, even without a hangover.

[conebeckham]

Intoxication definitely does my practice no good.

[CrawfordHollow]

Jerry was my shaman!

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[seeker242]

Hi all, a question in another thread got me thinking about this subject. In my past I had a bad drug addiction which nearly killed me. I've posted a little about this before. Obviously not everyone who uses drugs becomes a junkie and overdoses- my experience represents one extreme on the spectrum of drug users. Is it then acceptable to be a recreational drug user of any kind while practicing Buddhism? For me this was not possilble. My spiritual path had no room for drugs of any kind, including alcohol. The Dharma is not a Twelve Step Program, but for me it definately saved my life. I would be curious to hear other people's perspective regarding this. Is it univerally wrong for Buddhists to use drugs, or is it up to the practitioner to decide what is best for them in given situation? I am somewhat new here to DW, so if this is a topic that has already been discussed to death you can kindly tell me to shut up. Thanks guys, I am interested to hear your responses.

Troy

If practitioners want to keep the precepts pure, which they should want to if they are serious, then yes they should not use drugs as recreational drug use is a precepts violation. It is universally a precepts violation, but yes every practitioner has to decide for themselves if they actually want to keep the precepts pure or not

IMO

[oushi]

Thx God I didn't take any.

[MrBrad]

I do not want to tell anyone what to do, and strongly favor legalizing most drugs because making them illegal turns out to be, in my opinion, an ill bargain.

On the other hand I feel that since in Buddhism we are attempting to develop and control the mind we should turn away from drugs. I believe drugs only diminish our mental capabilities, never enhance. I appreciate other may hold the opposite view. Having some experience with drugs and with higher meditation states I can see that drugs can sometimes produce a similar state which could lead a reasonable person to believe it was enhancing the process.

I believe the high from drugs is like fools gold. You get excited for a few minutes until you you realize it cannot be cashed in. I believe drugs can make you feel like you are getting somewhere that day in your practice, but in fact I believe your practice will not advance but instead be arrested.

Back in the 60s some people did seek enlightenment through drugs. Decades later our best gurus are the dedicated meditators not the dedicated drug users.

[lobster]

Here is a tip on your past

Go get an addiction.

A dharma addiction.

[Nighthawk]

I love taking alcohol once in a while but then again I'm a non meditating pure lander so it doesn't really matter.