Buddhism and alcohol

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User1249x
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by User1249x »

Dhajagga Sutta: The Top of the Standard

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the monks, "Monks!"

"Yes, lord," the monks responded to him.

The Blessed One said, "Monks, once the devas & asuras were arrayed for battle. Then Sakka, the chief of the devas, addressed the devas of the Thirty-three: 'If, dear sirs, when the devas have gone into battle, there should arise fear, terror, or horripilation, then on that occasion you should catch sight of the top of my standard. For when you have caught sight of the top of my standard, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is will be abandoned.

"'If you can't catch sight of the top of my standard, then you should catch sight of the top of the deva-king Pajapati's standard. For when you have caught sight of the top of the deva-king Pajapati's standard, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is will be abandoned.

"'If you can't catch sight of the top of the deva-king Pajapati's standard, then you should catch sight of the top of the deva-king Varuna's standard. For when For when you have caught sight of the top of the deva-king Varuna's standard, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is will be abandoned.

"'If you can't catch sight of the top of the deva-king Varuna's standard, then you should catch sight of the top of the deva-king Isana's standard. For when you have caught sight of the top of the deva-king Isana's standard, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is will be abandoned.'

"But, monks, when the top of the deva-chief Sakka's standard is caught sight of, or when the top of the deva-king Pajapati's standard is caught sight of, or when the top of the deva-king Varuna's standard is caught sight of, or when the top of the deva-king Isana's standard is caught sight of, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is may be abandoned or may not be abandoned. Why is that? Because Sakka the chief of the devas is not devoid of passion, not devoid of aversion, not devoid of delusion. He feels fear, feels terror, feels dread. He runs away.

"But I tell you this: If — when you have gone into the wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building — there should arise fear, terror, or horripilation, then on that occasion you should recollect me: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.' For when you have recollected me, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is will be abandoned.

"If you can't recollect me, then you should recollect the Dhamma: 'The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves.' For when you have recollected the Dhamma, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation there is will be abandoned.

"If you can't recollect the Dhamma, then you should recollect the Sangha: 'The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well... who have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully — in other words, the four types of noble disciples when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individual types [1] — they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the unexcelled field of merit for the world.' For when you have recollected the Sangha, whatever fear, terror, or horripilation where is will be abandoned. Why is that? Because the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — is devoid of passion, devoid of aversion, devoid of delusion. He feels no fear, feels no terror, feels no dread. He doesn't run away."

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One-well-gone, the Teacher, further said this:

In the wilderness,
in the shade of a tree,
in an empty building, monks,
recollect the Buddha.
Your fear won't exist.

If you can't recall the Buddha
— best in the world,
the bull of men —
then you should recall the Dhamma:
leading outward, well-taught.

If you can't recall the Dhamma
— leading outward,
well-taught —
then you should recall the Sangha:
the field of merit unexcelled.

When thus recalling
the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha, monks,
there'll be no horripilation,
terror,
or fear.
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oncereturner
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

No success, it's too much stress. I almost broke my leg on the streets going to work, nearly crying from pain.

Doctor was right, he said that stress of this job is beyond my tolerance level. This cannot be levelled out with medicines. Interesting though, I only crave when I do this job. It's not for a recovering alcoholic, it's not for me.

Edit

I call this job a meat grinder, I always forget about dhamma and Buddha.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
binocular
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by binocular »

oncereturner wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:38 pmDoctor was right, he said that stress of this job is beyond my tolerance level. This cannot be levelled out with medicines. Interesting though, I only crave when I do this job. It's not for a recovering alcoholic, it's not for me.

Edit

I call this job a meat grinder, I always forget about dhamma and Buddha.
In that case, the solution seems simple enough: focus on finding a new job right now. Perhaps that way, you can solve two problems at once: find a livelihood that is closer to Right Livelihood, and quit alcohol.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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oncereturner
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

binocular wrote: Thu Apr 19, 2018 11:31 am
oncereturner wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:38 pmDoctor was right, he said that stress of this job is beyond my tolerance level. This cannot be levelled out with medicines. Interesting though, I only crave when I do this job. It's not for a recovering alcoholic, it's not for me.

Edit

I call this job a meat grinder, I always forget about dhamma and Buddha.
lre
In that case, the solution seems simple enough: focus on finding a new job right now. Perhaps that way, you can solve two problems at once: find a livelihood that is closer to Right Livelihood, and quit alcohol.
Agreed, it's simple. They ordered an overtime for Saturday, and next week. Impossible deadlines, if I do the deadline, I will be "rewarded" even more work, it's neverending. They don't care about our health. I'm alredy dead tired. I'm forced to lying to everyone, tricking, to do the deadline.

Only solution is to leave this job immediately, even if I don't have another, and get treatment.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
User1249x
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by User1249x »

ImageImage
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oncereturner
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

Rip Verne Troyer "little me" And Avicii dj, both died from alcoholism recently.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
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oncereturner
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

I actually left this job, no money can buy health.

:anjali:
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by binocular »

Make sure you get your health back in order, and then find a better job.
Good luck!
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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oncereturner
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Location: Hungary

Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

binocular wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 6:31 pm Make sure you get your health back in order, and then find a better job.
Good luck!
Boss doesn't let me go. I thought this has ended, but even more work and overtime is ordered. Holiday request is refused. Interesting though.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
auto
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Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:02 pm

Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by auto »

Thing is anyone who could produce the feelings what alcohol is producing for you has same power over you what alcohol addiction has over you.
Any event what induces same feelings what alcohol is you will be a goer or doer doesn't matter if it is morally wrong or a bad thing you are not able to say no.

You can't say no, there is an empty lonely feeling someone has to produce to you, someone needs reject you so you use that feeling to quit alcohol for shame. Drunk person thinks he is wanted and is special, has very high ego so if that gets hurt you lose sensual desire based drinking.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ati/tip ... .wlsh.html

[A monk said:] "'Dhamma-teacher, Dhamma-teacher' they say, Lord."
"If, monk, anyone teaches a doctrine of disenchantment[1] with decay-and-death, of dispassion[2] [leading to] its cessation, that suffices for him to be called a monk who teaches Dhamma.[3]
"If anyone has trained himself in this disenchantment with decay-and-death, in dispassion[4] [leading to] its cessation, that suffices for him to be called a monk who is trained in what is in conformity with Dhamma.[5]
"If anyone, through disenchantment with decay-and-death, through dispassion [leading to] its cessation, is liberated from grasping, that suffices for him to be called one who has attained Nibbaana in this life."[6]
[The same three distinctions are made in respect of birth... ignorance]

Notes
1.
Nibbidaa: sometimes rendered "revulsion," but this suffers from the defect of suggesting too strong an emotional reaction. "Disenchantment" covers it better.
2.
Viraaga is quite literally "dis-passion." The syntax of this sentence is rather curious, but the meaning is clear enough.
3.
This gives a clear indication of the minimum standard required for anyone (today, in the West, often a lay person) setting up as a teacher of Buddhism. It denotes a "worldling" (puthujjana, i.e., one who has not "entered the stream") who has the basic intellectual knowledge mentioned here.
4.
This one is a sekha "trainee," i.e., one who has at least "entered the stream" (and thus knows in part from experience), but is not an Arahant.
5.
His training is proceeding along the right path.
6.
He is an asekha ("non-trainee," i.e., one who has finished his training), an Arahant.
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oncereturner
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

It's my fifth day of sobriety, I feel much better. :)

:namaste:
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
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oncereturner
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Re: Buddhism and alcohol

Post by oncereturner »

After 11 days, I gave up. I go to rehab hospital soon, only doctors can help now. My only advice is never try it if possible.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech."

— SN 45.8
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