dblaney said:

I've always been uncertain about this topic. Sometimes I think that alcohol is a wonderful thing, helping to break down boundaries between people, and breaking down or even silencing the conceptual mind. However, it also inflames the passions and can foster hatred and powerful mindlessness. It is also addicting.

In the Buddhist tradition, there is the precept against intoxication, which, in its literal sense, prohibits the consumption of alcohol. Yet there are many stories of teachers and masters drinking copious amounts of alcohol, and even becoming addicted. In recent times, Maezumi Roshi died from drowning in a bathtub while he was drunk. Alan Watts as well, was an alcoholic.

So I really don't know what to make of it, if anything. More and more it seems that no universal judgment can be made of it, yet I still come back to the universal precept against intoxication.

What do you think? Does alcohol have a value? Is it a siren? Is it an angel? Should it be avoided, or used wisely? Or for that matter, is it even compatible with wisdom?

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MarkostheGnostic said:

It's 1:42 AM, I'm on spring break, I'm sipping the last half glass of Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon, an Australian wine which I affectionately refer to as [Kanga]'Roo Piss.' The '04 is really plum-y - nice, smooth finish. The 05' is not as good, the '06 sucks but is still better than equally priced bottles at $6.99-$7.99.

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MarkostheGnostic said:

It's 1:42 AM, I'm on spring break, I'm sipping the last half glass of Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon, an Australian wine which I affectionately refer to as [Kanga]'Roo Piss.' The '04 is really plum-y - nice, smooth finish. The 05' is not as good, the '06 sucks but is still better than equally priced bottles at $6.99-$7.99. We drink a bottle per night, but m'Lady still has gastroenteritis, so I'm sipping alone.

We don't get drunk on 1/2 bottle each, and tolerance or withdrawal does not occur - we've skipped nights, or double nights with no effect. The phyto chemicals are good for the heart, the relaxation and taste are nice. I still get the same buzz, night after night. Amazing. We only drink red wines, our livers are fine, our lungs are fine, no adiction, no cannabis-like memory loss, apathy, paranoia, munchies or confusion.

Just sharing our experience here. I went for 10 solid years without drinking any alcohol because of migraines. It's nice to be able to drink a humble table wine and eat some Jarlsburg, Edam or Gouda cheese, maybe a nice imported Cheddar. My Jewish family used wine at Passover. Later, I became a Christian. If Jesus walked the Earth, I believe He drank wine. When I was a late teen, I'd roll down leafy hills on a warm Saturday afternoon, drunk as hell with a half gallon of Spanada in hand, like a mythic Dionysius. I'm older now, but New Years Eve '06, I was buck naked, long hair out, statesmetal 'Forevermore' goblet of red wine in hand, staggering around the backyard in the middle of the night, pissing hand's free on coconut palms. Ah Dionysius! Ah Jesus! Amen.

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Haha, love it. 

MarkostheGnostic said:

http://www.hawkwynd.com/friends/ 

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Icelander said:

I personally don't like the stuff. It's got a poor high and I feel poisoned later.

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Later? There is only the NOW, oh noble warrior.