In one occasion, the Buddha was
touring for alms in the Cetiya country, set out for Bhaddavatika. Cowherds,
goatherds, yeomen farmers, travellers saw the Buddha coming from afar, and
seeing him they spoke thus to the Buddha: Do not, lord, let the lord go to
Ambatittha; lord, in Ambatittha a serpent lives in a matted-haired ascetic’s
hermitage; he has psychic potency, he is a terribly venomous snake; do not let
him hurt the lord. When they had spoken thus, the Buddha became silent. And a
second time ......and a third time cowherds, goatherds, yeomen farmers,
travellers spoke thus to the lord:
Do not, lord, let the lord go to
Ambatittha; ........do not let him hurt the lord. And a third time the lord
became silent. Then the Buddha, touring for alms, in the course of time arrived
at Bhaddavatika. The lord stayed there at Bhaddavatika.
Then the venerable Sagata approached
the hermitage of the matted-hair ascetic of Ambatittha, and having approached,
having entered the fire-room, having made ready the grass mat, he sat down
cross-legged, the back erect, having caused mindfulness to be present in front
of the Serpent. Then that serpent, seeing that the venerable Sagata had
entered, bad at heart, blew forth smoke. And the venerable Sagata blew forth
smoke. Then that serpent, not conquering anger, blazed up, and the venerable
Sagata, having attained to the condition of heat, blazed up. Then the venerable
Sagata, having mastered by heat that serpent’s heat, approached Bhaddavatika.
Then the Buddha, having stayed at
Bhaddavatika for as long as he found suitable, departed on an alms-tour to
Kosambi. Lay followers of kosambi heard: they say that master Sagata came into
conflict with the serpent of Ambatittha.
Then the lord, touring for alms, in
the course of time arrived at Kosambi. Then the lay followers of Kosambi,
having met the lord, approached the venerable Sagata: having approached, having
greeted the venerable Sagata, they stood at a respectful distance.
As they were standing at a respectful
distance, the lay followers of Kosambi spoke thus to the venerable Sagata: Honored
sir, what is hard for the masters to obtain, and liked (by them)? What may we
give?
When they had spoken thus, the group
of six monks spoke thus to the lay followers of Kosambi: There is, your reverence,
spirituous liquor called white spirits, it is hard for the monks to obtain, and
liked (by them). Give that.
Then the lay followers of Kosambi
having given the spirituous liquor, white spirits, in house after house, seeing
that the venerable Sagata had entered for alms food, spoke thus to the
venerable Sagata: Honored sir, let master Sagata drink the spirituous liquor,
white spirits; honored sir, let master Sagata drink the spirituous liquor,
white spirits.
Then the venerable Sagata, having
drunk the spirituous liquor, white spirits, in house after house, as he was
departing from the town fell down at the town gate. Then the Buddha, departing
from the town with a great company of monks, saw the venerable Sagata fallen
down at the town gate; seeing him, he addressed the monks, saying: Monks, take
up Sagata.
Yes, lord, and these monks having
answered the lord, having led the venerable Sagata to the monastery, made him lie
down with his head towards the Buddha. Then
the venerable Sagata, having turned round, went to sleep with his feet towards
the lord.
The lord addressed the monks, saying:
Monks, formerly was not Sagata respectful, defer-entail towards the Tathagata?
Yes, lord.
But, monks, is Sagata respectful,
deferential towards the tathagata now?
No, lord.
Monks, did not Sagata come into
conflict with the serpent of Ambatittha?
Yes, lord.
But, monks, is Sagata able to come
into conflict with the serpent of Ambatittha now?
No, lord.
But, monks, could he become
unconscious, having drunk that which may be drunk?
No, lord.
Monks, it is not fitting for Sagata,
it is not becoming, it is not suitable, it is not worthy of a recluse, it is
not allowable; it is not to be done. How, monks can Sagata drink strong drink? It
is not, monks, for pleasing those who are not yet pleased......and thus, monks,
this rule of training should be set forth: In drinking fermented liquor and
spirits there is an offence of expiation.
From this very story, we clearly see
the Buddha attitude toward alcohol. Alcohol or intoxicating drink made people
who drunk lost their control, lost their mindfulness which is opposite to the Buddha’s
teaching.
human being is the higher living
being among all living animals in this planet because they have higher quality
of thought, mindfulness or other qualities that the animal do not have. With
the Buddha’s teaching human being can improve those qualities even higher that
can reach to the highest level as the Buddha.
Drinking alcohol or any other
intoxicant made them lost those qualities or reduces them lower. The human qualities
can destroy by drinking alcohol or any other intoxicant. Therefore, the Buddha advises
better not to drink that kind of intoxicant. But, rather, Buddhists tried to
improve their human qualities through practice insight meditation that they
could gained insight knowledge or made their human qualities higher.
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