[Buddha-l] Buddhism, drug use and LSD

[Stefan Detrez]

> Has there ever been "a" Buddhist point of view on mind bending substances?
> One thinks of some of the famous Zen monk poets who drank wine, of some
> schools' transmutation of sexual bliss into transcendent bliss, etc. Sex is
> also
> a mind altering experience, no?
> Perhaps this is a question that has to be settled on a personal basis, aside
> from the clear fifth precept about refraining from intoxicants (which has
> been extended at some point in time to other mind benders)--I don't see how
> anything could be more clear than that. But, is there any commentary on the
> fifth precept that explores the parameters?
> Joanna

The things I know about the 'better-not' on drug use are from
Sadhatissa and Harvey and the Pali canon. As far as I remember the
extention to other sbbustances than alcohol or post-canonical, i.e.,
the Canon commentary specifies what kind of fermented drink is meant
exactly, but does not extend it to other substances. Curiously enough,
hemp is frequently mentioned as a provider of fiber, but it fails to
give examples of it as drug. Maybe it was used as a drug on a large
scale and so normal that it was not worth mentioning, or its use was
marginal. I wouldn't know which one it is.

Harvey notes that some substances ranked as drugs are not regarded as
'mind altering'. For instance, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee
don't seem to lead to objections within both Thai and Japanese
communities. Some pharmaceutical substances are known to make people
drowsy, hyperalert, or lead concetrantion problems. Would those be
'allowed' on the assumption that the goal of their use is not 'mind
altering', but healing or as remedy? Such discussion gives the air of
the Catholic 'law of double effect'. It would be interesting to
elaborate on that, I think.
I also assume that the consumption of chocolate won't lead to much
exegetical debate either. It would be interesting to know what the
assumptions are to put particular 'mind altering' substances on the
'better-not'-list.

Stefan