[Buddha-l] Buddhism, drug use and LSD

Stefan Detrez stefan.detrez at gmail.com
Mon Mar 28 10:52:54 MST 2005


One of the precepts says it's forbidden to drink fermented fruit
juice, and by extension, not to use any substance that can alter you
mind. Wouldn't it be more 'buddhaic' to say that you shouldn't get
carried away too much with drug use in general, but it's not
forbidden? To stay in the middle?

And suppose someone took LSD to do vipassana. In what way is this
person's samadhi 'less' or 'ungenuine' compared to intensive 'clean'
meditation? I have some experience with LSD and know that it's given
me a spiritual experience of oneness with the cosmos and gave me
insight in my place in the world I still carry in my heart. I can
honestly say the experience had characteristics which are similar to
what I've read about mysticism and 'sudden insights' in to the fabric
of being.

Can drugs enhance the enlightenment experience without being
stigmatized as artificial?

Stefan


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