punkdbass
I will be what I will be
On the subject of intoxicants, all I will say is that the emphasis is not on the substances going into the body, it is on the mental states being produced.
Interesting, I haven't thought of it like that before but I like this explanation. But I guess the question then becomes -- are the mental states caused by the drug (e.g. alcohol or marijuana) supportive of wholesome states of mind, or are they supporting unwholesome states of mind? Definitely a tricky question to answer because drugs effect everyone slightly differently. The placebo effect, or one's state of mind going into the drug use can greatly effect the outcome -- the point being that the mental states being produced by the drug will differ for individuals. A Rastafarian who thinks that smoking a bowl will lead to a spiritual experience is more likely to experience a positive state of mind after doing so. Whereas a paranoiac who thinks that smoking a bowl will cause him to go crazy, will most likely lead to him experiencing a negative state of mind after doing so. Perhaps it is simpler to just recommend avoiding drugs as the Buddha does. Given that our minds are already polluted by enough greed, hatred, and delusion as it is, perhaps it is best to just not add drugs to the equation -- although I am open minded to the possibility of people being able to successfully do so. Anyhow, I digress.