Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Every other week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha was on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? "What Would Sid Do?" is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.
Every other week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Here Sid is not yet a buddha; he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it: you and I are Sid.
This week's question comes from Chuck: "On another blog you mentioned 'Right Drinking' in one of your posts. What is that? I often drink too much. How can I make drinking not be detrimental to my meditation path?"
To start off, I should note that nowhere in Buddhist texts will you find the term "Right Drinking." I first mentioned it in my post on whether or not our fictional Sid would take a job as a bartender. (I said he would.) But in fact, many traditional Buddhist teachers stick pretty strongly to the whole "I undertake the vow to abstain from intoxicants that cause heedlessness" thing.
more..http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lodro-rinzler/buddhism-and-alcohol-what_b_695369.html