The Precept Against Consuming Intoxicants

"The Precept Against Consuming Intoxicants"
Excerpted from Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

As for not drinking alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages are of three kinds: the first is alcohol made from grain. The second is alcohol made from fruit. the third is alcohol made from herbs. As for alcohol made from fruit, it includes grapes and the fruit of the ari.s.taka tree. All sorts of others such as these are known as alcohol from fruit. As for alcohol from herbs, this refers to all manner of herbs which, when combined with rice or wheat and sugar cane juice, can turn into alcohol. This includes also alcohol from the milk of hooved animals. One can produce alcohol from any fermented milk. To summarize, whether it is dry or wet or clear or turbid, all such things as these which are able to influence a person's mind to move or backslide are referred to as alcoholic beverages. One should not drink any of them. This is what is meant by not drinking alcoholic beverages.