BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

The Alcoholic Drink Chapter Chapter 8.6Non-offenses. The Vibhaṅga states that there is no offense in taking items that arenon-alcoholic, but whose color, taste, or smell is like alcoholThere is also no offense in taking alcohol "cooked in broth, meat, or oil." TheCommentary interprets the first two items as referring to sauces, stews, and meatdishes to which alcoholic beverages, such as wine, are added for flavoring beforethey are cooked. Because the alcohol would evaporate during the cooking, it wouldhave no intoxicating effect. Foods containing unevaporated alcohol — such as rumbabas — would not be included under this allowance.As for alcohol cooked in oil, this refers to a medicine used in the Buddha's time forafflictions of the "wind element." The Mahāvagga (VI.14.1) allows this medicine foruse only as long as the taste, color, and smell of the alcohol are not perceptible.From this point, the Vinaya-mukha argues that morphine and other narcotics usedas pain killers are allowable as well.In addition, the non-offense clauses contain a phrase that can be read in twodifferent ways. The first way would be, "With regard to molasses and emblicmyrobalan, (there is no offense) if he drinks unfermented ariṭṭha." This is the waythe Commentary interprets the phrase, which it explains as follows: Ariṭṭha is thename of an aged medicine, made from emblic myrobalan, etc., whose color taste,and smell are like alcohol, but which is not alcoholic. This item, however, wouldseem to come under the first non-offense clause. Another way to read the phrasewould be to take ariṭṭha as an adjective, which would yield, "With regard tomolasses and emblic myrobalan, (there is no offense) if he drinks what has notfermented and not turned bad." Perhaps the mixture of emblic myrobalan andmolasses was used to make a type of toddy, in which case the allowance wouldgrant permission for the mixture to be drunk before it had fermented. This allowancecould then be extended to liquids like apple cider consumed before it has turnedalcoholic.Summary: Taking an intoxicant is a pācittiya offense regardless of whether one isaware that it is an intoxicant.52. Tickling with the fingers is to be confessed."Now at that time some group-of-six bhikkhus were making one of the group ofseventeen laugh by tickling him with their fingers. Convulsed with laughter andunable to catch his breath, he died."There are three factors for the full offense here.1) Object: another bhikkhu.2) Effort: One touches any part of his body with any part of one's own body3) Intention: for fun.359