Synonyms
Liquor, spirits, intoxicant; Surāmerayamadya (Sanskrit); Surāmerayamajja (Pāli)
Definition
Drinks containing intoxicating liquids produced by fermentation or distillation and the consumption of such drinks.
Historical Background
Despite the great diversity of Buddhist traditions across various countries, Buddhism in general has restricted the consumption of alcohol since early times. The production and consumption of alcoholic drinks were already known in India before the time of the Buddha, with archeological evidence showing that alcohol was being consumed during the pre-Vedic Indus civilization (ca. 2300 B.C.E.) ([1], p. 9). Medical texts of the post-Vedic period address issues of moderate and excessive drinking which indicate that it was a widespread social phenomenon during that time ([1], p. 10). In the second half of the first millennium B.C.E., Buddhism and Jainism developed, both advocating strict alcohol abstinence.
Different Types of Alcoholic Drinks
Buddhist...
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Scheuermann, R. (2017). Alcoholic Drinks and Drinking (Buddhism). In: Sarao, K.T.S., Long, J.D. (eds) Buddhism and Jainism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_150
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