As with any action, it’s important to understand the intent behind one’s drinking. Some people drink as a form of escaping their reality rather than confronting it, understanding it, and accepting it. From the Buddhist perspective, that’s an unskillful approach to life that can cause unnecessary suffering to oneself and others. One of the main objectives of Buddhist practice is to gain greater insight into the nature of one’s own mind, and this task is nearly impossible when the mind is clouded. (It’s hard to do even when you’re totally sober!)
