"When a drunken man falls from a carriage, though the carriage may be going very fast, he won't be killed. He has bones and joints the same as other men, and yet he is not injured as they would be, because his spirit is whole. He didn't know he was riding, and he doesn't know he has fallen out. Life and death, alarm and terror do not enter his breast, and so he can bang against things without fear of injury. If he can keep himself whole like this by means of wine, how much more can he keep himself whole by means of Heaven! The sage hides himself in Heaven - hence there is nothing that can do him harm."~ from Chapter 19, Burton Watson translation ~
While being in a drunken stupor will turn none of us into Superman or Wonder Woman, there still is much truth to the passage above. We often hear or read of news reports about drunken individuals involved in serious accidents who somehow manage to walk away unscathed. Everyone else involved sustains serious injuries, but not the inebriated one!
Profound drunkenness (I am told as I have no firsthand experience) robs us of the capacity to understand the ramifications and danger of situations and our own actions. Where a sober person might feel great fear and terror, the drunk laughs and forges straight ahead undeterred.
So, is this passage heralding a drunken lifestyle? Of course not! The problem with drunkenness is that it clouds our judgment to such an extent that we endanger the lives and sanity of others by our "devil may care" attitude. The drunk who foolishly decides to get behind the wheel and causes a tragic accident may well walk away with little more than a few scratches, but the carnage caused to others may be irreversible!
For me, this represents the key difference between being "drunk" on Tao and drunk on alcohol or drugs. When we are drunk on the former, our words and actions benefit all. When we choose to become drunk on the latter, we're doing nothing more than falling prey to our own craven desires.
To be drunk on the Way is to be selfLESS. To be drunk on substances is to be selfISH. There's a world of difference between the two!
To read more musings about the Zhuangzi, you can visit the index page for this ongoing series.
Profound drunkenness (I am told as I have no firsthand experience) robs us of the capacity to understand the ramifications and danger of situations and our own actions. Where a sober person might feel great fear and terror, the drunk laughs and forges straight ahead undeterred.
So, is this passage heralding a drunken lifestyle? Of course not! The problem with drunkenness is that it clouds our judgment to such an extent that we endanger the lives and sanity of others by our "devil may care" attitude. The drunk who foolishly decides to get behind the wheel and causes a tragic accident may well walk away with little more than a few scratches, but the carnage caused to others may be irreversible!
For me, this represents the key difference between being "drunk" on Tao and drunk on alcohol or drugs. When we are drunk on the former, our words and actions benefit all. When we choose to become drunk on the latter, we're doing nothing more than falling prey to our own craven desires.
To be drunk on the Way is to be selfLESS. To be drunk on substances is to be selfISH. There's a world of difference between the two!
To read more musings about the Zhuangzi, you can visit the index page for this ongoing series.
Many religious doctrines can be used to support teetotalism. That doesn't necessarily mean they should.
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