How do Buddhists feel about drinking coffee, tea, alcohol, and other stimulants and smoking?
I think that part of the answer is in the question – these things are stimulants or depressants and they have effects our mind. There are not rules in Buddhism that say ‘thou shalt not….’, but guidelines that we can choose to follow. One aim of Buddhism is to be able to reach enlightenment, though understanding our minds – we cannot do this if they are clouded by chemicals. The choice is ours. Some lay Buddhists choose to drink etc. in moderation to be sociable.
