Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

As per the title. Business in alcoholic drinks is a breach of right livelihood, but what if someone asks me to fetch a beer from the fridge?

Personally I wouldn't have thought so, you aren't making profit from it and anyway if you didn't they would just go get one for themselves and most likely be extremely irritated at your refusal

why would you have beer in your fridge?

Manapa wrote:why would you have beer in your fridge?

It's not my fridge.

In the time of the Buddha a woman was married to a hunter. She used to fetch his weapons and traps every morning he went hunting. She prepared the meat he brought back for their meals. She was a Stream-winner. The Buddha said that she was blameless as she was simply obeying her husband.

So the question is are you under any social obligation to fetch the beer?

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:In the time of the Buddha a woman was married to a hunter. She used to fetch his weapons and traps every morning he went hunting. She prepared the meat he brought back for their meals. She was a Stream-winner. The Buddha said that she was blameless as she was simply obeying her husband.

So the question is are you under any social obligation to fetch the beer?

Hello Bhante.

Thanks for the story.

I don't fully understand your question though. What is meant by 'social obligation'? I can refuse to fetch the beer if I want to.

Well, if it was your father asking you to bring him a beer, then you have a social obligation to your father. To refuse his request would be a breach of sīla in itself.

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:Well, if it was your father asking you to bring him a beer, then you have a social obligation to your father. To refuse his request would be a breach of sīla in itself.

Oh I understand now. What if it's my mother's partner, not exactly my 'father'?

Bhante,

So is there no circumstance where disobeying one's parents is kusala kamma?

Mike

Khalil Bodhi wrote:BSo is there no circumstance where disobeying one's parents is kusala kamma?

Yes, of course. If they ask for your help to commit suicide, or to kill someone else.

Bhante,

Thank you for your reply. I guess I don't understand how the differentiation is made. If your parents ask you to lie for them to the government and you refuse, is that akusala? If they ask you to steal? I just don't understand the difference and want to be clear about how to maintain pure sila especially since I'm going to be spending Thanksgiving in the company of my parents. Thank you.

Mike

Hi Mike
I always err on the side of caution with regards to sila. Sila is the foundation of the path and without sila there can be no sammasamadhi and no panna.
Don't break the sila yourself, don't encourage others to break their sila, and don't speak in praise of other people's sila-breaking behaviour.
kind regards

Ben

Hi Ben,

Excellent reply! Yes, I definitely agree but Venerable's reply to Stefan got me worried that even in doing my best I may be unintentionally committing akusala kamma. This is especially relevant as all of my family are drinkers and there's sure to be all manner of unskillful conduct afoot when we get together for the holidays this week. I'll just work on guarding my own sila as best as I know how. Metta.

Mike

There are times when a choice must be made as to which action will be the least harmful.

Hi Jeff,

Precisely. I'm trying to figure out the best course of action to maintain my sila and protect others from their own akusala kamma as much as I can. Metta.

Mike