法苑珠林 93.10

93.10

又成論。問云。飲酒是實罪耶。答曰非也。所以者何。飲酒不為惱眾生故。而是罪因。若人飲酒則開不善門。以能障定及諸善法。如殖眾果必有牆障故。知酒過如果無園。

Furthermore, the *Satyasiddhi-śāstra* asks: "Is drinking liquor an actual sin?" The answer says: "It is not. Why is this? Because drinking liquor is not done to afflict sentient beings; rather, it is a cause of sin. If a person drinks liquor, it opens the gateway to unwholesome actions, because it can obstruct meditative concentration and all wholesome dharmas. Just as planting various fruit trees requires a wall or hedge for protection, so know that the fault of liquor is like fruit without an orchard."