Sarpashana Sourcebook
The Sarpashana Sourcebook is now
available on-line in PDF format (so use Acrobat Reader, Preview on
MacOS X, or a similar program to view it): Sarpashana.pdf
(600K).
From the Introduction:
The name Sarpashana (Sar pá sh
na), given to the Buddhist Alcohol Study Group (once upon a time
known as the Phenomenal World Substance Abuse Group), is Sanskrit
and means poison eater.
The symbol for the Group is the peacock because of an ancient
Hindu story about the fact that the peacock derives its brilliant
plumage from its consumption of poison. Its ability to transform
poison into nourishment gives it both beauty and a proper kind of
pride.
The talk contained in this sourcebook
entitled “The Essence of the Nyingma Teachings” goes
on to explain the symbolism further.
Applied to a Buddhist-oriented
educational, counselling, and support network, Sarpashana may be
understood to mean that the poison is the disease of alcoholism
(or any other addictive tendency). Addiction produces a kind of
false pride and we are consumed with ego-arrogance. By consuming
our disease, in other words, by recognizing it for what it is,
accepting the karma of it, and responding by first educating
ourselves; second, taking it personally; and finally, acting on
what we now know to be true, we transform ourselves and discover
our true nature - symbolized by the magnificent tail of the
peacock. Then, with genuine pride in being fearlessly human, at home in
the world, we can proclaim the dharma of what we have learned and
the dharma of what we have experienced to other sentient beings
who suffer in this dark age.
Note
by Liz Locke:
The Sarpashana Sourcebook
is now officially copyleft,
which means that it may be reproduced by anyone as long as its content
remains unchanged.
Clara Marie Burns, librarian for
Naropa University's Alan
Ginsberg Library, has permission to provide you with a
copy at slightly above her costs for photocopying and postage.
You can reach her at clara@naropa.edu [2005/02/28: that e-mail seems to be bad].
Note by Judith Smith:
History: As an exercise, with the intention of making the
Sourcebook electronically editable, I typed the original Sarpashana Sourcebook into my first
computer in the very early 90s.
The original publication was researched and assembled by Liz Locke (who
now teaches at Naropa U) and contributed to by about 12-14 other people
who were struggling with sobriety. They must share in the credit for
bringing the subject of alcoholism to the fore in our sangha. The
Sourcebook originally was printed by Vajradhatu Press. In more recent
years, distribution was through Vajradhatu
Publications.
Although this is now 2003-2004, and the material in this Sourcebook is
considered by some to be "dated," it is also considered to be complete
viable -- some things never change. Hopefully within the next
several years, there will be an ad-hoc group effort to research and
contribute to a new "edition" (a new publication altogether) to
supplement this edition. This could include new interviews with sangha
members and friends, as well as including new research and studies from
the medical and alternative-medical professions. If you are inspired,
please let Ben Moore
(of Vajradhatu Publications) know of your interests.