If when you say 'whiskey' you mean the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason... then I am certainly against it. But, if when you say 'whiskey' you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine... the drink that enables a man to magnify his joy... then I am certainly for it. This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the dual nature of whiskey as both a destructive force and a source of joy depending on one's perspective.
In this quote, Noah S. Sweat presents a nuanced view of whiskey, contrasting its potential to cause harm with its capacity to foster joy and conversation. He acknowledges that whiskey can be seen as a 'devil's brew' that brings negativity and destruction, but also as 'philosophic wine' that enhances enjoyment and connection among people. Sweat's declaration of his stance implies a belief in the importance of context and perspective in evaluating substances like alcohol, encouraging open-mindedness without compromising one's principles.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about responsible drinking at a social event.
Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church is often labeled today as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and swept along by every wind of teaching, look like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards.
Years, following years, steal something every day; At last they steal us from ourselves away.
Few of us are satisfied with retreating from the world and just working on ourselves. We want our training to manifest and to be of benefit. The bodhisattva-warrior, therefore, makes a vow to wake up not just for himself but for the welfare of all beings.
When death finally comes you will welcome it like an old friend, being aware of how dreamlike and impermanent the pheneomenal world really is.
Character is revealed through action.
A priest is he who lives solely in the realm of the invisible, for whom all that is visible has only the truth of an allegory.
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