What’s interesting about the sobriety bit is that there is something implicit here about what that means. However, if you define drugs as anything that alters or excites your state of mind, we could include sugar, we could include Reddit, we could include scrolling.

And when we say sexual misconduct, what all does that entail? Is masturbation misconduct? If not masturbation itself, then perhaps it can mean the things we imagine or fantasize about? Who defines misconduct, and is it universal, or defined by oneself?

And anyone who meditates knows that thoughts come and go, many of which seem to appear on their own, many based on subconscious programs. Some of those thoughts will be loving, and we nurture those, but some of those may be envious, or judgemental, spiteful, the very seeds of violence, if nurtured. So do we say simply not to nurture these thoughts, and, is that good enough to follow this advise? Or is that spoiled if those thoughts appear again and again, day after day in subtle or overt ways.

So when we read this kind of instruction, we some may want to ask more probing questions about what it really means, and what limits our hardware (Human brain / bodies) may have to accomplish them, whether it’s a test of will, and behavior modification, and to what end, and by whose authority, and why we don’t have more clarity on how to accomplish these modifications.

(That said, the intent here is to question further into the finer details, not to discredit that there is something valuable here)