S. Pro:
Telecaster,
funny post! Chögyam Trungpa seems to have die of alcoholism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%B6gyam_Trungpa#Death
Don´t know if it´s true but imagine that! I read this some years ago and I still can´t make sense of it.
If someone were to gain enlightenment from practicing the 5 precepts, vs someone who gains enlightenment from practicing 8 precepts, vs a monk who gains enlightenment from practicing 227 precepts. Which precepts do arahants keep after enlightenment?
Mahakassapa kept his austere practices - on top of the normal monks precepts, despite the Buddha - seeing his old age - having asked him to live in a monastery, and wear soft robes.
There was a story of some arahants who continued to drink, and the Buddha asked them to stop so as to set a good example. (I couldn't find the original source on the internet, unfortunately)
Then you have a Buddha, who is a Sammasambuddha, who ate meat, when he taught about loving kindness.
It is not because these facts are inconsistent with the teachings. It is because these teachings and precepts are actually training wheels for developing mental agility and pliancy.
There was a tale about some women comparing their practices of precepts. It was easy to keep 4 but hard to keep 5. The women were debating which one of them were better because the ones they maintained. The whole idea is that 5 easy-enough precepts is sufficient to restrain the individual that some insight may arise.
Whatever level of Chongyam Trungpa's attainment, it did not give him sufficient insight to shine on some aspects of his habits prior to enlightenment. If only he had reflected on the dhamma and the precepts he would have been freed.