If the mind is all powerful and is being correlated to god, why does a physical occurrence (alcohol affecting brain cells) affect the way our minds work? Specifically derailing it from its normal action, thoughts, and awareness.

and using chogyam trungpa as a guide for alcohol consumption would be a very bad idea. it's been asserted by people close to him, including his doctor, that he died of cirrhosis from heavy drinking and/or alcoholism. his alcohol problems were very widely known. he also was in a car crash that left him partially paralyzed and was again attributed by some to drinking. his wikipedia page is a well footnoted look at the folly of vearing from the buddha's path. from abuse of sexuality, coercion of students, alcohol abuse…he seems to be making up a new religion and it's one i wouldn't want to be a party to. it's surprising to me how many teachers and students overlook his behavior and rely on his teachings when his own mind ended up causing his own untimely death.

i'd say it's best to use the buddha as the guide on morals and practice, not someone else's conveniently liberal interpretation of it.

I do not believe that he was saying that alcohol was helpful to achieving mindfulness. Rather he was saying that with correct mindfulness one could observe the effects of alcohol on the body without losing one's focus. One could learn to observe a poison in the body and not have the poison destroy one's ability to function.

That poison might bring about various changes – some beneficial others not – on the physical system but that was not critical to the awareness of a Buddha.

From the higher level view of Vajrayana we should be able to operate a body in any state – in other words, the condition of the body does not determine the condition of mind—as we have achieved a cessation of attachment to the aggregates.

For those who have not achieved the fruits of this level of practice it would not be wise to include alcohol.

As for the house burning down reflecting bad karma, I would disagree. Given the choice, Trungpa might well have burned it down himself. He did not desire iconic symbols of his presence.

That said, years ago, I noticed that little was left of Trungpa's original presence and depth of teachings. Not unexpected as good teachers go pretty much unnoticed today. They are like a breeze blowing through an open window in Spring. A few students will be carried away on the breeze while most students will just notice a tickle on the back of their neck.