Uposatha

The uposatha is one day during which the Bouddhiste S Theravada reaffirm their determination to follow the Dharma, teaching of the Bouddha. There are four uposathas per month, theoretically the first, eight, fifteen and twenty-two of the lunar month, but in practice one often notes a shift with astronomical reality, the exact calendar depend on the school. The monks let side manual work to concentrate on the meditation, or to preach with the public which comes many in the temples to make offerings, and to meditate sometimes there; the laic ones can observe these days eight rules which bring them closer to the ascetic life: in addition to the five precepts, they abstain from distractions and vestimentary ornaments and sleep on a plait posed with very the ground. At the time of the uposathas of full and new the moons, the monks reaffirm the cohesion of their community and the firmness of their vocation at the time of a codified ritual of confession and recitation of the monastic rules (patimokkha) from which are excluded the laic ones and monks of the other sects.

In the areas where Buddhism theravada is minority, the uposathas often take place during the local vacation, in general the weekend, but in the monasteries the patimokkha always follows the traditional dates.

Origin

Uposatha, form Faded of the Sanskrit upavasatha , indicated in the beginning the preparatory day with the ceremony of summoned in the religion Védique. The competitor religious currents were numerous to found on the rate/rhythm of the uposathas sabbatical journéees devoted to the assertion of their doctrines. It would be the king Bimbisara of Magadha, impressed by the uposathas of the Brahmane S of Rajagaha, which would have advised with the Buddha to adopt the habit. This one took the advice and authorized the monks, with whom it had prohibited the practice of astrology, to learn how some enough to calculate them-even to them dates of uposatha. It perhaps thus raised their prestige near the population, which, if one believes of it the Mahavagga (II.18.1), would first of all have doubted the value of the ascetics Shakya in front of their incapacity to calculate lunations.

Nevertheless, the tradition reports that few people being presented at the time of the first day devoted to the sermon and the exortation to the practice, the Buddha ordered that the uposathas from now on are devoted to the purification by confession and the recitation of the monastic rules. The recitation of the patimokkha, together with many rules and restrictions, was however limited to the new moon uposathas full and to the reconciliations after arguments or schisms.

In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta , the Buddha exposes the importance of regular meetings reinforcing the harmony and the direction of the community. The recitation of the patimokkha requires a minimum of four monks. The of the same monks obedience living on the same territory must hold their uposathas together. It is interdict with a monk to go the days of uposatha in a place where it will not find colleagues of the same confession. Conversely, it is a fault of reciting the patimokkha in the presence of people who do not make (still) not left the community, like the monks fallen in discredit or pertaining to sects different, the beginners, the laic ones and the nuns.

Uposathas private individuals

In the Buddhist year, four days of uposatha of full moon are the occasion of particular celebrations:

Magha Puja, which falls in February in general, is the “day of the sangha”, where one commemorates the spontaneous gathering around the Buddha of 1250 Arahant S which it would have then sent to preach the dharma.
Visakha Puja or Vesak, which falls in May in general, is the “day of the Buddha”; it is the most popular celebration, which commemorates at the same time the birth, the awakening and the dead of Gautama.
Asalha Puja, which falls in July in general, is the “day of the Dharma”; the retirement of the rain season (Vassa) during which the monks are assigned with residence begins the following day.
Pavarana, which falls in October in general; the monks leave their retirement and can profit during maximum a five months of the easing of certain rules. It is the occasion of a ceremony (Kathina) where the laic ones offer new dresses to them.
Anapanasati, which falls generally in November; the stress is laid there on the practice of conscious breathing (Anapanasati).

See too

Sangha | Vinaya | Vesak

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