Observance of Uposatha Days - inspired by a talk, "Knowing in the Knowing" given by Ajahn Amaro on 2020.0719 and a friend for the kind reminder.
Often, we come across lay followers of the Triple Gem saying, "I'm on vegetarian today because it's Lunar 15th (or Lunar 1st)" and all that is done on these two days of the month is one does not eat meat and hence there is 'no life lost; no killing' and then, one goes about daily life mindlessly.
The 'practice' of Lunar 1st and 15th observance, is actually not something one does with food only, although that is good starting point. It dates back to what Buddha had taught in the Saṃkhittūposatha Sutta AN 8.41 (https://suttacentral.net/an8.41/en/bodhi).
Investigating the sutta and what Ajahn Amaro shared in the talk, "Knowing in the Knowing" - https://youtu.be/izGbPwKwkco, the Observance of Uposatha relates to something much more than a meal. It relates to the taking of the eight precepts on Uposatha days and living that day like a noble one. It's not only about abstaining but "I too shall abandon"... how beautiful is this, the full cultivation of the eight precepts.
"Today, for this night and day, I too shall abandon and abstain..."
"I shall imitate the arahants in this respect and the uposatha will be observed by me."
“It is in this way, bhikkhus, that the uposatha is observed complete in eight factors, so that it is of great fruit and benefit, extraordinarily brilliant and pervasive.”
Here is the link of Uposatha days in 2020 - https://www.watmetta.org/news/Uposatha2020.pdf
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