Upoṣadha
upoṣadha [alt. poṣadha; upavasatha] (P. uposatha; T. gso sbyong; C. busa 布薩).[1] The fortnightly ceremony during which ordained monks and nuns gather to recite the Prātimokṣa vows and confess faults and breaches.[2]
The Princeton Dictionary states:
- It is the semimonthly ceremony (observed on the new moon and the full moon) in which monks and nuns are to assemble within a specified boundary (sīmā) to recite the monastic rules of conduct set forth in the Prātimokṣa. The observance involves the confession of faults, following which the prātimokṣa is recited. The bhikṣuprātimokṣa is recited by fully ordained monks, the bhikṣunīprātimokṣa by fully ordained nuns; novices and laypeople are prohibited from participating in either observance. The purpose of the ceremony is for the Sangha to purify itself of misdeeds through confession and to renew its commitment to moral conduct, thus helping to ensure harmony within the monastic community and between the clergy and the laity.[1]
The term is also used in reference to the taking of the eight precepts of an upāsaka on this day; these precepts are taken by lay devotees (upāsaka) and are observed for one day only.[1][2]
In the Kriyātantras and other esoteric texts, the term is used in a more general sense of a prescriptive ritual fast and period of abstinence that precedes the performance of many rites. This typically lasts between one and three days, and is to be performed by any practitioner, lay or monastic.[2]
Etymology
The etymology of upavāsa/upavasatha (a near synonym for upoṣadha) is explained as follows (from the 84000 glossary):
- As expressed in the Sanskrit and translated literally into Tibetan, the term means “to dwell near.” The term comes from the older Vedic traditions in which during full moon and new moon sacrifices, householders would practice abstinence in various forms such as fasting and refraining from sexual activity. These holy days were called upavasatha days because it was said that the gods that were the recipients of these sacrifices would “dwell” (√vas) “near” (upa) the practitioners of these sacrifices. While sacrificial practices were discarded by Buddhists, the framework of practicing fortnightly abstinence evolved into the poṣadha observance, and in fact the term poṣadha is etymologically related to the term upavasatha. (See Dutt (1962), p. 73.)[3]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. upoṣadha.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
gso sbyong, Christian-Steinert Dictionary
- ↑ bsnyen gnas, Christian-Steinert Dictionary
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
External links
Uposatha, Wikipedia
