Uposatha Observance Club

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
Post Reply
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Hi Ytrog,

Well, I sleep on the floor on a thin, cotton yoga mat. It is a really great practice that allows me to more clearly see the line between indulgence and actual, physiologically necessary sleep. Hope this helps. Be well!
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Ytrog »

Thanks, that's an idea :)

Alas I do not have one yet. I will get something for the next Uposatha, but I have presently nothing here.

Wait, I could use the mattress from my old bed and lay that on the floor. :?
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
User avatar
bodom
Posts: 7216
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by bodom »

Ytrog wrote:Wait, I could use the mattress from my old bed and lay that on the floor. :?
Thats what I do. I actually use my infant daughters little mattress from her crib(while she sleeps in my big warm bed :smile:) I just throw it on the floor and I find that works well for me.

These two articles might be of interest to you as well...

Uposatha Sila The Eight-Precept Observance
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... satha.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lay Buddhist Practice The Shrine Room, Uposatha Day, Rains Residence
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el206.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Ytrog »

Thanks for the links, but I already used the first one trying to get an answer for this. From there I know that beds about 18-20cm high are allowed. More precisely: it linked to http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... tml#app-II" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The second one is interesting though (not that the first one isn't). I will look into it :anjali:
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Ytrog »

If I'm not mistaken Uposatha was yesterday. I'm observing it today though. I was foolish enough to accept an invitation for a dinner, only realizing it was Uposatha until it was too late :embarassed:

About last week: I did sleep on the ground with only two towels beneath me (laid out end to end against the cold floor). I only managed to endure for four of the six hours I slept though. :(
Tonight I will use my mattress instead.
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Tomorrow is a last quarter moon uposatha day everyone! May your observances bring great fruit and benefit to you and all the beings in your life. Sukhitaa hontu!
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Ytrog »

Khalil Bodhi wrote:Tomorrow is a last quarter moon uposatha day everyone! May your observances bring great fruit and benefit to you and all the beings in your life. Sukhitaa hontu!
Yes, today is the day. It seems all the hindraces are conspiring against me today though :(
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
dhammapal
Posts: 2646
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:23 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by dhammapal »

Hi all,

I’m keeping the Uposatha (oo-poh-sa-ta) lately while my parents are on holiday. I haven’t renounced my bed yet though. As a start I’m working towards staying out of bed between 7am and midnight. I’m a practitioner of the Alexander Technique and I lie on the floor in what is called the semi-supine position. Highly recommended!

When my parents are home I fast on Full Moons only and my Dad generously excuses me from the cooking and washing up. On New Moon and half-Moon I refrain from snacking in the afternoon.

On Uposatha Days, in addition to my Dhamma study and meditation and other meritorious deeds, I do physical chores like doing my laundry.

This afternoon I was contemplating whether to watching the TV News. I think it is a time-waster so I’ll just get the headlines in case something really important has happened. I find that restraint on Uposatha Days carries over to the rest of the week.

I have another question. Are monks allowed to drink fruit juice in the afternoon? I know that milk is not allowable.

Thanks for listening.

Happy Uposatha everyone!

With metta / dhammapal.
User avatar
texastheravadin
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:37 am
Location: Houston, TX
Contact:

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by texastheravadin »

Hey there dhammapal

I too am going to observe the Uposatha today...This is like my 9th time but only the second time that I've done away with the bed. I don't have a high or luxurious bed, but I figured might as well give the floor thing a try!

As far as I know, yes, monks are allowed to drink fruit juice, although I have also heard that it should be strained of any pulp. Beverages are supposedly okay as long as they don't contain what's construed to be "food", so for example you can have tea but no milk (so no chai for me!). Of course I've also heard that some monks will drink only regular water, and some think that since tea and coffee contain caffeine they should be avoided on the Uposatha, while others think they're just fine...especially if you plan to stay up all night meditating, which is apparently the norm. I personally stop eating after noon (or after lunch, sometimes I have to work and I can't take my lunch break until 12 or 12:30 pm). After that time, I usually just drink either water or maybe some Gatorade or tea. It's been so hot lately that cold drinks are really all I can stand. Since I try to meditate twice a day for an hour on Uposatha Days (instead of 30 minutes once day regularly), I've found that fasting keeps the body feeling less sluggish. And drinking water or Gatorade keeps me feeling full. I also try to study the Pali Canon more on these days, and maybe watch a Dhamma talk or two.

As far as the news goes, I think it was Bhikkhu Khantipalo in Lay Buddhist Practice (which is available for free at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el206.html ) who said that for the Uposatha Day, part of keeping the Fourth Precept (refraining from false speech) is not paying attention to "worldly chatter", which means for just this day sort of switching off the news and not paying attention to the newspaper or internet news. If you want to read a book, read a Dhamma book....which sucks for me, because I'm in the middle of re-reading Moby-Dick, and it's getting really good.

What a coincidence! Today is laundry day for me as well! I'll probably start re-reading What The Buddha Taught, it's such a great book and it's been a while.

I hope today proves to be auspicious for both of us, as well as all Buddhists taking the Eight Precepts today

Metta

Josh
"Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed." — AN 11.12
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Ytrog »

As far as the news goes, I think it was Bhikkhu Khantipalo in Lay Buddhist Practice (which is available for free at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el206.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) who said that for the Uposatha Day, part of keeping the Fourth Precept (refraining from false speech) is not paying attention to "worldly chatter", which means for just this day sort of switching off the news and not paying attention to the newspaper or internet news.
I didn't know this. It's also very irritating when you want to abstain from music and colleagues turn on the radio. Not that they know anything of Uposatha though.
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
dhammapal
Posts: 2646
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:23 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by dhammapal »

I’ve got a bad cold today so I took the evening meal because I was sick. I was wondering about whether to use a high bed because I was sick, then found that I actually felt better if I got up and sat in meditation posture (on a special Alexander Technique forward-sloping chair). There was a strong tendency for my posture to collapse so I made maintaining the sitting posture the whole meditation (“Just Sitting”). Then I realized I could meditate on the sound of the breathing (rather than the sensations in my throat) in order to breathe well.

Thanks for listening.

With metta / dhammapal.
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Sadhu! Incidentally, today is the Full Moon Uposatha - Pavāraṇā Day. Congratulations to Manapa as he is taking anagarika precepts today! Sukhitaa hontu!
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Uposatha - New Moon

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Tomorrow is the New moon uposatha. I don't know if I'll be observing having been sick on and off for a month but for anyone else who might I wanted to let you all know. May you all meet with success. Sukhitaa hontu!
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Tomorrow: Full Moon - Ānāpānasati Day

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow is an uposatha day, Ānāpānasati Day in fact. Here's a little information for those of you interested in observing:

At the end of one rains retreat (vassa), the Buddha was so pleased with the progress of the assembled monks that he encouraged them to extend their retreat for yet another month. On the full-moon day marking the end of that fourth month of retreat, he presented his instructions on mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), which may be found in the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118) — The Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing.
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Last Quarter Mooon Uposatha

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

Tomorrow is the last quarter moon uposatha day according to the Thai Dhammayut calendar. May all who observe obtain great fruit and benefit. Sukhitaa hontu!
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
Post Reply