Uposatha days

The uposatha is the Buddhist observance day. It follows the moon: the main uposatha days are the full moon and the new moon, and in many Theravada communities the two half-moon days are also kept. That gives roughly one observance day each week. The custom of keeping such days was already common among religious groups in India, and the Buddha adopted it for his own followers.

For monks and nuns

On the full and new moon days, monastic communities gather to recite the Pāṭimokkha, the core rules of the monastic code. Before the recitation, monks and nuns acknowledge any offences to one another. This fortnightly ceremony keeps the community's discipline clear and its members in harmony.

For lay people

For lay Buddhists, the uposatha is a day to step back from ordinary routines and give more time to practice. Many visit a monastery, offer food to monastics, listen to a Dhamma talk and meditate.

A traditional way to mark the day is to take the eight precepts from sunrise to the next dawn. These add to the usual five precepts: refraining from eating after midday; from entertainment and from adorning the body; and from using high or luxurious beds. The third precept becomes complete celibacy for the day. Together they offer a taste of the simpler life of a renunciate.

A day of purification

In one discourse, the Buddha explained to the lay disciple Visākhā what a true uposatha is. He contrasted a day spent merely going through outward forms with a day spent cleansing the mind. He described recollecting the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, one's own virtue and the qualities of the devas, so that the mind becomes bright, like washing a stained cloth.

The main festivals

Several of the main Theravada festivals fall on uposatha days. Vesak, Āsāḷha Pūjā and Māgha Pūjā are all full moons, and the rains residence begins and ends on full moons.

Keeping it at home

You can observe an uposatha day on your own. Check a lunar calendar for the next full or new moon. You might take the five or eight precepts in the morning, eat simply, spend extra time in meditation or reading, and avoid distractions such as screens. Even a partial observance can bring a sense of space and clarity.