Today is the Full-moon day of the month Phussa. Uposatha days such as today are good occasions to renew our dedication and strengthen our Dhamma practice. We can observe the Eight Precepts, allocate time and effort to wisely reflect on the Dhamma, and perform meritorious deeds.

We share with you excerpts from the Visakhuposatha Sutta (AN 8.41) translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi on how to observe the Eight Precepts for great fruit and benefit :

“Just as though, Visakha, one might have power, dominion and kingship over sixteen great countries abounding in the seven treasures… yet it is not worth a sixteenth part of the Uposatha undertaken with its eight practices. For what reason? Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss…

“Kill no life, nor take what is not given, speak no lie, nor be an alcoholic, refrain from sex and unchaste conduct, at night do not eat out-of-time food, neither bear garlands nor indulge with perfume, and make your bed a mat upon the ground: this indeed is called the eight-part uposatha taught by the Buddha gone to dukkha’s end.

The radiance of the sun and moon, both beautiful to see, follow on from each other, dispelling the darkness as they go through the heavens, illumining the sky and brightening the quarters and the treasure found between them: pearls and crystals and auspicious turquoises, gold nuggets and the gold called “ore,” monetary gold with gold dust carried down — compared with the eight-part uposatha, though they are enjoyed, are not a sixteenth part — as the shining of the moon in all the groups of stars.

Hence indeed the woman and the man who are virtuous enter on uposatha having eight parts and having made merits bringing forth happiness blameless they obtain heavenly abodes.”

Read the full sutta at https://www.accesstoinsight.org/…/an08/an08.043.khan.html .