I was skimming some favorite suttas today and came across AN 3.70 “Uposatha/Sabbath”.
Here’s a list of things (highly summarized) that the Buddha told Lady Visakha that were needed to be recollected each Uposatha, to make it “Noble” (which would yield a huge bounty of merit, described at the end of the sutta):
- Qualities of the Buddha
- Qualities of the Dhamma
- Qualities of the Sangha
(OK, I guess an Iti Pi So would cover that, if you recollect it carefully. Then comes the parts we seem to rather suck at):
- Our own virtuous behaviour, to the extent that we become joyous
- That the virtuous behaviour that resulted in various deities attaining to their own heavenly rebirths is similar to the virtue one posesses, as in, presumably the very same joy mustered up from the previous step (making one furtherly joyous).
- Recollecting the virtues of the arahants, namely how they no longer:
- steal
- are unchaste
- lie
- consume alcohol
- eat more than once a day
- partake/observe dancing, singing, music, and seeing shows; and beautifying and adorning themselves with garlands, fragrance, and makeup
- sleep on high and luxurious beds
So who here on discourse.SC can remember the last time they actually did everything on this list, consciously, on an Uposatha?
PS: Here’s the big cornucopia of merit from observing this “Noble Uposatha”:
That’s the sabbath of the noble ones. When the sabbath of the noble one is observed like this it’s very fruitful and beneficial and splendid and bountiful.
How much so? Suppose you were to rule as sovereign lord over these sixteen great countries—Aṅga, Magadha, Kāsī, Kosala, Vajjī, Malla, Ceti, Vaṅga, Kuru, Pañcāla, Maccha, Sūrusena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhāra, and Kamboja—full of the seven kinds of precious things. This wouldn’t be worth a sixteenth part of the sabbath with its eight factors. Why is that? Because human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.
Fifty years in the human realm is one day and night for the gods of the Four Great Kings. Thirty such days make up a month. Twelve such months make up a year. The life span of the gods of the Four Great Kings is five hundred of these divine years. It’s possible that a woman or man who has observed the eight-factored sabbath will—when their body breaks up, after death—be reborn in the company of the gods of the Four Great Kings. This is what I was referring to when I said: ‘Human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.’
A hundred years in the human realm is one day and night for the gods of the Thirty-Three. Thirty such days make up a month. Twelve such months make up a year. The life span of the gods of the Thirty-Three is a thousand of these divine years. It’s possible that a woman or man who has observed the eight-factored sabbath will—when their body breaks up, after death—be reborn in the company of the gods of the Thirty-Three. This is what I was referring to when I said: ‘Human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.’
Two hundred years in the human realm is one day and night for the Gods of Yama. Thirty such days make up a month. Twelve such months make up a year. The life span of the Gods of Yama is two thousand of these divine years. It’s possible that a woman or man who has observed the eight-factored sabbath will—when their body breaks up, after death—be reborn in the company of the Gods of Yama. This is what I was referring to when I said: ‘Human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.’
Four hundred years in the human realm is one day and night for the joyful gods. Thirty such days make up a month. Twelve such months make up a year. The life span of the joyful gods is four thousand of these divine years. It’s possible that a woman or man who has observed the eight-factored sabbath will—when their body breaks up, after death—be reborn in the company of the joyful gods. This is what I was referring to when I said: ‘Human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.’
Eight hundred years in the human realm is one day and night for the gods who love to create. Thirty such days make up a month. Twelve such months make up a year. The life span of the gods who love to create is eight thousand of these divine years. It’s possible that a woman or man who has observed the eight-factored sabbath will—when their body breaks up, after death—be reborn in the company of the gods who love to create. This is what I was referring to when I said: ‘Human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.’
Sixteen hundred years in the human realm is one day and night for the gods who control the creations of others. Thirty such days make up a month. Twelve such months make up a year. The life span of the gods who control the creations of others is sixteen thousand of these divine years. It’s possible that a woman or man who has observed the eight-factored sabbath will—when their body breaks up, after death—be reborn in the company of the gods who control the creations of others. This is what I was referring to when I said: ‘Human kingship is a poor thing compared to the happiness of the gods.’”
“You shouldn’t kill living creatures, or steal,
or lie, or drink alcohol.
Be celibate, refraining from sex,
and don’t eat at night, the wrong time.
Not wearing garlands or applying fragrance,
you should sleep on a low bed, or a mat on the ground.
This is the eight-factored sabbath, they say,
explained by the Buddha, who has gone to suffering’s end.
The moon and sun are both fair to see,
radiating as far as they revolve.
Those shining ones in the sky light up the quarters,
dispelling the darkness as they traverse the heavens.
All of the wealth that’s found in this realm—
pearls, gems, fine beryl too,
horn-gold or mountain gold,
or natural gold dug up by marmots—
they’re not worth a sixteenth part
of the sabbath with its eight factors,
as all the constellations of stars can’t equal the light of the moon.
So an ethical woman or man,
who’s observed the eight-factored sabbath,
having made merit whose outcome is happiness,
blameless, they go to a heavenly place.”