Hi,
Curious as to how many observe uposatha weekly or generally just based on the Gregorian calendar rather than the lunar calendar or moon phases, if any really.
I’ve been trying to follow an official calendar, but I am considering just doing it weekly (on either Saturday or Sunday) instead because some days fall on me being in the office and so I can be more consistent.
When I was a working layman, I kept the Uposatha on Sunday because in my country (the USA) that was the typical sabbath day. It makes it easier to keep, for sure. I would even pragmatically move my observance to Saturday if I had big plans on Sunday.
There’s nothing mystical or magical about the phases of the moon in Buddhism. It was just a convenient clock in premodern times, that’s all. As the Buddha says in MN 131:
there is no bargain to be struck
Na hi no saṅgaraṁ tena,
with Death and his mighty horde.
mahāsenena maccunā.
One who keenly meditates like this,
Evaṁvihāriṁ ātāpiṁ,
tireless all night and day:
ahorattamatanditaṁ;
that’s who has a fine night
Taṁ ve bhaddekarattoti,
The important thing is to do it.
Bhante,
Thank you for sharing this.
