How to be a True Buddhist through Observance?
Nikini Poya day is the full-moon of August.
Bhikkhus who did not enter the yearly
rains retreat (Vas) early at
Esala Poya day (peravas),
are allowed to enter the
the rains retreat now in August (pasuvas). Nikini Poya day celebrates the
first ever
Dhammasangayana -
The First Buddhist Council where, what the Buddha said, was
agreed upon and recited. This took place at the Sattapanni Rock Cave in Rajagaha
(now Rajgir, India), under
the patronage of
Mahakassapa Thera and it went on for
seven long months. It established the original authentic Tipitaka: The 3
Baskets
of Sacred Text = The Pali
Canon spoken by the historical Buddha and his disciples.
One of the 7
Sattapanni Caves, where the
First Buddhist Council was held ~ 483
BC.
A huge wooden hall was
built outside the cave to house the 500 awakened Arahants.
This was built by King
Ajatasattu, who tried to do some good after having killed
his
father the good king
Bimbisāra,
King of Magadha and Buddha Gotama's old friend.
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/sa/sattapanniguha.htm
http://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=The_Sattapanni_Cave
On this first Buddhist Council:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Buddhist_Council
Video of the Sattapanni Caves:
http://youtu.be/vNLtLcslKNQ
On such Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist
simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes
the
Five Precepts
like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed,
with clean bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue,
and bows first three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees and
head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms in front of the heart,
one recite these memorized lines in a loud, calm & steady voice:
As long as this life
lasts:
I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek
shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd
time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.
I will hereby respect these
Three
Jewels the rest of my life!
I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules:
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.
As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...
Then, one keeps and
protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! So is the start towards Nibbāna: the Deathless Element!
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness,
initiated by
Morality, developed further by
Dhamma-Study
and
fulfilled by training of
Meditation...
Today indeed is
Pooya
or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps the
Eight Precepts
from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby
..." signed with
name, date, town & country to
me or
join here.
A public list of this new Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!
The New Noble Community
of Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm
Can quite
advantageously be Joined Here:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm
May your journey hereby
be light, swift and sweet. Never give up !!
For Details on
Uposatha Observance Days:
https://what-buddha-said.net/library/ati_website/html/ptf/dhamma/sila/uposatha.html
This huge cave hall was built to house the
Sixth
Buddhist Council convened in 1955
to recite the Pāli Tipitaka and authenticate the texts. On the
2,500th Anniversary
of the Buddha's final passing away (Parinibbāna),
2,500 monks assembled from the
Theravāda Buddhist countries. Venerable
Mahāsi Sayādaw
performed the central
role as Chief Questioner (Pucchaka), which was fulfilled by
Venerable
Mahākassapa
in the First Council, held three months after the Buddha's passing
away. To house
this great hall, an artificial hill was constructed by voluntary
workers at Kaba-Aye
in Rangoon. This great hall is still used to hold the examinations
in the Tipitaka.
The Buddhist Poya Uposatha Observance Day Calendar is here:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/various/Poya.Uposatha.Observance_days.htm
