 |
| Buddhist devotional practices |
|---|
| Devotional |
| Holidays |
| Precepts |
| Other |
In Buddhism, the Eight Precepts (Sanskrit: aṣṭāṇga-śīla or aṣṭā-sīla, Pali: aṭṭhaṅga-sīla or aṭṭha-sīla) is a list of moral precepts that are observed by Nuns, or Upāsakas and Upasikās (lay Buddhists) on Uposatha (observance days) and special occasions. They are considered to support meditation practice, and are often observed when staying in monasteries and temples.
They include ethical precepts such as refraining from killing any living being, but also more specific ones, such as abstaining from entertainments. The tradition of keeping the Eight Precepts on weekly observance days is still widely practiced in all Theravadin Buddhist countries and communities worldwide. Based on pre-Buddhist sāmaṇa practices, the eight precepts are often upheld on the Buddhist observance days (Sanskrit: upavasatha, poṣadha, pauṣadha, Pali: uposatha, posaha), and in such context called the uposatha vows or one-day precepts. In some periods and places the precepts were widely observed, such as in 7th–10th-century China by government officials.[1] In modern times, there have been revival movements and important political figures that have observed them continuously.
- ^ Watson 1988, p. 13.