How common is uposatha observed in East Asian countries?

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AnUpasaka
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Location: United States

How common is uposatha observed in East Asian countries?

Post by AnUpasaka »

Hello all,

I am a Buddhist of Vietnamese descent. In Vietnam, and also in China, it is common for Buddhists to observe uposatha (upavasatha, posadha) by eating only non-meat (ovo-lacto-vegetarian) food on the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, and final two days of the synodic month according to the Chinese calendar. However, the observation of the full Eight Precepts (VN. Bát Quan Trai Giới, or S. attha-sila, following from descriptions in the Uposatha Sutra) is generally much less common, although I have heard some monks give Dharma talks on it and know that some upasakas practice it in Vietnam, albeit in a fairly small minority.

How common is uposatha observed in other countries, like China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand? (I have heard that it in Thailand, the practice of the Eight Precepts is rather common.) How is uposatha observed in other countries?
Icy
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Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 2:13 am

Re: How common is uposatha observed in East Asian countries?

Post by Icy »

Upholding the eight precepts on uposatha days isd mandatory in the Bodhisattva precepts. Aside from that, nope. I've never met somebody who followed that practice. Although, I have heard of people doing the eight precepts every once in a while at their leisure.
Bakmoon
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Re: How common is uposatha observed in East Asian countries?

Post by Bakmoon »

AnUpasaka wrote:How common is uposatha observed in other countries, like China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand? (I have heard that it in Thailand, the practice of the Eight Precepts is rather common.) How is uposatha observed in other countries?
Besides Thailand, in the other predominantly Theravada countries (i.e. Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia) keeping the eight precepts on the uposatha days is common although I think most people who do it usually only do it on the full moon and new moon days when they visit the local temple on the day of the Patimokkha recitation rather than four times a month.
AnUpasaka
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Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:35 am
Location: United States

Re: How common is uposatha observed in East Asian countries?

Post by AnUpasaka »

Thank you, Icy and Bakmoon, for your insight.
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