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Concept
Upāsaka
Summary
Upāsaka (masculine) or Upāsikā (feminine) are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism (or, historically, of Gautama Buddha) who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows. In modern times they have a connotation of dedicated piety that is best suggested by terms such as "lay devotee" or "devout lay follower".
The five vows to be held by upāsakas are referred to as the "Five Precepts" (Pāli: pañcasīla):
I will not take the life of a sentient being;
I will not take what has not been given to me;
I will refrain from sexual misconduct;
I will refrain from false speech;
I will refrain from becoming intoxicated.
In the Theravada tradition, on Uposatha days, devout lay practitioners may request the "Eight Precepts" from monastics (Pali: uposathaṃ samādiyati). It was a widespread practice in Chinese Buddhist communities as well, and is still practiced.
The eight precepts is a list of precepts that are observed by lay devotees on observance days and festivals. They include general precepts such as refraining from killing, but also more specific ones, such as abstaining from cosmetics. These precepts were probably based on pre-Buddhist sāmaṇa practices. Since the eight precepts are often upheld on the Buddhist uposatha days, they are called the uposatha vows or one-day precepts in such context. They are considered to support meditation practice, and are often observed when staying in monasteries and temples. In some periods and places, such as in 7th10th-century China, the precepts were widely observed. In modern times, there have been revival movements and important political figures that have observed them continuously.
In traditional Theravada communities, a non-Buddhist becomes a Buddhist lay disciple by repeating the ancient formulas for the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts in response to the formal administrations of a monk or by himself in himself or in front of a Cetiya or an image of the Buddha.
Official source
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