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A Study of the Uposatha-kamma
- Uposatha-kamma, the recitation of the Pātimokkha is one of the monastic acts observed by the
members of the Saṃgha.
- Probably, this practice derived from Vedic Uposatha, the eve of the Soma sacrifice. [PED 134]
- According to the Uposatha-khandhaka of Vinaya Mahāvagga, in early days of the Buddha, the
paribbājaka groups regularly assembled together on the 8th, 14th and the 15th day of fortnight and
preached their sermon. By this practice, they became popular among the devotees. Hence, the king
Bimbisāra requested the Buddha to adopt such kind of practice in his sangha organization. The
Buddha consented and promulgated a rule that monks have to assemble fortnightly [anujānāmi,
bhikkhave, cātuddase pannarase aṭṭhamiyā ca pakkhassa sannipatituṃ: Vin III 139].
- Then the Buddha, seeing the benefit of Saṃgha organization, suggested to the monks to recite the
pātimokkha as a religious duty when they assemble on this Uposatha day. [yaṃnūnāhaṃ yāni mayā
bhikkhūnaṃ paññattāni sikkhāpadāni, tāni nesaṃ pātimokkhuddesaṃ anujāneyyaṃ. So nesaṃ
bhavissati uposathakamma’nti. Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, pātimokkhaṃ uddisituṃ: Vin III 140]. From
that time Uposatha tradition was begun up to present day.
- The Buddha, having made the holding of Uposatha compulsory, urged all the monks within the
Sīmā of the āvasa where they lived, to attend the uposatha [Atha kho bhikkhūnaṃ etadahosi –
‘‘bhagavatā paññattaṃ ‘ettāvatā sāmaggī yāvatā ekāvāso’ti, kittāvatā nu kho ekāvāso hotī’’ti?
Bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, sīmaṃ sammannituṃ: Vin III 140]. The
Sīma is meant a certain place and a limit boundary of house in which there were Buddhist Saṃgha
usually assemble for the regular performance of the Pātimokka and some other Saṃgha’s kammas.
The reason Buddha allowed to establish Sīma would be convenient unit for the collective activities
of the Saṃgha.
- In the early time, some Sīma became very large extending up to four, five and six yojanas. However,
it was not convenient for those were far away from the place of Uposatha-kamma. Therefore, a
maximum allowable size of a Sīma was altered to three yojana [Na, bhikkhave, atimahatī sīmā
sammannitabbā, catuyojanikā vā pañcayojanikā vā chayojanikā vā. Yo sammanneyya, āpatti
dukkaṭassa. Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, tiyojanaparamaṃ sīmaṃ sammannitunti: Vin III 140]
- There were other kinds of Sīma: Avippaivāsasīmā, Gāmasīma, Nigamasīma, Udakukkhepasīma and
Khaṇḍhasīma.
▪ Avippavāsasīmā is a kind of Samānasaṃvāsasīma in which monks can conduct Uposatha-kamma
without any robe of three robes when they have any problem. [Yā sā, bhikkhave, saṅghena sīmā
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sammatā samānasaṃvāsā ekuposathā, saṅgho taṃ sīmaṃ ticīvarena avippavāsaṃ sammannatu :
Vin III 147]
▪ Gāmasīma means in the area of such town and villages.
▪ Nigamasīma is considered as the area of a small town in which monks reside.
▪ Udakukkhepasīma is a region in a river, a natural lake or the sea which the distance that a man of
average can throw water all round. [Asammatāya, bhikkhave, sīmāya aṭṭhapitāya, yaṃ gāmaṃ vā
nigamaṃ vā upanissāya viharati, yā tassa vā gāmassa gāmasīmā, nigamassa vā nigamasīmā, ayaṃ
tattha samānasaṃvāsā ekuposathā. Nadiyā vā, bhikkhave, samudde vā jātassare vā yaṃ
majjhimassa purisassa samantā udakukkhepā, ayaṃ tattha samānasaṃvāsā ekuposathāti: Vin III
150]
▪ The Khaṇḍhasīma is most popular and still practicing now a day. The Samantapāsādika suggests
that this smaller unit of Khaṇḍhasīma was established first before the establishment of the
Samānasaṃvasakasīma for conducting the higher ordination and so on. The Khaṇḍhasīma should
be large enough to accommodate not less than twenty-one monks. [Imaṃ pana
samānasaṃvāsakasīmaṃ sammannantehi pabbajjupasampadādīnaṃ saṅghakammānaṃ
sukhakaraṇatthaṃ paṭhamaṃ khaṇḍasīmā bandhitabbā… Sā heṭṭhimaparicchedena sace ekavīsati
bhikkhū gaṇhāti, vaṭṭati. VinA III 323]
- Commonly, Uposatha–kamma was held on 14th and the 15th day of fortnight, reciting the
Pātimokkha by a clever monk in Vinaya among the saṃgha [Dveme, bhikkhave, uposathā –
cātuddasiko ca pannarasiko ca. Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve uposathāti: Vin III 150]. A part from these
two days, the Buddha allowed monks to make extra Uposatha in some cases such as when monks
have been broken by schism and are then reconciled (sāmaggi-uposatha). [Tatra, bhikkhave,
yadidaṃ dhammena samaggaṃ uposathakammaṃ, evarūpaṃ, bhikkhave, uposathakammaṃ
kātabbaṃ, evarūpañca mayā uposathakammaṃanuññātaṃ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evarūpaṃ
uposathakammaṃ karissāma yadidaṃ dhammena samagganti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave,
sikkhitabbanti: Vin III 150]
- There are five ways of reciting the Patimokkha. In the first recitation, only the Nidāna section is
recited and the other sections are just announced. In the second recitation only the Nidāna and the
Pārājika sections are recited, the rest is just announced. In the third brief recitation the first three
sections are recited. In the fourth brief recitation the first four sections are recited while the other
sections are just announced. The first four brief recitations can be done only in case of danger. The
fifth recitation is the extensive-recitation in which all the rule-sections are recited. [Pañcime,
bhikkhave, pātimokkhuddesā – nidānaṃ uddisitvā avasesaṃ sutena sāvetabbaṃ. Ayaṃ paṭhamo
pātimokkhuddeso. Nidānaṃ uddisitvā cattāri pārājikāni uddisitvā avasesaṃ sutena sāvetabbaṃ.
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Ayaṃ dutiyo pātimokkhuddeso. Nidānaṃ uddisitvā cattāri pārājikāni uddisitvā terasa saṅghādisese
uddisitvā avasesaṃ sutena sāvetabbaṃ. Ayaṃ tatiyo pātimokkhuddeso. Nidānaṃ uddisitvā cattāri
pārājikāni uddisitvā terasa saṅghādisese uddisitvā dve aniyate uddisitvā avasesaṃ sutena
sāvetabbaṃ. Ayaṃ catuttho pātimokkhuddeso. Vitthāreneva pañcamo. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca
pātimokkhuddesāti. Vin III 150]
- The Patimokkha is recited by one bhikkhu who has been appointed by the senior bhikkhu. The reciter
should be the most senior bhikkhu, but if he is unable to recite it then another competent bhikkhu
can be appointed by him to do the recitation. If there is no bhikkhu who can recite the Patimokkha in
a residence then a bhikkhu has to be sent elsewhere to master it from a Patimokkha reciter.
[Pātimokkhuddesakaajjhesanādi: Vin III 150]
- On the Uposatha-day, the Theras should order monk to sweep that place; if it is dark then it should
be lighted; drinking water and water for general use should be set out; seats should be arranged
before assembling of the saṃgha. These four duties are called Pubbakarana (the duties which
should be done before). [Pubbakaraṇānujānanā: Vin III 150]
- There also have another five duties called Pubbakicca which has to be done after assembling of the
monks: Informing the purity of sick monk to the Saṃgha; informing the consent of the sick monk to
the Saṃgha; saying the seasons; counting the number of monks in the same boundary; asking
admonishment Ovādava for nuns. [Pārisuddhidānakathā: Vin III 161; Chandadānakathā: Vin III
163: Pakkhagaṇanādiuggahaṇānujānanā: Vin III 157; Ñātakādiggahaṇakathā: Vin III 164]
- Uposatha-kamma is also classified as Saṃgha, Gaṇa, and Puggala based on the participant. If monks
meet together four or more in number, the Buddha has ordered them to observe the Uposatha-
kamma as saṃgha-uposatha reciting Pātimokkha in the Saṃgha. If there are only two or three
monks, they have to observe gana-uposatha informing each other of their purity thus: “parisuddho
ahaṃ bhante (āvuso). parisuddhoti maṃ dhāretha (dhārehi)" ('I, sirs, am entirely pure. Please hold
that I am pure). When there is only a monk, Puggala uposatha has to be performed individually
reciting thus: “ajja me uposatho” (Today is uposatha day for me). Saṅghuposathādippabhedaṃ: Vin
III 166]
- One of the most important rules of Uposatha–kamma is that the conducts of all monks who
participate in the uposatha-kamma have to say their purification. If a monk committed any offense,
then he had to confess it to a follow monk. Having purified his offense, he was given permission to
attend the uposatha-kamma. [Āpattipaṭikammavidhi: Vin III 166]
- This uposatha-kamma had a lot of beneficial effects on the saṃgha. Firstly, it gave the opportunity
for the saṃgha to assemble together, and brought about their unity. Secondly, it made them
conscious of the rules which they have to observe. Thirdly, it made them quite aware that they had
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to be of pure conduct. Fourthly, it made them confess of any minor transgression they may have
made, and take care not to repeat them. Fifthly, it made them abstain from doing any wrong, if they
committed any offence, they had to confess in the assembly when the patimokkha rules were
recited.
