Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c6.s5.8

c6.s5.8

Then another outstanding practice towards leading a noble life was that of *uposatha* or keeping of Fast. This sabbath vow, *uposatha* (*upavāsa*), which is still widely observed as a religious vow by the ordinary people, and as a means to self-purification by individuals like Mahātmā Gāndhī, was observed on the New and Full Moon days (*pakkhadivase*)—on the fifteenth of each *pakkha* (*pannarasu-posatha*).⁵ On this day the eight-fold sabbath vows (*aṭṭhāṅga*) were taken,⁶ especially the four abstinences (*caturaṅga*) from food (*āhāra*), bodily attentions (*śarīra-satkāra*), sexual intercourse (*abrahma*) and daily work (*vyāpāra*).⁷ On the *uposatha* day, the bed was to be smaller than usual.⁸ There was no killing of creatures on that day.⁹ It was a solemn day for meditations or hearing the *dhamma* by men and women alike.¹⁰