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Lay Buddhist Practice by Bhikkhu Khantipalo

The Rains Residence

[This should NOT be called "Buddhist Lent"! There is no basis for comparing Christian Lent with Buddhist Rains-residence, as they do not spring from the same religious ideas, nor have the same purpose, nor apply to the same people.]

This is a period of three months when bhikkhus must reside in one place and cannot wander, though they may undertake all their usual duties provided that they do not take them away from their monasteries overnight. In special circumstances they may even be absent from the monastery or residence where they have vowed to keep the Rains for as long as seven days. As bhikkhus do not withdraw more than usual at this time from involvement with lay people, unless they are devoting all their time to meditation, it is better to translate vassavasa literally as "rains-residence" rather than "rains-retreat."

The rains residence was instituted by the Buddha to prevent bhikkhus traveling during the Rainy Season of India and S.E. Asia, and so damaging the crops, and the living creatures which are abundant then. No doubt he considered their health as well when he laid down that bhikkhus must spend the rains with four walls round them and a roof over their heads.

From the beginning this was a time when a bhikkhu could live near a teacher, a senior bhikkhu who had specialized in meditation, in the Discipline, or in the Discourses. He had the chance then to make intensive efforts and learn whatever the teacher taught. After the Rains, especially in the early days when bhikkhus mostly wandered and had few monasteries, the teacher might receive an invitation to go elsewhere and the settled association with pupils would be broken. And then during the Rains there are fewer visitors to the quieter and more secluded monasteries so that more intensive efforts are possible at this time.

In Buddhist countries this is still the time for intensive activity: the meditator meditates more and undertakes more of the austere practices; the student of books makes more effort to master his studies; the teacher-monk is more active in teaching Dhamma and the writer in writing. In some countries this is the time when many laymen, mostly the young, get temporary ordination as "Rains-bhikkhus" (fewer women also become nuns for some time), usually for about four months, after which they disrobe and return to the layman's state. They are honored by others with the name "pandit" (a learned man) for the learning and good conduct that they have acquired in the monastery and benefit their families and society in general by bringing this knowledge back with them. This general intensification of activities in the Sangha leads lay people to consider what they can do during this period.

Usually a lay person on the day of entering the Rains makes a vow or vows to practice in a certain way during the three months of the Rains-residence. This vow may be told to a senior bhikkhu or it may be kept private but in any case it is made in front of a Buddhist shrine. This is something which could be done by any one who wanted to tighten up on practice for the duration of the Rains-residence. The content of the vows vary with one's character, country and circumstances. Below are a number of typical vows made by lay people on Rains-entry day, some of which could be practiced by isolated Buddhists:

      During the Rains I shall give almsfood to bhikkhus every day.

      I shall give up smoking while the Rains are on.

      For the Rains, I shall chant morning and evening service every day.

      I shall go to the monastery to hear Dhamma on every holy day.
        (i.e. 4 days a month).

      While the Rains are on I shall not take any intoxicants,
        or see or hear any form of entertainment.

      During the Rains I shall undertake the Uposatha precepts
        on each Full Moon day.

      For the whole Rains I shall practice meditation twice a day.

      Each holy day during the Rains I shall keep the Eight Precepts
        and meditate twice, each time for an hour.

The vows must be practicable. It is no good making vows, perhaps quite exalted ones, which are out of one's range and only another extension of one's ego. A person who practices the Dhamma for a while gets to know his strength and weaknesses and will know therefore what it possible for him to undertake. At the end of the Rains, having accomplished one's vows without a break, one feels that something worthwhile has been done. And sometimes these temporary practices have a lasting effect -- the smoker does not go back to tobacco, or the meditator finds that his practice goes so much better that he continues to sit twice a day, and so on.

During the Rains residence, some lay people in Buddhist countries undertake one or two of the austere practices which were allowed by the Buddha for bhikkhus. [*] It is not possible for lay people to practice most of them but Acariya Buddhaghosa in his "Path of Purification" (Visuddhimagga) has written there (Ch. II para 92) that they can undertake the One-sessioner's practice and the bowl-food-eater's practice. For an isolated Buddhist who goes out to work, even these two could not be practiced.

* [See Wheel 83-84, "With Robes and Bowl."]

The One-sessioner's practice means eating one meal in one session a day. Practiced strictly a person does not even drink foods (such as milk and milk beverages) at other times but having sat down eats enough to last for twenty-four hours.

The Bowl-food-eater's practice is undertaken when a person does not have many plates and dishes but puts all the food to be eaten on one vessel -- the sweet with the main part of the meal, though without necessarily mixing them.

Both practices are good for limiting greed for food, for fine flavors and desires for fine textures, etc. Food is taken by such lay people as a medicine which is necessary to cure the disease of hunger. It is not used for the satisfaction of sensual desires. Particularly for greed characters (in which greed or desire is the strongest of the Roots of Evil) such restraint can be valuable.

And if during the Rains one cannot do anything else, at least one should at this time practice dana to the best of one's ability and in whatever personal ways it is possible to give. Impersonal giving, for instance, having amounts stopped out of one's wage packet, should be avoided as there is little or no good kamma made in such ways. It may be that giving time and sympathy with the effort to help others may be more effective than giving money or goods. The Rains traditionally is the time when lay people have the chance to increase their practice of dana and even though one may not live near to the Sangha there are still plenty of opportunities for giving.

The Purpose of these Practices

This is simply to generate some zeal for Dhamma in oneself. To bring the Dhamma to life in oneself. To get away from reading books on it and into doing it. Not just to take a mild intellectual interest in it but to make it the basis of one's life. Not only to go to an occasional lecture on the subject but to consider. "What can I DO?" Not to be content to play with the ideas of "Buddhism" -- making sure that these do not touch one's precious self, but to get into Dhamma so that what is rotten in oneself is changed. Not to haggle about the finer points of atta and anatta (self- and non-self) when one has not even got round to making effort with the Five Precepts. Not to talk of the Void while one harbors hatred in one's heart. Not to be way up there with subtle ideas but to get down to being loving and generous. Not to be swayed at every turn by the world but to have a discipline based on Dhamma for one's life.

A lay person in a non-Buddhist country is not only surrounded by a culture which is opposed to the practice of many aspects of Dhamma but he is often without the help which can be got from bhikkhus and experienced lay teachers. If then he does make the effort to practice along the lines suggested here, sooner or later he will be engulfed. His mild interest in Dhamma fades away or gets lost in the jungle of conflicting desires.

One cannot stand still in Dhamma. Either one makes effort and cultivates oneself, or one slides away from Dhamma to deterioration. Everything suggested here is on the side of Dhamma and leads one to grow in Dhamma, so here is a chance to put into practice the Buddha's words:

     Make haste towards the good
     and check your mind from evil.
     Whoso is slow in making punna
     his mind delights in evil.
 
     If a man should punna make
     let him do it again and again;
     he should make a wish for that:
     happy is the piling up of punna.

                        (Dhp. 116, 118)

The Discourse to Visakha on the Uposatha with the Eight Practices

Thus have I heard: At one time the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at the Eastern monastery in the mansion (given by) Migara's mother. Then Visakha, [1] Migara's mother, approached the Exalted One; having approached and bowed down she sat down in a suitable place. When she was seated the Exalted One spoke thus to Visakha, Migara's Mother:

"Visakha, when the Uposatha undertaken with its eight component practices, [2] is entered on, it is of great fruit, of great advantage, of great splendor, of great range. And how, Visakha, is the Uposatha undertaken with its eight component practices, entered on, is of great fruit, great advantage, great splendor and great range?

"Here, [3] Visakha, a noble disciple considers thus:

" 'For all their lives the Arahants dwell having abandoned killing living beings, refrain from killing living beings, they have laid down their staffs, laid down their weapons, they are conscientious, [4] sympathetic, compassionate for the good of all living beings; so today I dwell, for this night and day, having abandoned killing living beings, refraining from killing living beings, I am one who has laid down my staff, laid down my weapon, I am conscientious, sympathetic, compassionate for the good of all living beings. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this first practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants dwell having abandoned taking what is not given, refrain from taking what is not given, they are takers of what is given, those who expect only what is given, themselves become clean without thieving; so today I dwell, for this night and day, having abandoned taking what is not given, refraining from taking what is not given. I am a taker of what is given, one who expects only what is given, by myself become clean without thieving. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this second practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants dwell having abandoned unchaste conduct, they are of chaste conduct, living aloof, refrain from sex which is way of common society; so today I dwell, for this night and day, having abandoned unchaste conduct, I am of chaste conduct, living aloof, refraining from sex which is the common way of society. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this third practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants dwell having abandoned false speech, refrain from false speech, they are speakers of truth, joiners of truth, [5] firm-in-truth, [6] grounded-on-truth, [7] not speakers of lies to the world; so today I dwell, for this night and day, having abandoned false speech, refraining from false speech, a speaker of truth, a joiner of truth, firm- in-truth, grounded-on-truth, not a speaker of lies to the world. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this fourth practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants dwell having abandoned distilled and fermented intoxicants which are the occasion for carelessness and refrain from them; so today I dwell, for this night and day, having abandoned distilled and fermented intoxicants which are the occasion for carelessness, refraining from them. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this fifth practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants are one-mealers, refrain from eating outside the time, desisting at night, [8] so today I am a one-mealer, refraining from eating outside the time, desisting at night. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this sixth practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing garments, smartening with perfumes and beautifying with cosmetics; so today I refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing ornaments, smartening with perfumes and beautifying with cosmetics. By this practice, following after the Arahants, the Uposathas will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this seventh practice.

"(He considers:) 'For all their lives the Arahants having abandoned high beds [9] and large beds, [10] refraining from high beds and large beds, they make use of a low sleeping place, a (hard) bed or a strewing of grass; so today I have abandoned high beds and large beds, refraining from high beds and large beds, I make use of a low sleeping place, a (hard) bed or a strewing of grass. By this practice, following after the Arahants the Uposatha will be entered on by me.'

"It is undertaken by this eighth practice.

"Thus indeed, Visakha, is the Uposatha entered on and undertaken with its eight component practices, of great fruit, of great advantage, of great splendor, of great range.

"How great a fruit? How great an advantage? How great a splendor? How great a range?

"Just as though, Visakha, one might have power, dominion and kingship [11] over sixteen great countries abounding in the seven treasures [12] -- that is to say, Anga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vajji, Malla, Ceti, Vansa, Kure, Pancala, Maccha, Surasena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboja, yet it is not worth a sixteenth part of the Uposatha undertaken with its eight practices. For what reason? Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss.

"That which among men is fifty years, Visakha, is one night and day of the devas of the Four Great Kings, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the devas of the Four Great Kings is five hundred of those heavenly years. Now here a certain woman or man, having entered on the Uposatha undertaken with its eight practices, at the break up of the body, after death, may arise to fellowship with the devas of the Four Great Kings -- such a thing indeed is known, Visakha. It was in connection with this that I have said: Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss .

"That which among men is a hundred years, Visakha, is one night and day of the devas of the Thirty-three, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the devas of the Thirty-three is one thousand of those heavenly years. [13] Now here a certain woman or man, having entered on the Uposatha undertaken with the eight practices, at the break up of the body, after death, may arise to fellowship with the devas of the Thirty-three -- such a thing indeed is known, Visakha. It was in connection with this that I have said: Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss.

"That which among men is two hundred years, Visakha, is one night and day of the Yama devas, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the Yama devas is two thousand of those heavenly years. Now here a certain woman or man, having entered on the Uposatha undertaken with the eight practices, at the break-up of the body, after death, may arise to fellowship with the Yama devas -- such a thing indeed is known, Visakha. It was in connection with this that I have said: Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss.

"That which among men is four hundred years, Visakha, is one night and day of the Tusita devas, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the Tusita devas is four thousand of those heavenly years. Now here a certain woman or man, having entered on the Uposatha undertaken with the eight practices, at the break up of the body, after death, may arise to fellowship with the Tusita devas -- such a thing indeed is known, Visakha. It was in connection with this that I have said: Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss.

"That which among men is eight hundred years, Visakha, is one night and day of the Nimmanarati devas, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the Nimmanarati devas is eight thousand of those heavenly years. Now here a certain woman or man, having entered on the Uposatha undertaken with the eight practices, at the break up of the body, after death may arise to fellowship with the Nimmanarati devas -- such a thing indeed is known, Visakha. It was in connection with this that I have said: Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss.

"That which among men is sixteen hundred years, Visakha, is one night and day of the Paranimmitavasavatti devas, their month has thirty of those days, their year twelve of those months; the lifespan of the Paranimmitavasavatti devas is sixteen thousand of those heavenly years. Now here a certain woman or man, having entered on the Uposatha undertaken with the eight practices, at the break up of the body, after death, may arise to fellowship with the Paranimmitavasavatti devas- such a thing indeed is known, Visakha. It was in connection with this that I have said: Miserable is kingship over men compared with heavenly bliss.

      "Kill no life, nor take what is not given,
      speak no lie, nor be an alcoholic,
      refrain from sex and unchaste conduct,
      at night do not eat out-of-time food,
      neither bear garlands nor indulge with perfume,
      and make your bed a mat upon the ground:
      this indeed is called the eight-part uposatha
      taught by the Buddha gone to dukkha's end.
      The radiance of the sun and moon,
      both beautiful to see, follow on from each other,
      dispelling the darkness as they go through the heavens,
      illumining the sky and brightening the quarters
      and the treasure found between them:
      pearls and crystals and auspicious turquoises,
      gold nuggets and the gold called "ore,"
      monetary gold with gold dust carried down --
      compared with the eight-part uposatha,
      though they are enjoyed, are not a sixteenth part --
      as the shining of the moon in all the groups of stars.
      Hence indeed the woman and the man who are virtuous
      enter on uposatha having eight parts
      and having made merits [14] bringing forth happiness
      blameless they obtain heavenly abodes."

                               (Anguttara-nikaya, iv. 255-258)

(The upasaka Vasettha, when he heard this discourse, after the Buddha had finished speaking the above verses, exclaimed:)

"Lord, if my dear kin and relatives were to enter on the uposatha undertaken with its eight practices, it would be for their benefit and happiness for many a day. Lord, if all the warrior-nobles, brahmins, merchants and laborers were to enter on the uposatha undertaken with its eight practices, it would be for their benefit and happiness for many a day."

"So it is, Vasettha. If all the warrior-nobles, brahmins, merchants and laborers were to enter on the uposatha undertaken with its eight practices, it would be for their benefit and happiness for many a day. If this world with its devas, maras and brahmas, this generation with its samanas and brahmins, together with its rulers and mankind were to enter on the uposatha undertaken with its eight practices, it would be for their benefit and happiness for many a day. Vasettha, if these great sala trees were to enter on the uposatha undertaken with its eight practices it would be for their benefit and happiness for many a day, that is, if they were conscious, what to speak of mankind." (A.N. iv. 259)

Notes to Accompany the Sutta

[1] Visakha: a very generous woman lay-disciple who, by listening frequently to Dhamma, became a Streamwinner and who was, perhaps, already a noble disciple (ariya) when this discourse was spoken.

[2] anga: lit. part, component, practice; here meaning practices composing the Uposatha.

[3] "Here": meaning "in the Buddhasasana," the Buddha's instructions or religion.

[4] lajji: one who has shame (hiri) of doing evil, and fear of doing evil (ottappa), the two qualities which are called "the world guardians."

[5] saccasandha: "they join the truth" (Comm.)

[6] theta: lit. "firm, established," that is, in the experience of ultimate truth.

[7] paccayika: truth that has been seen by perceiving its conditional arising.

[8] Bhikkhus do not eat after midday until the following dawn.

[9] High beds means luxurious beds which are soft and well-sprung.

[10] Large beds means those in which two people can sleep.

[11] rajjam: lit., "kingship," but meaning generally great authority.

[12] The seven treasures: gold, silver, pearls, crystal, turquoise, diamond, coral.

[13] If calculated in human years, the devas of the Four Great Kings live 9,000,000 years; of the Thirty-three 36,000,000 years; of the Yama 144,000,000 years; of the Tusita 576,000,000 years; of the Nimmanarati 2,304,000,000 years; of the Paranimminitavasavatti devas the life is 9,216,000,000 years. Man can live at most one day in the life of the Thirty-three. It is worth reading the story in the Dhammapada Commentary (trans. "Buddhist Legends," Harvard Oriental Series Vol. 29, reissued by the Pali Text Society, London, 1969), called Husband-honourer, which brings to life this comparative time scale.

[14] merit (punna): good kamma which purifies and cleanses the mind of the doer, such as the practice of the three ways of merit-making: giving, moral conduct (or precepts), and meditation.

             The Precepts or Moral Conduct (sila) are:
 
      "A great crossbar preventing entrance into the four woeful states,
      a tree of the gods fulfilling all wishes,
      an autumnal sun dispelling the miserable darkness,
      a seedbed in which wholesome dhammas grow,
      an adamantine casket full of various sorts of gems,
      a ladder ascending to the palaces of the heavenly worlds.
      a bubbling source from which the waters of loving-kindness flow,
      a ship to cross over the great sea of all fears,
      a great bridge to pass over the ocean of wandering-on,
      a great cloud cooling the blaze of birth, decay and death,
      the one vehicle for entering the City of Nibbana."
 
      From "The Adornment of the Buddhist Laity" (Upasaka janalamkara)

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