Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Today is an uposatha day, or an eight precept day which occurs roughly 4 times a month and corresponds to the phases of the moon. The uposatha or a variation thereof is observed by millions of Buddhists throughout thee world although it is a practice/observance which is still relatively foreign to many of us who are converts to Buddhism. I, myself, only began to strictly observe the 8 precepts on uposatha days two years ago but have found it has worked wonders for my practice by serving as a kind of port in the storm of daily life.

Probably one of the best suttas to read for anyone interested in the fruits and benefits of the uposatha observance is the Visakhuposatha Sutta. In it is detailed the 8 Precepts which one observes every uposatha as well as the great merit gained thereby. I maintain a Facebook group for people wanting to be reminded of the uposatha dates and for those who would like to feel that they have some company in the practice and I have also provided links to the 2010 Calendar.

In brief, these are the eight precepts:

Also, here are some great links to suttas concerned with the uposatha:

• Muluposatha Sutta (AN 3.70) — Discourse on the Roots of the Uposatha
• Uposatha Sutta (AN 8.41) — Discourse on the Uposatha Observance
• Visakhuposatha Sutta (AN 8.43) — Discourse to Visakha on the Uposatha
• Ñanavara Thera’s Questions-and-answers concerning the Uposatha.

Source:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/atthasila.html