The Paccorohanī Festival in the Noble One’s Discipline (Second Discourse)

Now on that occasion, on the Uposatha Day, the Brāhmin Jānussonī stood to one side not far from The Perfectly Enlightened One, with his head washed, wearing a new pair of linen clothes, holding a handful of wet kusa grass. The Perfectly Enlightened One saw him standing there and said to him:

Why is it, Brāhmin, that on the Uposatha Day you stand to one side with your head washed, wearing a new pair of linen clothes, holding a handful of wet kusa grass? What is happening today with the Brāhmin clan?

‘Today, Master Gotama, is the Brāhmin clan’s paccorohanī festival.’

But how do the Brāhmins observe the paccorohanī festival?

‘Here, Master Gotama, on the Uposatha Day, the Brāhmins wash their heads and put on a pair of new linen clothes. They then smear the ground with wet cow dung, cover this with green kusa grass, and lie down between the boundary and the fire house. In the course of the night, they get up three times, and with respectful salutation pay homage (respect) to the fire: We descend in honor of the respected one. We descend in honor of the respected one. They offer abundant ghee, oil, and butter to the fire. When the night has passed, they offer excellent food of various kinds to Brāhmins. It is in this way, Master Gotama, that the Brāhmins observe the paccorohanī festival.’

The paccorohanī festival in the Noble One’s discipline, Brāhmin, is quite different from the paccorohaņī festival of the Brāhmins.

‘But how, Master Gotama, is the paccorohanī festival observed in the Noble One’s discipline? It would be good if Master Gotama would teach me The Teachings by explaining how the paccorohanī festival is observed in the Noble One’s discipline.’

Well then, Brāhmin, listen and attend closely. I will speak.

(1) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong view is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong view; he descends from wrong view.

(2) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong intention is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong intention; he descends from wrong intention.

(3) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong speech is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong speech; he descends from wrong speech.

(4) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong action is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong action; he descends from wrong action.

(5) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong livelihood is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong livelihood; he descends from wrong livelihood.

(6) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong effort is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong effort; he descends from wrong effort.

(7) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong mindfulness is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong mindfulness; he descends from wrong mindfulness.

(8) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong concentration is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong concentration; he descends from wrong concentration.

(9) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong wisdom is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong wisdom; he descends from wrong wisdom.

(10) Here, Brāhmin, the Noble Disciple reflects thus: The result of wrong liberation is unwholesome both in this present life and in future lives. Having reflected thus, he abandons wrong liberation; he descends from wrong liberation.

It is in this way, Brāhmin, that the paccorohanī festival is observed in the Noble One’s discipline.

‘The paccorohanī festival in the Noble One’s discipline, Master Gotama, is quite different from the paccorohanī festival of the Brāhmins. And the paccorohanī festival of the Brāhmins is not worth a sixteenth part of the paccorohanī festival in the Noble One’s discipline.

Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama!

Master Gotama has made The Teachings clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness so those with good eyesight can see forms. I now go for refuge to Master Gotama, to The Teachings, and to The Community of Monks. Let Master Gotama consider me a Household Practitioner who from today has gone for refuge for life.’

(Reference: AN 10.119)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the way of practice that he suggests on the Uposatha Day with a Brāhmin.

The Uposatha is an observance where one might choose to pay particularly close attention to one’s life practice, ensuring one does not cause any harm through bodily, verbal, and mental conduct. Household Practitioners will oftentimes increase their practice of The Five Precepts by practicing The Eight Precepts during the Uposatha.

The Buddha guided his Students to observe the Uposatha through dedicated practice of The Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment to help invigorate their practice during these special times of the month dedicated to the cleansing of the defiled/polluted mind.

Observing the Uposatha was traditionally done for two to six days each lunar month. During the lifetime of The Buddha, the average person could understand time through the lunar calendar as the modern day calendar was not yet invented. People understood time based on the lunar schedule and could observe time by just looking into the sky. Today, depending which community one might live and participate in, there are some communities who practice this one day a week based on the modern calendar, or they might still follow the lunar calendar to observe the Uposatha.

The Uposatha is described by The Buddha based on how it is practiced by his own Students - The Noble Ones or The Noble Disciples.

An uninstructed worldling is a person who is not learning, reflecting, and practicing these Teachings to train the mind on The Path to Enlightenment.

An instructed Noble Disciple is a Practitioner of The Buddha’s Teachings who is deeply learning, reflecting, and practicing these Teachings.

Items 1-10 are directly from The Ten Fold Path.

Detailed explanation of The Ten Fold Path is available in this same book series found in Chapter 5 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).

It is important to understand that The Buddha described observing the Uposatha Day in multiple ways, it was not described only in the way detailed within this Chapter. Instead, each additional Teaching is shared in layers, providing further content to deepen one’s understanding of his Teachings and how to practice them successfully.

Detailed explanation of The Great Fruit and Benefits of the Noble Ones’ Uposatha Observance is available in this same book series found in Chapter 74 of the book “Realms of Existence” (Volume 11).