Question: What are Upoṣatha Days (布萨日)?
Answer: They are the 15th (full moon: 满月) day and 29th or 30th (new moon: 新月) day of each lunar month, for practising confessions and repentance (忏悔), and reciting and/or hearing the Bodhisattva Precepts (菩萨戒). (The 29th day is for minor months [小月] and the 30th day is for major months [大月].)
Question: How are these days important?
Answer: As the Precepts are recited and/or heard on these days, this serves to regularly remind us of our commitment to live up to them. The reciting and/or hearing allow us to recollect these Precepts, to better maintain them, and to check if we have broken any of them, so as to practise repentance, and to recommit to them more firmly. (Usually, the formal confession and repentance practice is done right when there is awareness of wrong done, or right before recitation of these Precepts.)
Question: What is the origin of this recitation practice?
Answer: This originated from Śākyamuni Buddha (释迦牟尼佛). As he taught in the Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Text《梵网经菩萨戒本》, ‘I now, on half month and half month days, personally recite All Buddhas’ Dharma Precepts. You all Bodhisattvas who have just given rise to the aspiring mind should likewise recite them, and even the Ten Setting-Outs, Ten Nurturances, Ten Vajras, and Ten Grounds’ all Bodhisattvas should likewise recite them.’ (我今半月半月自诵诸佛法戒。汝等一切发心菩萨亦诵，乃至十发趣、十长养、十金刚、十地诸菩萨亦诵。）
To set the perfect example for us to emulate, even though the Buddha is already a ‘perfected Bodhisattva’; not a Bodhisattva who has just given rise to the aspiring mind or a Tenth Ground Bodhisattva, he still recites these Precepts to practise mindfulness of the Dharma for the sake of all sentient beings. If even the Buddha practises so, who are we, as non-Buddhas, to not do so?
Question: How should the Precepts be recited?
Answer: After committing to them formally, as taught in the Thirty-Seventh (Light) Precept Against Risking Difficulties To Travel (第三十七冒难游行戒）,
‘If on Upoṣatha Days, new learning Bodhisattvas, on half month and half month days, should constantly practise Upoṣatha, recite these Ten Heavy and Forty-Eight Light Precepts. If when reciting these Precepts, they should before all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas’ images recite, with one person practising Upoṣatha, then with one person reciting. If with two persons, three persons, and even a thousand persons, also with one person reciting. That reciting one should be on a high seat, with those listening below sitting. Each one should wear the nine strips, seven strips and five strips’ kaṣāyas.’ (若布萨日，新学菩萨，半月半月常布萨，诵十重四十八轻戒。若诵戒时，当于诸佛菩萨形像前诵，一人布萨，即一人诵。若二人三人至百千人，亦一人诵。诵者高座，听者下坐。各各披九条、七条、五条袈裟。)
The complete Bodhisattva Precepts (菩萨戒) should be recited and/or heard mindfully before a Buddhist shrine twice a month, evenly spaced apart as above, with the reciter seated higher than all listeners to express reverence to that recited, with all reverently dressed in their monastic robes (i.e. Three Robes [三衣] with five strips [五条] for work [工作服], seven strips [七条] for recitation [诵经服], and nine strips [九条] for great ceremonies [大礼服]), or lay robes (i.e. Hǎiqīng [海青] in black, and Precepts’ Robe [縵衣/戒衣服] in brown.
With only one person reciting aloud, despite possibly much greater number of others present, it should be noted that the emphasis is more on listening mindfully for reflection, than on reciting. This is so as when focused on reciting properly, there might be less focus on listening for reflecting properly at the same time. If the words are too difficult to recite or understand clearly, the translated version can be recited or read too. A clear recording in audio or video can be listened to or watched (for subtitles) to facilitate understanding too.
Question: How should I change my Bodhisattva Precepts’ recitation days if I cannot practise on the actual days?
Answer: With reference to the actual recitation days, there can be slight shifting of them to be one or a few days forward or backward. What to be remembered is that the even spacing apart of the actual days is for ensuring regularity and effectiveness in reminding preceptees of the Precepts. If recitation days are spaced too far apart or too near to each other, there will be less regular and effective reminding. (Recitation days can be made up for, but never skipped totally.)
