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| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
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Aspirations of upasikas Poya Meditation by Sumana Saparamadu Today every temple, big or small, will be crowded with white-clad devotees, women, children and a handful of men, who have observed "sil". Newspapers will report tomorrow that certain popular temples like Kelani Vihara and the Kalutara Bodhi were "a sea of white". Besides temples, Buddhist centres like the island-wide YMBAs and the Buddhist Congress Hall will also be crowded with upasakas and upasikas, more upasikas than upasakas. The Poya or full-moon day of each month is the day set apart for religious observances, and observing "sil" is the main feature of the Poya Day rituals. Some full-moon days, like Vesak or Esala will see more - young and old - observing sil, than on other full-moon days, and places like the Kelani Vihara is virtually "a sea of white". At Poson, the scene shifts to Anuradhapura, where devotees are gathered en masse for organised 'sil' programs, and the Maha Mevuna Uyana is chock-a-block with white-clad devotees. "Observing Sil" is to take upon oneself the eight-fold seela. The Pali Text Society's dictionary defines it as: "The eight pledges which are recommended for Buddhist laymen". In addition to the pancha seela", the five precepts, every Buddhist pledges to follow daily there are three others viz to abstain from 1. taking food at the wrong time - vikaala, which is after noon. 2. watching dancing and variety shows, listening to singing and music using cosmetics, perfumes and ornaments. 3. using very comfortable and luxurious couches and beds. These are not commandments but pledges made by individuals singly and separately. "Strictly observe the five-precepts (pansil) daily and the eight-fold pledge (ata sil) on poya day." This was the norm a Buddhist was expected to follow. Spiritual retreat Poya Day is a day of spiritual retreat, for introspection, for meditation for Dhamma Savana (listening to the Dhamma being expounded) and Dhamma saakachcha - (discussing various aspects of the Dhamma). Keeping the eight-fold pledge is not difficult when one has left home and household chores behind or/forgotten the office files, and come to a common place where everyone else has resolved to keep the pledge until sunset that day or sunrise next morning. I know a mother in her mid-fifties who observes sil regularly every poya day, come rain, floods or sunshine. Meeting her at the temple one day, I commented on this and her instant reply was: "I come here to get away from it all. Let others cook the meals, and do on one day all that I do for 30 days. "I forget all my duties and worries and feel refreshed after a day here meditating and listening to sermons." Some observe sil through long practice, and others follow the crowd. Schoolchildren often do it because the principal and teachers expect them to 'observe sil'. There are those, the poorest of the poor women who don white clothes and come to temple accompanied by a child or two and spend the day there to partake of the dana - the breakfast and lunch - offered by a philanthropic dayaka to all devotees who have "observed sil". Some dayakas are angry at this deceit and are resentful that their generosity is being misused. But they should not be. The Buddha has commended the appeasing of hunger as an act of merit for hunger he said was "the greatest affliction". A dayaka who knows the story of the poor farmer of Alavi will not be angry or resentful. The Buddha knowing that the farmer had come to hear him, without a single meal that day, first satisfied his hunger before he expounded the dhamma. The mind cannot take in anything when the stomach is pinching. Hopes and aspirations There is an interesting story in the Dhamma Pada retold in Sinhala by the great story-teller Dharmasena Thera, on why females of different age groups 'observed sil'. Then as now, more females than males seemed to have observed sil, even though the poya days were non-working days then too. Visakha, the chief dayika of the Buddha, was once prompted by curiosity to find out why these women, the young, the not so young, and the old, were observing sil. What merit did they hope to acquire and what did they wish for? She first went to a group of elderly women and asked "Why have you taken upon yourself the eight pledges today and what do you hope to gain by this observance?" And they told her: "At this age, we have no other wish but a happy life in the deva world when we quit this life." Visakha next put the question to a group of middle-aged women, and they replied with one accord: "To escape the wrath of co-wives" Polygamy was prevalent then among the rich as well as the poor, and the constant insinuations hurled at each other must have been exasperating. What were the wishes and aspirations of the young women to whom Visakha put this question? That the first-born be a son, was the first wish and hope of all these young women. Visakha was disappointed that they had no higher aspirations. Finally, she went to the teenagers. What did they wish for? "To get married while we are young, not become old maids languishing at home." When I first read this story long years ago as an undergraduate, I thought a study of the wishes and aspirations of present day upasikas would be worthwhile doing and would be interesting reading, but never got down to it. Alas! |
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