One should not kill a being
or take what is not given;
should not tell a lie
or be a drinker of strong drink;
should abstain from uncelibacy, the sexual act;
should not eat at night, the wrong time of day;
should not wear a garland or use a scent;
should sleep on a pallet, a mat spread on the ground—
for this eight-factored uposatha
has been proclaimed by the Awakened One
to lead to the end
of suffering & stress.
The moon & sun, both fair to see,
shedding radiance wherever they go,
& scattering darkness as they move through space,
brighten the sky, illumining the quarters.
Within their range is found wealth:
pearl, crystal, beryl,
lucky-gem, platinum, nugget-gold,
& the refined gold called ‘Haṭaka.’
Yet they—
like the light of all stars
when compared with the moon—
aren’t worth one sixteenth
of the eight-factored uposatha.
So whoever—man or woman—
is endowed with the virtues
of the eight-factored uposatha,
having done meritorious deeds,
productive of bliss,
beyond reproach, goes
to the heavenly state.
Origin URL: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN3_71.html