Upasika Program

The term upasika means “one who sits close by,” and it has come to refer to lay people who join with the monastics in the practice of the Dhamma. Following the model established in England, Abhayagiri Monastery has created its own Upasika Program to provide a structure for lay people to practice and study together. Regular Upasika Days are held at the monastery each year at which upasikas renew their commitment to the Three Refuges and Five Precepts, participate in a study session focusing on a Dhamma topic, and practice meditation. Over the course of the year, topics cover the five themes of sutta study, daily life practice, meditation, devotion/ritual, and Dhamma in the broader world. A list of suggested readings is also provided for those wishing to delve more deeply into each topic.

Typical Upasika Day Schedule
11:00 a.m. Meal Offering (optional/bring a dish to share)
1:00-5:00 p.m. Study/Practice Session
5:30 p.m. Tea (optional)

Attendance at Upasika Days is open both to those who have made a formal commitment to the program and to those who may simply wish to attend for the day. (Each year’s commitment ceremony takes place in April.) All are welcome.


Purpose
Following are the primary purposes of the Upasika Program:
• To enhance individual practice and increase self-discipline through making a formal commitment to spiritual training.
• To deepen both the intellectual and experiential understanding of Dhamma.
• To have more supportive contact with like-minded people and the ordained Sangha.
• To be better equipped to communicate the Teachings to others.

Guidelines
The following Upasika Program guidelines are meant as an outline for spiritual training of the individual and are intended to provide a structure for those seeking support and encouragement in their practice.

• Undertake to live by the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts.
• To take the Theravada Thai Forest Tradition as the focus of one's Buddhist practice.
• Attend regular gatherings with other Upasikas, either at the monastery or in our own homes.
• Visit the monastery and formally take the Refuges and Precepts at least quarterly.
• Observe the Uposatha days of the full and new moons in some fashion appropriate to our living situation.
• Practice meditation daily.
• Find some time each year to go on retreat.
• Attend at least one festival day or communal gathering at the monastery each year.
• Cultivate a basic working knowledge of the Teachings.
• Support the sangha according to our means and abilities.
• Keep to the training for at least one year after having made the formal commitment.


2008 Upasika Days

April 5 -- Devotional/Ritual: Chanting

This session will focus on chanting in our spiritual lives, using the “Salutation to the Triple Gem and a Passage of encouragement” from Abhayagiri’s morning chanting (http://www.abhayagiri.org/index.php/main/book/288/). Teachings will address the role of chanting in general, including chanting in one’s daily pracatice, Pali pronunciation, harmonizing and chanting in a group, and a discussion on the meaning of this particular chant.

June 1 -- Sutta Study: The Four Heavenly Messengers

This session will involve study of two primary texts: the Devaduta Sutta (The Divine Messengers) (Majjhima Nikaya 130) and the Pabbatopama Sutta (The Simile of the Mountains) (Samyutta Nikaya III, 25). Both address the theme of the Four Heavenly Messengers—the old man, the sick man, and the corpse, which taught the Buddha the shocking truths of old age, illness, and death; and the wandering ascetic, who revealed to him the existence of a path whereby all suffering can be fully transcended.

August 9 -- Meditation: The “Other Brahma-viharas” and Recollection Meditation

This session will explore the contemplation of the Brahma-viharas of compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha) in the context of one’s meditation practice. Teachings will describe the use of recollection of spiritual qualities as a form of meditation, including how this can be carried into daily life and activities.

October 11 -- Practice in a Global Context: The Buddha’s Advice to Political Leaders and Political Activists

This session will address issues timely to the upcoming elections, describing the Buddha’s teachings on the qualities of good leaders as well as advice on how to work with the questions we all face when engaging in the political system, whether as a voter or an activist.

December 7 -- Practice in a Personal Context: Generosity

This session will include teachings on the practice of generosity, exploring the many different forms it can take in our daily lives and interactions with others. We will touch on:

• Amisadana (material offerings)


• Abhayadana (the offering of fearlessness/safety, mostly via keeping the precepts)


• Dhammadana (the offering of Dhamma)