The Second Treatise on the Perfections – 2712
Therefore, it is clear that loving-kindness is more powerful than the other three
sublime mental states.
Three Kinds of Observance Day Morality
Observance Day morality (
Uposatha-sīla
) is of three kinds:
1. The cowherd’s observance (
gopāla-uposatha
).
2. The naked ascetic’s observance (
nigaṇṭha-uposatha
).
3. The noble one’s observance (
ariya-uposatha
).
As expounded by the Fortunate One in the Discourse about the Observance Day
(
Uposatha-sutta
, AN 3.70), the essential meanings are:
1. The Observance Day morality (
uposatha-sīla
), observed with thoughts
of a cowherd, is called the cowherd’s observance (
gopāla-uposatha
).
After grazing the cattle all day long, the cowherd returns them to the
owner in the evening. On reaching home, he thinks in this way: “Today,
I have grazed the cattle in such-and-such a field and taken them to
water at such-and-such a place. Tomorrow, I’ll take them to such-and-
such field for food and to such-and-such a place for water.” Similarly,
the observer of the Observance Day morality (
Uposatha-sīla
), having
greedy thoughts of food, thinks: “Today, I have taken such-and-such a
kind of food. Tomorrow, I’ll take such-and-such a kind.” If he spends
the day in this way like the cowherd, his observance is called the
cowherd’s observance (
gopāla-uposatha
).
2. The Observance Day morality observed by a naked ascetic who holds
wrong views is called the naked ascetic’s observance (
nigaṇṭha-
uposatha
). For example, according to their practice with regard to the
precept of not killing (
pāṇātipāta
), killing living beings beyond a
distance of 100 leagues east, west, north and south must not be done.
Within such-and-such a distance killing is allowed, thus giving a chance
of committing evil. Differentiating between forbidden and unforbidden
places for doing wrong, they practise their Observance Day. The
observance practised by the holders of such a view is called the naked
ascetic’s observance (
nigaṇṭha-uposatha
).