What Makes Us An Upasakas & Upasikas?

[wyman]

Recently I had read an article from Bhante Payutto. I found it very useful and want to share with all bro and sis in this forum.

Upasakas & Upasikas are Buddhist lay followers and are considered Buddhist of leading type. They must be steadfast and firmly established in the Buddhist principles to serve as examples for Buddhist in general. Apart from observing the BUddhist's 5 & 8 precepts, they must possess the 5 qualities of Buddhist lay followers (upasakdhamma) as follows:

1) They have faith, their belief being endowed with wisdom; they are not given to blind faith; they have confidence in triple gems, neither being shaken nor faltering; they adhere to the Dhamma as the principal and supreme cause

2) They have morality; apart from maintaining themselves in the Five Precepts and righteous livelihood, they should undertake the 8 precepts on due occasions to develop themselves so that their lives and happiness depend less on materials needs, thus reducing harm and increasing beneficence towards others.

3) They do not get carried away by superstition; they believe in deeds, aspiring to results from their own deeds through their own effort in a rational way; they are not excited by wildly rumored superstition, talisman or lucky charms; they do not aspire to results from praying for miracles.

4) They do not seek the gift-worthy outside of this teaching; they do not grasp at fields of merits, miracle workers or holy personalities that are outside the Buddhist principles

5) They apply themselves to supporting and helping with the Buddhist cause; they attend to, initiate and support charity work in accordance with the teaching of the Perfectly Enlightened One.

(Extracted from: Sigalovada Sutta under gihivinaya section)