Buddhists of The Leading Type.
Those Buddhists who are referred to as upasaka and upasika [Buddhist lay followers] are considered Buddhists of the leading type. They must be steadfast and firmly established in the [Buddhist] priciples to serve as examples for Buddhists in general. Apart from observing the Buddhist's discipline, they must possess the five qualities of Buddhist lay followers (upasakadhamma) as follows:
1. They have faith, their belief being endowed with wisdom; they are not given to blind faith; they have confidence in the Triple Gem [the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha], 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 Eight Observances on due occasions to develop themselves so that their lives and happiness depend less on material 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, talismans or lucky charms; they to 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 merit, 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.
A Constitution for Living
Translated by Bruce Evans
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