The Eight-fold Fasting-day Precepts

Refraining from:

1.  Killing

2.  Stealing

3.  Sexual Activity

4.  Lying

5.  Taking Intoxicants

6.  Wearing Fragrant Flowers or Decorative Beads, or Rubbing One's Body with Fragrant Oil

7.  Sitting on High, Luxurious Beds or Participating in Singing, Dancing, Playing Musical Instruments, or Purposely Watching and Listening to Entertaining Diversions, and

8.  Eating at Improper Times

The Sutra of Contemplating Immeasurable Longevity states: 

"If there are sentient beings who can uphold the Eight-fold Fasting-day Precepts for one day and and one night; if they can uphold the Shramanera Precepts for one day and one night; if they can uphold the Complete Precepts for one day and one night without blemishing their awesome deportment, if they transfer this merit and virtue and vow to seek rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, the fragrance of their precepts will permeate as a result of their cultivation.

Such a cultivator, as he approaches the end of his life, will see Amitabha Buddha and all his retinues emitting a golden light, and holding a Seven-Jeweled lotus flower before him.  The cultivator will personally hear a voice from space praising him thus:

'Good person, because such a wholesome person as you follows and accords with the teaching of all Buddhas of the Three Periods of time, I have come to welcome you.'

The cultivator will see himself sitting on a lotus flower, which will immediately close up.  He is then reborn into the western Land of Ultimate Bliss admist the jeweled pond.

After seven days, the lotus flower will bloom.  After the flower has opened, the cultivator will then open his eyes, and placing his palms together, he will laud the World Honored One.  Upon hearing the Dharma spoken, he is delighted and he attains the fruition of Shrotaapannas. 

 

Half an aeon later, he will realize his accomplishment and become an Arhat.  He is then called 'one who has earned the middle grade and been born in the standard grade of lotuses.' "

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The Sutra of Manjushri's Questions about Prajna states:

"Bodhisattvas in the world are those people who have taken the Eight Precepts." 

The Sutra on Dwelling in the Womb states:

"The Eight-fold Fasting-day Precepts are the parents of all the Buddhas." 

The Sarvastivada Shastra states:

"If one becomes the king of Jambudvipa, and within Jambudvipa, has control of all his citizens' gold, silver, wealth and jewelry, although he has merit and virtues such as these, if the merit and virtues of the Eight-fold Fasting-day Precepts were to be divided into sixteen shares, the merit and virtues of the Jambudvipa king cannot even match up to one part amid the sixteen shares.  This is the teaching on the ultimate pure Eight-fold Fasting-day Precepts."

The Vibhasa Shastra states,

"One who receives the Eight Precepts is called 'Near-dwelling', which means one is near to the dwelling of Arhats.  It is also called "constantly Nourishing', which means one constantly nourishes one's good roots, causing them to grow and increase."