From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

Question: Only these five precepts have been mentioned for the white-robed householder. Are there other dharmas in addition to these?

Response: There are also the one-day precepts and the six days of abstinence for which the merit from observance is incalculable. If one is able to observe these precepts from the first through the fifteenth of the twelfth month, his merit will be extremely great.

The Procedure for Taking the Single-day Eight Precepts

From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

Question: How does one go about taking the one-day precepts?

Response: The dharma for accepting the one-day precepts entails kneeling in an upright posture with the palms joined, whereupon one should make a statement such as this: "I, so-and-so, now, for one day and one night take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma and take refuge in the Sangha." One proceeds in this manner, proclaiming the taking of refuge for a second and a third time.

[Next, one proclaims], "I, so-and-so, have now taken refuge in the Buddha. I have now taken refuge in the Dharma. I have now taken refuge in the Sangha." One proceeds in this manner, declaring the completion of the refuges for a second and a third time.

[Next, one proclaims], "I, so-and-so, whether it be bad karma of the body, bad karma of the mouth or bad karma of the mind, whether it be on account of greed, on account of hatred or on account of stupidity, and whether it be that I have offenses such as these in the present life or in former lives, today, with a sincere mind, I repent of them to achieve purity of the body, purity of the mouth and purity of the mind." If one accepts and practices the eight precepts then this is the upavaasa. (In the language of Ch'in, this means "dwelling together.")

[Next, one proclaims], "Just as the buddhas, for the remainder of their entire lives did not kill beings, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not kill beings. Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did not steal, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not steal. Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did not engage in sexual activity, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not engage in sexual activity. Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did commit false speech, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not commit false speech. Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did not drink intoxicants, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not drink intoxicants. Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did not sit on a high or grand couch, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not sit on a high or grand couch. Just as the buddhas for the rest of their entire lives did not wear flowers or necklaces and did not perfume their bodies and did not perfume their robes, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not wear flowers or necklaces and will not perfume my body or my robes. Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did not themselves sing or dance or make music and did not go to watch or listen to it, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not myself sing or dance or make music or go and observe or listen to it."

At this point one has already taken the eight precepts. [Then one continues by proclaiming], "Just as the buddhas for the remainder of their entire lives did not eat past midday, in the same manner, I, so-and-so, for one day and one night will not eat past midday. I, so-and-so, accept and practice the eight precepts and pursue the study of the Dharma of the Buddhas. This constitutes the upavaasa. I pray that I will be able to maintain the meritorious retribution of this upavaasa and so pray that in life after life I will not fall into the three wretched destinies or experience the eight difficulties. I do not seek the pleasures of a wheel-turning sage king, of Brahmaa or Shakradevendra, the kings of the gods, or of worldly existence. I pray that I will be able to bring an end to all afflictions and succeed in gaining sarvaj~naana and in perfecting the Buddha Way.

The Procedure for Taking the Five Precepts

From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

Question: How does one take the five precepts?

Response: The dharma for accepting the five precepts is as follows: One kneels upright, places the palms together and proclaims, "I, so-and-so, take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Sangha." One proceeds in this fashion for a second and a third time. [Next, one proclaims], "I, so-and-so, have now taken refuge in the Buddha. I have now taken refuge in the Dharma. I have now taken refuge in the Sangha." One proceeds in this fashion for a second and a third time [and then states], "I am an upaasaka [disciple] of Shakyamuni Buddha. [Pray], certify and be aware that I, so-and-so, from this day, and proceeding for the remainder of this life, take the refuges."

The precept master then says, "You, upaasaka, hear me: This Tathaagatha, Arhan, Samyaaksambuddha is a man of knowledge and a man of vision. He proclaimed the five precepts for the upaasaka in this same manner. They are to be upheld by you for the rest of your life. What are the five? They are: To not kill beings for the rest of one's life is an upaasaka precept. Herein, for the rest of one's life, one must not deliberately kill beings. If you are able to carry out this matter then you should say, 'I promise.' To not steal for the rest of one's life is an upaasaka precept. Herein, for the rest of one's life, one must not steal. If you are able to carry out this matter then you should say, 'I promise.' To not engage in sexual misconduct for the rest of your life is an upaasaka precept. Herein, for the rest of your life, you must not engage in sexual misconduct. If you are able to carry out this matter then you should say, 'I promise.' To not engage in false speech for the rest of one's life is an upaasaka precept. Herein, for the rest of one's life, one must not engage in false speech. If you are able to carry out this matter then you should say, 'I promise.' To not drink intoxicants for the rest of one's life is an upaasaka precept. Herein, for the rest of one's life, one must not drink intoxicants. If you are able to carry out this matter then you should say, 'I promise.' These five precepts of the upaasaka are to be accepted and upheld for the remainder of one's life. One should make offerings to the Triple Jewel, the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel and the Bhik.su Sangha Jewel. One should diligently cultivate meritorious karma and thereby come forth into the Buddha Way."

Why One Takes the Eight Precepts and Cultivates Merit

From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

Question: Why is it that on the six days of abstinence one takes the eight precepts and cultivates merit.

Response: On these days evil ghosts pursue people desiring to forcibly take their lives. [They bring] acute illnesses, calamity and ruination and so cause people misfortune. Therefore the sages at the beginning of the kalpa instructed people to observe days of abstinence, cultivate good and do meritorious deeds to thereby avoid calamity and ruination. At this time the abstinence dharma did not involve taking the eight precepts. It only took going one day without food as constituting abstinence. Later, when the Buddha came forth into the world, he instructed people, saying, "In the manner of the Buddha, you should uphold the eight precepts for one day and one night while also refraining from eating after midday. This merit will take a person forth to nirvana."

According to what the Buddha said in the Sutra of the Four Heavenly Kings, on these six monthly abstinence days the retainers, princes and the four heavenly kings themselves descend, observe and investigate the status of beings' giving, maintenance of the precepts and filial piety towards their fathers and mothers. In an instance where it is deficient, they then ascend to the Traayastri.msha heaven and inform Shakra of this. Shakra and the other gods are all displeased and say, "The clan of the asuras is on the increase and the clan of the gods is diminishing." If it is the case that the giving, maintenance of precepts and filial piety towards fathers and mothers is greater, then the gods and Shakra are all delighted and proclaim, "There is increase in the company of the gods and a decrease among the asuras. At such a time, Shakradevendra observed the delight among the gods and uttered a verse, saying:

If, during the six days and the months of spiritual transformations
One upholds the pure precepts,
After this person's life has come to an end
His merit will certainly be comparable to mine.
The Buddha told the bhik.sus, "Shakradevendra should not have uttered a verse such as this. Why? Shakradevendra has not yet gotten rid of the five marks of deterioration or the three poisons. How could he falsely state, 'If there is one who upholds the one-day precepts he will certainly gain a meritorious reward comparable to mine.'? If one upholds these precepts, he ought to be similar in mind to the Buddha. If he had said this it would have been true speech." Because the great and revered gods are delighted one gains an increased amount of merit.

Additionally, on these six days evil ghosts bring harm to people and [attempt to] visit affliction and confusion upon everyone. If in the open country, village, prefecture, province, country or city-state where one abides there is a person who observes the days of abstinence, takes the precepts and practices goodness, on account of these causes and conditions, the evil ghosts depart far away and the place in which one dwells is peaceful and secure. For this reason, if one observes the abstinences and takes the precepts on these six days one thereby gains increased merit.

Why Ghosts and Spirits Possess Enhanced Powers on Six Days Each Month

From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

Question: Why do the evil ghosts and spirits take advantage of these six days to visit affliction and harm on people?

Response: In The Sutra on the Origins of Heaven and Earth, it says that when the kalpa was first created there was the son of a different god also named Brahmaa who was the father of the ghosts and spirits. He cultivated a form of brahmacaarin ascetic practice whereby, for a full twelve heavenly years, he cut away his own flesh on these six days, drew off his blood, and then placed them in a fire. On account of this, on these six days, the evil ghosts and spirits suddenly possess strong powers.

Question: Why on these six days did the father of the ghosts and spirits cut away the flesh and blood of his body and place them into a fire?

Response: Among all of the ghosts and spirits, the Maheshvara spirit is the biggest and the most primary in status. All of the spirits have an allotted number of days. Maheshvara has an allotment of four days out of each month: the eighth, the twenty-third, the fourteenth, and the twenty-ninth. The other spirits have an allotment of two days out of each month: their first day out of the month is the sixteenth and their second day out of the month is the seventeenth. The fifteenth and the thirtieth belong collectively to all spirits. Because Maheshvara is the lord of all of the spirits and because he has gotten the most days, his four days are counted as abstinence days. The other two days which are also counted as abstinence days are the days belonging collectively to all of the spirits. Hence, all of the ghosts and spirits suddenly possess strong powers on these six days.

Furthermore, after the father of ghosts and spirits had cut away his flesh, drawn of his blood and placed them in fire for twelve years, the king of the gods descended and asked his son, "What prayer do you seek to fulfill [by doing this]?"

He replied, "I seek to have sons."

The king of the gods said, "It is the offering method of the rishis to employ the burning of incense, the offering up of sweet fruits and all manner of pure endeavors. Why do you use the placement of flesh and blood into fire in accordance with offensive and evil dharmas? You destroy the dharma of goodness and take pleasure in carrying out evil endeavors. I will cause you to give birth to evil sons who feast on flesh and drink blood. Then, in accordance with his proclamation, eight huge ghosts came forth at that moment from within the fire. Their bodies were as black as ink. Their hair was yellow and their eyes were red and possessed of a great light. Every one of the ghosts and spirits were born from these eight ghosts. It was as a consequence of this that the cutting away of the bodily flesh and blood and their placement into the fire resulted in the gaining of power.

As for the Dharma of the Buddha, the days are devoid of either good or ill. But as an adaptation to the causes and conditions associated with the world's treatment of these as bad days, one is instructed to observe the abstinences and take the eight precepts.

The Relative Value of the Five Precepts and the Single-day Eight Precepts

From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

Question: Which is superior, the five precepts or the one-day precepts?

Response: There may be causes and conditions whereby the two precept categories are equal. However, the five precepts are taken for the rest of one's life whereas the eight precepts are upheld for only a single day at a time. But then again, because the five precepts are constantly upheld, the time involved is greater. However, the precepts involved are fewer. With the one-day precepts, the time is less while the number of precepts is greater.

Furthermore, if one is not possessed of a great mind, although one may uphold the precepts for one's entire life, it is not as good as a person with a great mind upholding the precepts for a single day. This is analogous to a weak man serving as a general. Although he may continue to serve as a general of the troops for the rest of his life, because he is inadequate as regards wisdom and bravery, the shock troops will have no reputation for meritorious service. But if a greatly heroic man brings forth high resolve to immediately stabilize a disastrous and chaotic situation, in a single day of devoted service his meritorious reputation spreads throughout the world.

The Layperson's Four Degrees of Preceptual Cultivation

From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
(Dharmamitra Translation)

These two categories of precepts constitute dharmas intended for the householder upaasaka. The upholding of precepts on the part of the householder is commonly of four degrees. There are the lesser, the middling, the superior and the superior among the superior. When a lesser person upholds the precepts it is for the sake of pleasures in the present life or perhaps it may be out of fear, out of a desire to be praised, or to be famous. Or it may be that for the sake of family-related dharmas he will constrain himself to go along with another's ideas. It may also be done out of a desire to avoid a misery-ridden period of conscription or perhaps it is done because one seeks to avoid dangerous situations. All sorts of factors such as these characterize the lesser person's upholding of the precepts.

When the middling person upholds the precepts it is for the sake of wealth and noble status among men and for the sake of [gaining] delights and pleasures which accord with one's aspirations. Or perhaps one will endure self-denial and encourage oneself to undergo suffering out of a hope for good fortune and bliss in later lives. "The number of days are few and that which is gained is extremely great." Through making considerations such as this, one may uphold the precepts solidly. This is comparable to a merchant's traveling far and investing heavily. The profit which is gained will certainly be great. The merit from upholding the precepts causes people to receive good fortune and bliss in later lives in just this fashion.

When the superior person upholds the precepts it is for the sake of nirvana and because he knows that all dharmas are impermanent. It is because he wishes to transcend suffering and gain eternal enjoyment of the unconditioned.

Furthermore, the mind of the person who upholds the precepts has no regrets. Because his mind has no regrets he gains delight and enjoyment. Because he gains delight and enjoyment from it he achieves single-mindedness. Because he gains single-mindedness he gains real wisdom. Because he gains real wisdom he develops the mind of renunciation. Because he develops the mind of renunciation he succeeds in transcending desire. Because he succeeds in transcending desire he gains liberation. Because he gains liberation he gains nirvana. In this manner, upholding the precepts constitutes the foundation of all of the good dharmas. Moreover, the upholding of precepts constitutes the initial entryway into to the eightfold correct path. This initial entryway onto the path certainly extends all the way to nirvana.

Question: According to the sequence in the eightfold correct path, right speech and right livelihood are in the middle whereas right views and right action are at the beginning. Why then do you now state that the precepts constitute the initial entryway into the eightfold correct path.?

Response: When we speak of numerical priorities, those which are greater are listed first. Right views is the greatest. Therefore it is placed at the beginning. Moreover, because one is coursing along a path, one takes seeing [clearly] as what is foremost. However, because all dharmas involve a particular sequence, precepts come first. This is analogous to the construction of a building wherein, although the beams and rafters are huge, one nonetheless takes the ground as what is primary.

In the case of a person who is the most superior among the superior in the upholding of precepts, it is done out of pity for beings and for the sake of the Buddha Way. It is in order to understand all dharmas and it is because of a quest for the reality mark. It is not done on account of fear of the wretched destinies and it is not done because one seeks to gain pleasures. All sorts of motives such as these characterize the practice of one who is the most superior among the superior in the upholding of the precepts. These four categories generally constitute the upaasaka's [practice of] the precepts.