The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2582 page)

(P
li, ‘equanimity’). Fundamental Buddhist state of equilibrium in the mind. It is one of the seven constituents of enlightenment, and one of the four cardinal virtues (with
metta
,
karu
,
mudit
), which controls the other three.

 
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(P
li, ‘fasting’; Skt.,
upavasatha
; Jap.,
fusatsu
). Buddhist observance on the days of (initially) new and full moon, now of the quarter moons. For laypeople (
up
saka
) it involves a day of more careful observance, sometimes by undertaking an additional three rules (
la
), and by assembling at the local monastery, for worship, instruction, and renewal of vows to keep the precepts (
la). Monks are under obligation to attend a ceremony in which (or before which) acknowledgement of fault against the pratimok
a is made. The pratimok
a is recited at this ceremony.