Buddhist monasticism

Some people live as monks or nuns.

They follow the ways of the Buddha. They live in a group. They study and pray.

Monks and nuns help teach others. They live a simple life. They do not own many things. People give them food and clothes. This help lets them focus on study.

They often live in a group. Some stay in houses. Some stay in parks or gardens.

These places are often given by others.

Monks and nuns follow many rules. These rules help them live well together. They also practice meditation.

It is a very old way of life. Many people still do it today.

Buddhist monasticism is a very old way of life.

It began with the Buddha a long time ago. He started an order for monks and nuns. Monks are men. Nuns are women. They are called bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.

These people live in groups called a sangha. They do not own many things. Instead, they live a simple life. They focus on study and meditation. They also teach others about the Buddha.

Monks and nuns rely on other people. Lay followers give them food and clothes. In return, the monastics provide guidance. Some monastics live in houses called viharas. Others live in beautiful parks called aramas.

There are different rules for different groups. These rules are called the Vinaya. They help people live well in a community. Most monks and nuns do not marry. This is called celibacy. It helps them stay focused on their path. Today, these traditions are found all over the world. They are in places like Asia, Europe, and America.

Buddhist monasticism is one of the oldest ways people live in organized groups.

These groups are made of monks and nuns. Men are called bhikkhus and women are called bhikkhunis. They belong to a community known as a sangha. The main goal for these people is to study and protect the teachings of the Buddha. They also help guide other people who are not part of the monastic life. By living simply, they show others how to follow the path of the Dharma.

Monastic life works through a special bond with the community. Monks and nuns do not own many things. Instead, they rely on lay followers for food and clothing. In return, the monastics provide spiritual guidance to these followers. This relationship helps people earn merit by giving gifts to the sangha. Some monastics live in temporary houses called viharas. Others stay in beautiful, permanent places called aramas.

These aramas are often located in lovely orchards or parks.

This tradition began a very long time ago.

Buddhist tradition says the Buddha founded the order during his own life. This happened between the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. The lifestyle grew from earlier groups of wandering people called ascetics. At first, these followers traveled together in small groups. They often lived on the edges of towns and practiced meditation in forests. Over time, the practice of living together during the rainy season helped create settled communities.

There are different sets of rules called the Vinaya. These rules help people live together in a peaceful way. Three main traditions exist in the world today. The Theravada tradition is found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. The Dharmaguptaka tradition is common in East Asia. The Mulasarvastivada tradition is used in Tibet and the Himalayan region.

Each group has a different number of rules to follow. For example, Theravada monks follow about 258 rules. Nuns in the Mulasarvastivada tradition follow 354 rules.

Becoming a monk or nun usually happens in two steps. First, a person becomes a novice called a samanera. They live in a monastery to learn the ways of the community. Later, they can seek higher ordination to become a full member. This is called upasampada. In some traditions, boys can start as novices at age eight. In East Asia, formal novice ordination happens at age nineteen.

Today, these traditions have spread far beyond Asia. You can find Buddhist monasteries in Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Americas.

Buddhist monasticism is one of the oldest forms of organized communal living in the world.

It serves as a fundamental institution within the Buddhist faith. This system is composed of monks, known as bhikkhus, and nuns, known as bhikkhunis. Together, these individuals form a community called the sangha. The primary responsibility of the sangha is to preserve and spread the teachings of the Buddha. They also serve as guides for the lay community, which consists of people who do not live a monastic life. Through their lifestyle, monastics act as a "field of merit." This means that lay followers can earn spiritual merit by providing support and gifts to the monks and nuns.

The relationship between the sangha and the lay community is based on mutual support. Monastics are expected to live an austere life focused on meditation and the study of doctrine. They typically live with very few possessions. Instead, they rely on the lay community for essential items like food and clothing. This lifestyle is not necessarily isolated or lonely. In the beginning, small groups of monks often traveled together. They might live on the outskirts of local towns or practice meditation in forests. Over time, these traveling groups developed into settled communities. The practice of living together during the rainy season, known as the vassa, helped transition the movement into a more permanent, cenobitic lifestyle.

There are different types of living arrangements for these communities. The Vinaya, which is the code of monastic discipline, describes two main styles. The first is a temporary house called a vihara. In a vihara, several monks might stay in one building, but each monk has his own individual cell called a parivena. The second type is a more permanent and comfortable arrangement known as an arama. An arama is often a pleasant park or an orchard. These were generally donated and maintained by wealthy citizens. One famous example is Anathapindika's arama, which featured buildings worth 1.8 million gold pieces. This entire gift was valued at 5.4 million gold pieces.

The history of this tradition reaches back to the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha founded the order during his lifetime. He began by accepting a group of fellow renunciants as his followers. This lifestyle grew out of earlier groups of wandering ascetics. After the Buddha's death, the monastic order grew significantly. Large monastic universities eventually appeared in northern India, housing thousands of resident monks. While monasticism eventually declined in India, it spread across Asia. It became a pan-Asian phenomenon with large communities in East and Southeast Asia. Today, due to global interest and migration, monasteries also exist in Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Americas.

Because there is no single central authority in Buddhism, different regional traditions have developed. These traditions follow different versions of the Vinaya, or monastic rules. There are three main surviving traditions today. The Theravada tradition is found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. The Dharmaguptaka tradition is practiced in East Asia. The Mulasarvastivada tradition is used in Tibet and the Himalayan region. These traditions differ in their specific rules. For instance, Theravada monks follow about 258 rules. Mulasarvastivada nuns follow 354 rules. These rules, called the Pratimokṣa, govern everything from behavior and dress to social decorum.

Entering the monastic life is traditionally a two-stage process. First, an individual ordains as a novice, called a samanera or samanerika. They live in the monastery to learn the ways of the community. During this stage, they follow the Ten Precepts but are not bound by the full set of monastic rules. After this, they can undergo higher ordination, known as upasampada. This confers full monastic status and much heavier obligations. The age for starting varies by tradition. In the Theravada tradition, boys may start as young as age eight. In East Asian traditions, formal novice ordination usually happens at age nineteen. Women typically ordain as adults and must often serve as novices for five years before higher ordination.

Several core disciplines define the life of a monastic. One universal rule across all traditions is celibacy, or brahmacariya. This means monastics renounce sex, marriage, and reproduction to separate their lives from householders. Another aspect is diet. While vegetarianism is encouraged and considered ideal, it is not always mandatory. The Vinaya allows monks and nuns to eat meat if it is provided through donations. Finally, the community has a sense of hierarchy. While not all schools require absolute obedience to a superior, monastics are expected to show great respect to senior members of the sangha. This respect is often based on how many rainy season retreats a monk has completed.