In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka. The rules are arranged into sections: Parajika - Rules entailing expulsion from the Sangha (defeat) Sanghadisesa - Rules entailing an initial and subsequent meeting of the Sangha (communal meetings) Aniyata - Indefinite rules Nissaggiya Pacittiya - Rules entailing forfeiture ...

Read more here: » Patimokkha: Encyclopedia - Patimokkha

Patimokkha (paatimokkha): The basic code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis).

See Vinaya.

 (See also: Patimokkha, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

sima (siima): Boundary or territory within which the monastic sangha's formal acts (upasampada, patimokkha recitation, settling of disputes, etc.) must be performed in order to be valid.

 (See also: Sima, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. Monks and nuns are responsible for preserving and spreading Buddhist teachings, as well as educating and guiding Buddhist lay followers. The ultimate goal of Buddhist monasticism is liberation from the cycle of rebirth through Nirvana. Collectively, the ordained male and female Buddhist monastics constitute two of the four groups that compose the Buddhist sangha (the other two groups being male and female lay followers). All four groups are seen as being important an ...

Including:

• Buddhist monasticism - History and Development
• Buddhist monasticism - Monastic Life
• Buddhist monasticism - Local Variations
• Buddhist monasticism - East Asia
• Buddhist monasticism - Southeast Asia

Read more here: » Buddhist monasticism

Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. As much as 94% of Thailand's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhism in this country has become integrated with folk beliefs such as ancestor worship as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai-Chinese population. Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden stupas, and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is influenced heavily by the architecture of other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which Thailan ...

Including:

• Buddhism in Thailand - Influences
• Buddhism in Thailand - Ordination and clergy

Read more here: » Buddhism in Thailand

Buddhism: Uposatha Observance Days

Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism.

Read more here: » Buddhism: Uposatha Observance Days

The Five Precepts

Buddhists undertake certain precepts as aids on the path to coming into contact with ultimate reality. Laypeople generally undertake five precepts. The five precepts are:

1.    I undertake the precept to refrain from harming living creatures (killing).

2.    I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing).

3.    I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.

4.    I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech (lying, harsh language, slander, idle chit-chat).

5.    I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

Read more here: » Buddhism Beliefs: The Five Precepts

Buddhism - Buddhist Festivals: Sangha Day

This festival is also known as Fourfold Assembly or Magha Puja Day.

Sangha Day is the second most important Buddhist festival. It is a celebration in honour of the Sangha, or the Buddhist community. For some Buddhists Sangha refers only to monks and nuns. It is a chance for people to reaffirm their commitment to Buddhist practices and traditions. Sangha Day commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 enlightened monks (arahants), to hear the Buddha preach at Veluvana Vihara.

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Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in what is now Northern India and Nepal between 566 and 483 BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following his death. It continued to spread into Central, Southeast, and East Asia over the next two millennia. With approximately 708 million followers, Buddhism is a major world religion whose adherents are called Buddhists. Buddhist denominations are historically categ ...

Including:

• Buddhism - What is a Buddha?
• Buddhism - Origins
• Buddhism - Principles of Buddhism
• Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths
• Buddhism - The Noble Eightfold Path
• Buddhism - Practices of Buddhism
• Buddhism - Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddhism - The Five Precepts
• Buddhism - Meditation
• Buddhism - Buddha-dhatu Buddha-Principle, Buddha-nature
• Buddhism - Other principles and practices
• Buddhism - Vegetarianism
• Buddhism - Buddhist religious philosophy and branches
• Buddhism - Buddhism after the Buddha
• Buddhism - Principal schools of Buddhist philosophy
• Buddhism - Scriptures
• Buddhism - Relations with other Eastern faiths
• Buddhism - Buddhism in the modern world
• Buddhism - Buddhism and the West
• Buddhism - Buddhism
• Buddhism - Related systems and religions
• Buddhism - References and Links
• Buddhism - References
• Buddhism - Footnotes
• Buddhism - External links

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The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning 'discipline') is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. The teachings of the Buddha, or Buddhadharma can be divided into two broad categories: 'Dharma' or doctrine, and 'Vinaya', or discipline. Generally speaking the former is concerned with theory, and the latter with practice, although there is actually considerable cross-over between the two. Anot ...

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Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism. For monastics, these are often days of more intensive reflection and meditation. In many monasteries, physical labor (construction projects, repairs, etc.) is curtailed. On New Moon and Full Moon days the fortnightly confession and recitation of the Patimokk ...

Read more here: » Uposatha: Encyclopedia - Uposatha

Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. Monks and nuns are responsible for preserving and spreading Buddhist teachings, as well as educating and guiding Buddhist lay followers. The ultimate goal of Buddhist monasticism is liberation from the cycle of rebirth through Nirvana. Collectively, the ordained male and female Buddhist monastics constitute two of the four groups that compose the Buddhist sangha (the other two groups being male and female lay followers). All four groups are seen as being important an ...

Including:

• Buddhist monasticism - History and Development
• Buddhist monasticism - Monastic Life
• Buddhist monasticism - Local Variations
• Buddhist monasticism - Tibet
• Buddhist monasticism - East Asia
• Buddhist monasticism - Southeast Asia

Read more here: » Buddhist monasticism: Encyclopedia - Buddhist monasticism

Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote one's life to spiritual work. Many religions have monastic elements, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Jainism, though the expressions differ considerably. Those pursuing a monastic life are usually called monks or brothers (male), and nuns or sisters (female). Both m ...

Including:

• Monasticism - Buddhist monasticism
• Monasticism - Christian monasticism
• Monasticism - Hindu monasticism
• Monasticism - Islamic monasticism
• Monasticism - Jain monasticism
• Monasticism - Monasticism in other religions
• Monasticism - External link

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Sangha is a word in Indian languages that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly". It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups. Traditionally, in Buddhism almost always has one of two meanings: most commonly, sangha means the order of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns (that is, there is one sangha of monks and one of nuns). In a stricter sense, sangha can mean the assembly of all beings possessing some degree of enlightenment, such as arhats and bodhisattvas; this is referred ...

Including:

• Sangha - Ordination process
• Sangha - Women's role in the Sangha

Read more here: » Sangha: Encyclopedia - Sangha

Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. As much as 94% of Thailand's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhism in this country has become integrated with folk beliefs such as ancestor worship as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai-Chinese population. Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden stupas, and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is influenced heavily by the architecture of other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which Thailan ...

Including:

• Buddhism in Thailand - Influences
• Buddhism in Thailand - Ordination and clergy
• Buddhism in Thailand - Position of women

Read more here: » Buddhism in Thailand: Encyclopedia - Buddhism in Thailand

The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a postulated dichotomy between two distinct types of religion. The exact meaning of the terms has varied over time; the most modern usage regards religions which focus upon the worship of one or more deities and the observance of strict moral codes as belonging to the Right-Hand Path, while religions which value the advancement of the self over other goals are considered to belong to the Left-Hand Path. This usage of the terms is invoked almost exclusively by p ...

Including:

• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Origins
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Usage in Tantra
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Adoption by Western occultism
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Usage in modern occultism
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Left-hand path religions
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Criticism
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Usage
• Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path - Other uses

Read more here: » Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path: Encyclopedia - Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path

Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term comes from Greek κληρος (a lot, that which is assigned by lot (allotment) or metaphorically, heritage). Depending on the religion, clergy usually take care of the ritual aspects of the religious life, teach or otherwise help in spreading the religion's doctrine and practices. They often deal with life-cycle events such as childbirth, circumcision, coming of age ceremonies, marriage, and death. Clergy of most faiths work both inside and outside formal houses of worship, and can be found working in hos ...

Including:

• Clergy - Christian clergy
• Clergy - Catholic clergy
• Clergy - Orthodox clergy
• Clergy - Anglican clergy
• Clergy - Protestant clergy
• Clergy - Latter-day Saints clergy
• Clergy - Judaism
• Clergy - Buddhism
• Clergy - Islam

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Buddhism, a religion and philosophy from ancient India, is based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, of the Shakyas. His lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 483 BCE; it spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following his death. Missionaries would carry Buddhism throughout Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, as well as East Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Japan in the following two millenia. Buddhism is classified as an Ārya dharma ("Noble religion") and is one ...

Including:

• Buddhism - What is a Buddha?
• Buddhism - Origins
• Buddhism - Principles of Buddhism
• Buddhism - The Three Marks of Existence
• Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths
• Buddhism - The Noble Eightfold Path
• Buddhism - Practices of Buddhism
• Buddhism - Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddhism - The Five Precepts
• Buddhism - Meditation
• Buddhism - Buddha-dhatu Buddha-Principle Buddha-nature
• Buddhism - Other principles and practices
• Buddhism - Vegetarianism
• Buddhism - Buddhist religious philosophy and branches
• Buddhism - Buddhism after the Buddha
• Buddhism - Principal schools of Buddhist philosophy
• Buddhism - Scriptures
• Buddhism - Relations with other Eastern faiths
• Buddhism - Buddhism in the modern world
• Buddhism - Buddhism and the West
• Buddhism - Buddhism
• Buddhism - Related systems and religions
• Buddhism - References and Links
• Buddhism - References
• Buddhism - Footnotes
• Buddhism - External links

Read more here: » Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Buddhism

uposatha (uposatha): Observance day, corresponding to the phases of the moon, on which Buddhist lay people gather to listen to the Dhamma and to observe special precepts. On the new-moon and full-moon uposatha days monks assemble to recite the Patimokkha rules.

 (See also: Uposatha, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Vinaya (vinaya): The monastic discipline, spanning six volumes in printed text, whose rules and traditions define every aspect of the bhikkhus' and bhikkhunis' way of life. The essence of the rules for monastics is contained in the Patimokkha. The conjunction of the Dhamma with the Vinaya forms the core of the Buddhist religion: "Dhamma-vinaya" - "the doctrine and discipline" - is the name the Buddha gave to the religion he founded.

 (See also: Vinaya, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)