This document discusses key aspects of Buddhist monastic life and practices. It begins by outlining the three trainings of generosity, ethical conduct, and meditation. It then describes the different types of devotees in Buddhism from ordinary persons to those who have attained enlightenment. It provides details on monastic ordination practices and the establishment of the first Buddhist monastic communities. It also discusses the ordination of nuns and challenges they faced. Finally, it outlines the Vinaya rules and codes that helped structure and govern the monastic Sangha communities over time.

1. The Buddhist Community – Monks and
Nuns

2. enerosity (dāna)
thical or Good conduct (śīla)
editation (bhāvanā) – but better translated as
‘development’ of mind, body, loving-kindness,
wisdom, and meditation
ultivations of generosity that is not exclusively lay:

3. egins with śraddhā/saddhā and the sequence of the
eightfold path begins with right view
Hearing the Dharma’
lso seeing the Buddha, his stūpas, pilgrimage or image
can also induce faith
evotional and ritual practices act as a preliminary
meditation practice

4. n ordinary person – pṛthagjana (P. puthujjana)
rya/Ariya – one who has directly seen the 4 Noble Truths
stream-enterer” or “stream-winner” (srotāpanna, P.
sotāpanna) – Attains enlightenment within 7 rebirths.
once-returner” (sakṛtāgāmin, P. sakadagami) – Attains
enlightenment in his next rebirth.

5. raddha – usually translated as ‘Faith’ but with connotations
of ‘Trust’ or ‘Commitment’
aith causes the mind to become settled and inspires it with
confidence to continue forward.
he traditional expression of faith is the act of going to the
three jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha for refuge.
xpressions of faith consist of devotion
ypes of devotional acts – generosity or donation to
members of the Sangha, recitation of verses or texts of the

6. he best metaphor for understanding the daily practice of a
Buddhist
ne seeks not only to avoid the negative, but also to engage in
the positive
 Merit can be destroyed in a single moment of anger
 Should not be wasted on fleeting happiness
 Dedicate or transfer it to guard it
itual is one of the principle means for such engagement




Puja – devotion
Recitation
Pilgrimage
Meditation
T
O
R

7. hikṣu/bhikku – monks
hikṣuṇī/bhikkunī – nuns
 Five monks (former ascetics) with Kaundinya at
their head
 ‘Ehi, bhikku’ (Come, monk) formula
pāsaka – laity, male (householders)

8. B 2.1.1 The First Disciples of the Buddha

9. armic ‘connection’ with the Buddha from previous
prediction by a Buddha
ake refuge in the ‘Two’ Jewels since there is no
Sangha (community) yet
aypeople before there are monks (or nuns)
irst food offering after Buddha’s enlightenment

10. air and nails are considered impure in India
uddhism reinterprets as a symbol of the body in its
impermanence and non-self
ustified by story of Sumati and Dipamkara
Leech:
 the body of the Buddha is different than most people so the hair
was not ordinary hair either.

11. aywomen in Buddhism

12. B 2.1.2 The Laywoman Sujātā
 Notice the genre characteristics of this story and
the previous one about
 “Long ago, at the time of the past Buddha
Padumuttara… she made a formal resolution
aspiring to attain the same status herself.
 For 100 thousand eons, she was repeatedly reborm in
saṃsāra, in the realms of gods and humans…”
 Food offerings very important

17. omeless wanderer
enounces all possessions
one forth from the household life
resses in robes made from discarded rags
egs for food

18. ive monks with Kaundinya at their head
Ehi, bhikku’ formula
ore and more monks
 Upali – former barber, renowned for knowledge
of the monastic code or Vinaya
 Ananda – the Buddha’s cousin & personal
attendant; revered by nuns

19. B 2.1.3 The Conversion of Śāriputra and
Maudgalyāyana

20. āriputra
 Renowned for knowledge of his wisdom and Abhidharma
 Dies before the Buddha
 His relics become important objects of worship
audgalyāyana
 Foremost in supernatural powers attained through dhyānas
(meditative attainments)
 Often used as a surrogate for the Buddha in making magical
contests against other religious figures
 Devoted to his mother
 EB 2.1.7 Maudgalyāyana Brings about the Conversion of His Mother

21. N
ovice (śrameṇera/sāmaṇera) - ‘Going Forth’ or pravrajyā




7-8 years old
Take a monk 10 years senior as one’s preceptor and teacher
Goes for refuge in 3 Jewels
Takes 10 precepts or Rules of Training (śikṣā-/sikkhā-pada)
M
onk or Nun – Ordination or upasampadā





Age 20
5 properly ordained monks of 10 years standing (5 for nuns as well)
Four basic ‘resources’
Four ‘requisites’
Eight ‘requisites’ as personal possession

23. ased on inscriptional evidence of donations from
roughly the beginning of the Common Era up until the
4th or 5th century CE show that approximately the same
number of nuns as monks acted as donors
ull ordination for women in Theravādin Buddhism died
out in 11th century CE
ay have never been fully established in Tibetan
tradition

24. B 2.1.4 The Acceptance of Women into the
Order
he Eight ‘Heavy’ Rules

25. he Eight ‘Heavy’ Rules
bhikkhuni who has been fully ordained even for more
than a century must bow down, rise up from her seat,
salute with hands palm-to-palm over her heart, and
perform the duties of respect to a bhikkhu even if he
has been fully ordained only a day. This rule is to be
honored, respected, revered, venerated, never to be
transgressed as long as she lives.

26. he Eight ‘Heavy’ Rules
very half-month a bhikkhuni should request two things from the
Bhikkhu Sangha: she should ask for the date of the uposatha day
and come for an exhortation.
t the end of the Rains-residence, a bhikkhuni should invite
(criticism both from) the Bhikkhu Sangha and the Bhikkhuni
Sangha on any of three grounds: what they have seen, what
they have heard, what they have suspected.
bhikkhuni who has broken any of the vows of respect must

27. he Eight ‘Heavy’ Rules
t the end of the Rains-residence, a bhikkhuni Only after a
probationer has trained in the six precepts for two years should
she request ordination from both Sanghas.
bhikkhu must not in any way be insulted or reviled by a
bhikkhuni.
rom this day forward, the admonition of a bhikkhu by a
bhikkhuni is forbidden, but the admonition of a bhikkhuni by a
bhikkhu is not forbidden. This rule, too, is to be honored,

28. B 2.1.5 The Conversion of Paṭācārā

29. ost husband, two sons, family
either sons, nor parents, nor kinfolks are a refuge.
elatives offer no shelter for one seized by Death (Mara)
nowing this situation, the wise, exercising moral
restraints,

30. ear of the Buddha and the Sangha
onversion through magic

31. ouseholders (brahmins) & heretics (unknown)
uddha (Gautama) with 1200 disciples like a hailstorm
that destroys crops b/c take sons
ouseholders decide to confront Buddha with
weapons
ld man sets fire to village

32. other ‘not’ his mother…new incarnation
ut his aggregates fostered by her

33. vidence monks & nuns continued to care for parents,
spiritually and materially
uddha teaches gratitude towards parents
audgalyāyana wonder where his mother is and
brings the Buddha there through his magical power
uddha preaches and his mother becomes a streamwinner

34. E
B 2.2.1 Passage Denied: The Nāga Who Tried to Become a
Monk
E
B 2.2. Passage Achieved: Joining the Order

35. B 2.2.1 Passage Denied: The Nāga Who Tried to
Become a Monk
 Limits to ordination
 List in intro to 2.2.1, but debtors, runaway slaves, army
deserters, criminals
 Needed sponsors within monastic community (preceptor
& teacher)
 Had to be human
 Supernatural creatures are accepted as commonplace

36. B 2.2. Passage Achieved: Joining the Order
 Description by Chinese monk in India of ordination
during the late 7th century

37. ūtra
inaya
bhidharma

38. he unity and cohesion of the Saṅgha
he spiritual life
he dependence of the Saṅgha upon the wider
community
he appearance of the Saṅgha in the eyes of the
community

39. evelopment from list of @ 250 rules (pratimokṣa)
that was recited semi-monthly in public gatherings
o six canonical Vinayas that survive from later
period
 Corporate institution
 Endowments of land
 Monks >100 at large monasteries

40. rātimokṣa (Pāṭimokkha)
i-monthly ceremony of its recitation, Uposatha
ublic confession of faults
Cases Involving Explusion
xtra rules for nuns

41. ot guide for a life of quiet, individualized
contemplation
monastic” from Greek monazein, ‘to live alone’
inaya provided narrative authority for a collective
enterprise between laypeople and monastics
trong social life for monastics

42. our “resources” – food (begging), robes (dustheap)
lodging (under tree), medicine (cow urine)
ettled down into monasteries
) The homeless life is characterized lodging at the
foot of trees. This you should try to respect for the
rest of your life. In addition, these are allowed: