Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s6.t2.8

v1.c7.s6.t2.8

**Discipline**: One of the five important classics of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is the basis of Buddhism and Buddhist study, so it occupies a dominant position in the Tibetan Buddhist study system. The reason why Buddhism was able to flourish relies mainly on organisation of the sangha and the guarantee of discipline system. The Sangha compromises the monk and believers at home. In the strict sense, the monks and believers at home have some differences: bhikkhu (dge slong), the male monk over the age of 20 following 250 commandment; bhikshuni (dge slong ma), the female monk over the age of 20 following 300 to 500 commandments; acolyte (dge tshul), male monk under the age of 20 following 10 commandments; Samaneri (dge tshul ma), the female monks under the age of 20 following about 10 commandments; Sikkhamana (dge tshul ma), the female monk who is two years earlier to become the bhikshuni and follows six commandments; upasaka (dge bsnyen) or recluse, the male believers following “the three commandments and the five precepts”; Upasika (dge bsnyen ma) or recluse, the female followers at home following “the three commandments and five precepts”. The differentiation of these seven groups of people is on the basis of the discipline they comply respectively. Before nirvana, Shakyamuni has completed the formulation of doctrines for the seven kinds of sangha. Each of the seven kinds of sangha, such as bhikkhu or bhikkuni can form the sangha when the monks and believers gather to reach a certain number. Among the five kinds of monks, the acolyte belongs to the bhikkhu, the sikkhamana and the samaneri belong to the bhikkuni. The Sangha aims at serving all beings and making all beings conscious. In order to manage Sangha and make them to be engaged in the regular collective religious life, rules and regulations were formulated, especially for different believers, various discipline were formulated to follow. Since then the doctrines have been established. Just as Bkav-thang-sde-lngamonks said: Monks are the faithful practitioners or defenders of the doctrine, so it is said that monks are the foundation of Buddhism, and consequently a number of *Sangha* organisations are established.