Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c5.s1.11

c5.s1.11

3. The place of the laity was not yet well defined. Laymen appeared more as supporters of the Saṅgha than as its actual members. They only revered Buddha and his disciples, heard their teachings, and observed some of the precepts and, on occasions, uttered the formulae of *tisaraṇa*—the only mark that distinguished a devotee of Buddha from others. This, however, did not affect their social status, which in India has always been associated with religion, as they continued to be the members of the society to which they belonged.³