Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c22.s3.1

v1.c22.s3.1

To the constitution of a *sangha*, the term democracy or republic cannot be justifiably applied, for it does not exactly follow the principles on which a democratic or a republican constitution is based. Though there existed the system of election of the President, the moving of a resolution, use of ballot voting by *salākās*, strict adherence to the rules of a meeting and so forth, the constitution of a Buddhist *sangha* differed in many respects from that of a political institution.