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47-504: In ancient times, the building included the refectory and the uposathagara (Uposatha house). There was also a Simamalake where the Sangha assembled on Poya days to recite the sutra of the confessional. The famous Lohaprasada built by King Dutugemunu , described as an edifice of nine stories, was a building of this class. One side of the building was 400 ft (120 m) in length. There are 40 rows, each row consisting of 40 stone pillars, for

94-466: A ceremony called "the Three Refuges and Five Precepts " to become Buddhist. Since the period of Early Buddhism , devotees expressed their faith through the act of taking refuge, which is threefold. These are the three supports or jewels in which a Sutrayana Buddhist takes refuge: In this, it centres on the authority of a Buddha as a supremely awakened being, by assenting to a role for a Buddha as

141-627: A nun is a bhikkhuni , Sanskrit bhikṣuṇī . These words literally mean "beggar" or "one who lives by alms ", and it was traditional in early Buddhism for the Sangha to go on "alms round" for food, walking or standing quietly in populated areas with alms bowls ready to receive food offerings each day. Although in the vinaya laid down by the Gautama Buddha, the sangha was not allowed to engage directly in agriculture, this later changed in some Mahayana schools when Buddhism moved to East Asia, so that in

188-476: A part of daily chanting: The Sangha: The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples ( sāvakas ) is: That is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals - This Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is: The Sangha was originally established by Gautama Buddha in the fifth century BCE in order to provide a means for those who wish to practice full-time in a direct and highly disciplined way, free from

235-558: A teacher of both humans and devās (heavenly beings). This often includes other Buddhas from the past, and Buddhas who have not yet arisen. Secondly, the taking of refuge honours the truth and efficacy of the Buddha's spiritual doctrine , which includes the characteristics of phenomenon ( Pali : saṅkhāra ) such as their impermanence ( Pali : anicca ), and the Noble Eightfold Path to liberation. The taking of refuge ends with

282-519: A total of 1600 pillars. It is said that Lovamahapaya was adorned with corals and precious stones. It is believed that it took six years for the construction of the building and the plan was brought from the heavens. The building was completely destroyed during the reign of King Saddhatissa. Whilst the Jetavanaramaya , Abhayagiriya and Ruwanwelisaya were taller structures, the Lovamahapaya remained

329-482: A vow of vegetarianism. According to Mahayana sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha always maintained that lay persons were capable of great wisdom and of reaching enlightenment. In some areas there has been a misconception that Theravada regards enlightenment to be an impossible goal for those outside the sangha , but in Theravada suttas it is clearly recorded that the Buddha's uncle, a lay follower, reached enlightenment by hearing

376-462: Is a Pali word used in many Indian languages, including Sanskrit which means "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; in these languages, sangha is frequently used as a surname. In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used by religious associations, including Buddhists , Jains and Sikhs . Given this history, some Buddhists have stated that

423-512: Is a Western misperception. In the Pali Canon, the Buddha rejected a suggestion by Devadatta to impose vegetarianism on the sangha . According to the Pali Texts, the Buddha ate meat as long as the animal was not killed specifically for him. The Pāli Canon allowed Sangha members to eat whatever food is donated to them by laypeople, except that they may not eat meat if they know or suspect the animal

470-623: Is an expression of determination to follow the Buddha's path, but not a relinquishing of responsibility. Refuge is common to all major schools of Buddhism. Since the period of Early Buddhism , all Theravada and mainstream Mahayana schools only take refuge in the Triple Gem. However, the Vajrayana school includes an expanded refuge formula known as the Three Jewels and Three Roots . In 1880, Henry Steel Olcott and Helena Blavatsky went through

517-500: Is considered to provide the safest and most suitable environment for advancing toward enlightenment and liberation due to the temptations and vicissitudes of life in the world. In Buddhism , Gautama Buddha , the Dharma and the Sangha each are described as having certain characteristics. These characteristics are chanted either on a daily basis and/or on Uposatha days, depending on the school of Buddhism. In Theravada tradition they are

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564-653: Is such that they are on the paths of learning and no more learning. Thus, for Mahayana Buddhism, the Buddha jewel includes innumerable Buddhas (like Amitabha , Vajradhara and Vairocana ), not just Sakyamuni Buddha. Likewise, the Dharma jewel includes the Mahayana sutras and (for certain sects of Mahayana) may also include the Buddhist tantras , not just the Tipitaka . Finally, the Sangha jewel includes numerous beings that are not part of

611-542: Is the adherence to the vinaya which contains an elaborate set of "227 main rules of conduct" (known as Patimokkha in Pāli) including complete chastity, eating only before noon, and not indulging in malicious or salacious talk. Between midday and the next day, a strict life of scripture study, chanting, meditation , and occasional cleaning forms most of the duties for members of the sangha . Transgression of rules carries penalties ranging from confession to permanent expulsion from

658-565: The Kalama Sutra , the Buddha explicitly argues against simply following authority or tradition , particularly those of religions contemporary to the Buddha's time. There remains value for a degree of trusting confidence and belief in Buddhism, primarily in the spiritual attainment and salvation or enlightenment . Faith in Buddhism centres on belief in the Three Jewels. In Mahayana Buddhism,

705-454: The bhikkhu , bhikkhunī , upāsaka , and upāsikā . In a glossary of Buddhist terms, Richard Robinson et al. define sangha as: Sangha. Community. This word has two levels of meaning: (1) on the ideal ( arya ) level, it denotes all of the Buddha’s followers, lay or ordained, who have at least attained the level of srotāpanna ; (2) on the conventional ( saṃvṛti ) level, it denotes

752-743: The Bodhisattva Precepts originating in the Brahmajāla Sūtra , which has a vow of vegetarianism as part of the Triple Platform Ordination, where they receive the three sets of vows: śrāmaṇera / śrāmaṇerī (novitiate), monastic, and then the Brahmajāla Sūtra Bodhisattva Precepts, whereas the Tibetan lineages transmit a tradition of Bodhisattva Precepts from Asanga 's Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra , which do not include

799-513: The Brahmanical motif of a group of three refuges, as found in Rig Veda 9.97.47, Rig Veda 6.46.9 and Chandogya Upanishad 2.22.3-4. Lay followers often undertake five precepts in the same ceremony as they take the refuges. Monks administer the precepts to the laypeople, which creates an additional psychological effect. The five precepts are: A layperson who upholds the precepts is described in

846-639: The Dhamma wheel . The Triratna can be found on frieze sculptures at Sanchi as the symbol crowning a flag standard (2nd century BCE), as a symbol of the Buddha installed on the Buddha's throne (2nd century BCE), as the crowning decorative symbol on the later gates at the stupa in Sanchi (2nd century CE), or, very often on the Buddha footprint (starting from the 1st century CE). The triratna can be further reinforced by being surmounted with three dharma wheels (one for each of

893-466: The East Asian cultural sphere , the monastic community traditionally has engaged in agriculture. An emphasis on working for food is attributed to additional training guidelines laid down by a Chan Buddhist master, Baizhang Huaihai , notably the phrase, "A day without work is a day without food" ( Chinese : 一日不做一日不食 ). The idea that all Buddhists, especially sangha members, practice vegetarianism

940-575: The Nichiren Shōshū sect maintains the traditionalist definition of the sangha as the Head Temple Taisekiji priesthood collective as the sole custodians and arbiters of Buddhist doctrine. The Soka Gakkai , a new religious movement which began as a lay organization previously associated with Nichiren Shōshū in Japan, disputes the traditional definition of sangha. The organization interprets

987-571: The Plum Village Tradition , has fourteen precepts observed by all monastics. They were written by Thích Nhất Hạnh . Monks and nuns generally own a minimum of possessions due to their samaya as renunciants, including three robes, an alms bowl, a cloth belt, a needle and thread, a razor for shaving the head, and a water filter. In practice, they often have a few additional personal possessions. Traditionally, Buddhist monks, nuns, and novices eschew ordinary clothes and wear robes. Originally

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1034-687: The sangha . Saichō , the founder of the Japanese school of Tendai , decided to reduce the number of rules down to about 60 based on the Bodhisattva Precepts. In the Kamakura , many Japanese schools that originated in or were influenced by the Tendai such as Zen , Pure Land Buddhism and Nichiren Buddhism abolished traditional ordination in favor of this new model of the monastic regulations. The Order of Interbeing , established in 1964 and associated with

1081-676: The tallest building of the island for over a millennium between 155BC and 993AD. The small building displayed now is a recent construction and is the Venue of Uposatha (chapter house) of the Maha Vihara even now. 08°20′46″N 80°23′52″E  /  8.34611°N 80.39778°E  / 8.34611; 80.39778 This article about a building or structure in Sri Lanka is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sangha (Buddhism) Sangha ( IPA: [sɐnɡʱɐ] )

1128-587: The Buddha's discourse, and there are many other such instances described in the Pāli Canon. Accordingly, emphasis on lay persons, as well as Sangha members, practicing the Buddhist path of morality, meditation, and wisdom is present in all major Buddhist schools. Some liberal scholars opine that sangha is frequently (and according to them, mistakenly) used in the West to refer to any sort of Buddhist community. Accordingly,

1175-550: The Mahayana approach, the buddha is the totality of the three kayas ; the dharma encompasses scriptural transmission (contained in the sutras and tantras) and the realization of one’s self-knowing timeless awareness (including the views, states of meditative absorption, and so forth associated with stages such as those of development and completion); and the sangha is made up of bodhisattvas , masters of awareness , and other spiritually advanced beings (other than buddhas) whose nature

1222-466: The Priesthood" to "The Buddhist Order". Some modernist sects of Nichiren-shu holds a position that any Buddhist community is also called Sangha, along with both liberal and progressive Mahayana lay movements as well claiming this new definition. Three Jewels In Buddhism , refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at

1269-531: The Saṅgha. Dutiyampi Buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       For the second time, I take refuge in the Buddha. Dutiyampi Dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       For the second time, I take refuge in the Dharma. Dutiyampi Saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       For the second time, I take refuge in the Saṅgha. Tatiyampi Buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       For

1316-548: The Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana tradition. The Triratna ( Pali : ti-ratana or ratana-ttaya ; Sanskrit : tri-ratna or ratna-traya ) is a Buddhist symbol , thought to visually represent the Three Jewels of Buddhism (the Buddha , the Dhamma , the Sangha ). The Triratna symbol is composed of: On representations of the footprint of the Buddha , the Triratna is usually also surmounted by

1363-417: The acceptance of worthiness of the community of spiritually developed followers (the saṅgha), which is mostly defined as the monastic community, but may also include lay people and even devās provided they are nearly or completely enlightened . Early Buddhism did not include bodhisattvas in the Three Refuges, because they were considered to still be on the path to enlightenment. Early texts describe

1410-467: The beginning of the day or of a practice session. Its object is typically the Three Jewels (also known as the Triple Gem or Three Refuges , Pali : ti-ratana or ratana-ttaya ; Sanskrit : tri-ratna or ratna-traya ), which are the Buddha , the Dharma , and the Sangha . Taking refuge is a form of aspiration to lead a life with the Triple Gem at its core. In early Buddhist scriptures, taking refuge

1457-516: The conventional. The two meanings overlap but are not necessarily identical. Some members of the ideal Sangha are not ordained; some monastics have yet to acquire the Dharma-eye. Unlike the present Sangha, the original Sangha viewed itself as following the mission laid down by the Master, viz, to go forth "…on tour for the blessing of the manyfolk, for the happiness of the manyfolk out of compassion for

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1504-507: The faith of the people. On the other hand, they are not to take the task of inspiring faith to the extent of hypocrisy or inappropriateness, for example, by taking on other professions apart from being a monastic, or by courting favours by giving items to the laypeople. Faith in the three jewels is an important teaching element in both Theravada and Mahayana traditions. In contrast to perceived Western notions of faith, faith in Buddhism arises from accumulated experience and reasoning . In

1551-472: The meaning of the Three Jewels of Buddhism, in particular the "treasure of the Sangha", to include all people who practice Buddhism according to its own interpretation within their organization, whether lay or clerical. After its formal expulsion from its parent religion in December 1991 due to conflicts of religious doctrine, the organization re—published newer literature which revised the terms such as "Treasure of

1598-464: The monastic community, are referred to as the āryasaṅgha ("noble Sangha"). According to the Theravada school and Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism , the term sangha does not refer to the community of unenlightened sāvakas (lay followers) nor does it refer to the community of Buddhists as a whole. The Theravada school uses the term parisā ("assembly") or catuparisā ("fourfold assembly") to refer to

1645-489: The monastic sangha proper, including high level bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara , Vajrapani , Manjushri and so on. The most used recitation in Pali : Buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       I take refuge in the Buddha. Dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       I take refuge in the Dharma. Saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       I take refuge in

1692-644: The orders of the Bhikṣus and Bhikṣunis. Mahayana practitioners may use the word "sangha" as a collective term for all Buddhists, but the Theravada Pāli Canon uses the word parisā (Sanskrit pariṣad ) for the larger Buddhist community—the monks, nuns, lay men, and lay women who have taken the Three Refuges —with a few exceptions reserving "sangha" for its original use in the Pāli Canon —the ideal ( arya ) and

1739-427: The restrictions and responsibilities of the household life. The Sangha also fulfils the function of preserving the Buddha's original teachings and of providing spiritual support for the Buddhist lay-community. The Sangha has historically assumed responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the doctrine as well as the translation and propagation of the teachings of the Buddha. The key feature of Buddhist monasticism

1786-605: The robes were sewn together from rags and stained with earth or other available dyes. The color of modern robes varies from community to community: saffron is characteristic for Theravada groups; blue, grey or brown for Mahayana Sangha members in Vietnam , maroon in Tibetan Buddhism , grey in Korea , and black in Japan . A Buddhist monk is a bhikkhu in Pali , Sanskrit bhikṣu , while

1833-502: The saṅgha as a " field of merit ", because early Buddhists regard offerings to them as particularly karmically fruitful. Lay devotees support and revere the saṅgha, of which they believe it will render them merit and bring them closer to enlightenment. At the same time, the Buddhist monk is given a significant role in promoting and upholding faith among laypeople. Although many examples in the canon are mentioned of well-behaved monks, there are also cases of monks misbehaving. In such cases,

1880-550: The texts as a "jewel among laymen". In Tibetan Buddhism there are three refuge formulations, the Outer , Inner , and Secret forms of the Three Jewels. The 'Outer' form is the 'Triple Gem', (Sanskrit: triratna ), the 'Inner' is the Three Roots and the 'Secret' form is the 'Three Bodies' or trikaya of a Buddha . These alternative refuge formulations are employed by those undertaking deity yoga and other tantric practices within

1927-458: The texts describe that the Buddha responds with great sensitivity to the perceptions of the lay community. When the Buddha sets out new rules in the monastic code to deal with the wrongdoings of his monastics, he usually states that such behavior should be curbed, because it would not "persuade non-believers" and "believers will turn away". He expects monks, nuns and novices not only to lead the spiritual life for their own benefit, but also to uphold

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1974-506: The third time, I take refuge in the Buddha. Tatiyampi Dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       For the third time, I take refuge in the Dharma. Tatiyampi Saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi.       For the third time, I take refuge in the Saṅgha. Except this there are various recitations mentioned in Pali literature for taking refuge in the Three Jewels. Brett Shults proposes that Pali texts may employ

2021-613: The three jewels are understood in a different sense than in Sravakayana or non-Mahayana forms of Buddhism. For example, the Buddha is usually explained through the Mahayana doctrine of the three bodies ( trikaya ). According to the Mahayana treatise titled Ratnagotravibhāga ( Analysis of the Jeweled Lineage ), the true meaning of the triple gem is as follows: According to the Tibetan Buddhist master Longchenpa : According to

2068-624: The three jewels of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha). The triratna symbol is also called nandipada , or "bull's hoof", by Hindus . A number of examples of the triratna symbol appear on historical coins of Buddhist kingdoms in the Indian subcontinent . For example, the triratna appears on the first century BCE coins of the Kuninda Kingdom . It also surmounts the depictions of stupas , on some

2115-440: The tradition of the sangha represents humanity's oldest surviving democratic institution. In Buddhism, sangha refers to the monastic communities of bhikkhu (monks) and bhikkhuni (nuns). These communities are traditionally referred to as the bhikkhu-sangha or the bhikkhuni-sangha . As a separate category, those Buddhists who have attained any of the four stages of enlightenment , whether or not they are members of

2162-456: The world, for the welfare, the blessing, the happiness of deva and men". The Sangha is the third of the Three Refuges in Buddhism. Common over all schools is that the āryasaṅgha is the foremost form of this third jewel. As for its recognizable contemporary forms, the interpretation of what is the Jewel is often dependent on how a school defines Sangha. In many schools, for example, monastic life

2209-442: Was killed specifically for them. Consequently, the Theravada tradition does not practice strict vegetarianism, although an individual may do so as his or her personal choice. Both Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions vary depending on their interpretation of their scriptures. In some Mahayana sutras , meat-eating is strongly discouraged and it is stated that the Buddha did not eat meat. In particular, East Asian sangha members take on

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