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65-526: It became customary to recite these rules once a fortnight at a meeting of the sangha during which confession would traditionally take place. A number of prātimokṣa codes are extant, including those contained in the Theravāda , Mahāsāṃghika , Mahīśāsaka , Dharmaguptaka , Sarvāstivāda and Mūlasarvāstivāda vinayas . Pratimokṣa texts may also circulate in separate pratimokṣa sūtras , which are extracts from their respective vinayas. The Pratimokṣa belongs to

130-429: A "field of merit" for lay followers, providing laymen and women with the opportunity to earn merit by giving gifts and support to the monks. In return for the support of the laity, monks and nuns are expected to live an austere life focused on the study of Buddhist doctrine, the practice of meditation, and the observance of good moral character. The relative degree of emphasis on meditation or study has often been debated in

195-720: A beautiful grove, with the total gift worth 5.4 million gold pieces. After the parinirvana of the Buddha, the Buddhist monastic order developed into a primarily cenobitic movement. The practice of living communally during the rainy vassa season, prescribed by the Buddha, gradually grew to encompass a settled monastic life centered on life in a community of practitioners. Most of the modern disciplinary rules followed by monks and nuns —the Pratimokṣa — relate to such an existing, prescribing in great detail proper methods for living and relating in

260-533: A community of monks or nuns. Monasteries grew considerably after the Buddha's death. Textual and archaeological evidence point to the existence of numerous monasteries in the area around Rajagriha , and the eventual development of large monastic universities in northern India that housed thousands of resident monks. During the medieval era, the Theravada lineage of bhikkhunis died out. They were eventually replaced by traditions of women ordained as novices, such as

325-687: A division of the Vinaya Pitaka. Buddhist traditions in East Asia typically follow the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya lineage of the pratimokṣa, and this is standard for the following Buddhist traditions: Some traditions of Buddhism in Japan and Korea also carry out full monastic ordination, but most do not. Instead, these traditions have priests and monastics who take the Bodhisattva Precepts instead of

390-523: A large number of additional rules, known as the Pratimokṣa , that govern their behavior, dress, and decorum. The number of rules varies between Vinaya traditions, with Theravada monks observing approximately 258 rules, Dharmaguptaka monks 250, and Mulasarvastivada monks 258. Nuns must observe additional rules, some of which formally subordinate them to male monastics. Theravada nuns have 311 rules, Dharmaguptaka nuns 348, and Mulasarvastivada nuns 354. Regional traditions differ as to whether higher ordination

455-545: A life of obedience to a superior. However, it is expected that monastics will offer respect to senior members of the Sangha (in Thai tradition, seniority is based on the number of rains retreats, vassas , that one has been ordained). The Buddha did not appoint a successor, nor did he specify rules mandating obedience in the monastic code. Individual groups of monastics are expected to make decisions collectively through regular gatherings of

520-514: 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 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

585-507: A mixture of bhikṣus and non-celibate ngakpas , and it is not unusual for lamas to wear robes closely resembling monastic garb despite them not being bhikṣus. Sakya school does not allow monks to get close to women after they have sons. Gelug school emphasized Vinaya ethics and monastic discipline; Choekyi Gyaltsen refused to wear monk clothing after he married. Kagyu monks are also required to return to non-monastic life to marry. In East Asia, monastics live in greater isolation from

650-479: A number of distinct vinaya traditions or ordination lineages, only three have survived to the present day: the Theravāda , Dharmaguptaka , and Mūlasarvāstivāda . Japanese Buddhism is particularly distinguished by its rejection of celibate monasticism. Following Meiji -era changes to national laws, monks and nuns could no longer be forbidden from marrying, and as a result a distinct class of married clergy and temple administrators emerged. In Tibet , before

715-468: A senior monastic still young enough to be active, is usually responsible for the day-to-day administration of the monastery, and may appoint others to assist with the work. In some traditions, the abbess/abbot is chosen by a vote of the monastics in a monastery. In other traditions ( Thailand , for example), the abbot is chosen by the lay community. Monastic practices vary significantly according to location. In part, this can be attributed to differences in

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780-506: A very young age in the Theravada tradition, but generally no younger than 8- traditional guidelines state that a child must be "old enough to scare away crows". In the East Asian tradition, formal samanera ordination can not occur until the age of nineteen, though prospective novices can live in the monastic community from a very young age. Women usually choose to ordain as adults, since there

845-482: Is a permanent change in status (barring violations of the monastic rules), or if ordination vows can be temporarily or permanently rescinded. In Burma, Taiwan and Hong Kong, there is sometimes short term monastic ordination available to lay Buddhists to take some vows for a week up to month. In Thailand such arrangements are currently available for males only. Customs regarding other aspects of higher ordination also vary between countries. While most career monastics in

910-459: 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 is a Western misperception. In the Pali Canon, the Buddha rejected a suggestion by Devadatta to impose vegetarianism on

975-653: 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 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

1040-636: Is frequently (and according to them, mistakenly) used in the West to refer to any sort of Buddhist community. Accordingly, 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

1105-431: 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 the tradition of the sangha represents humanity's oldest surviving democratic institution. In Buddhism, sangha refers to

1170-473: Is no expectation that they do so in childhood. Samaneras live according to the Ten Precepts , but are not responsible for living by the full set of monastic rules. There are no requirements for the length of ordination as a samanera . In Southeast Asia, novitiates may be as short as a few weeks, and temporary ordination for a period of weeks or months is common. Higher ordination( upasampada ), conferring

1235-626: Is strongly discouraged and it is stated that the Buddha did not eat meat. In particular, East Asian sangha members take on 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

1300-483: 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 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 ,

1365-526: 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 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

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1430-621: 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 the Plum Village Tradition , has fourteen precepts observed by all monastics. They were written by Thích Nhất Hạnh . Monks and nuns generally own

1495-762: The Pāli Canon in the Vinaya Piṭaka . The Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya is preserved in both the Tibetan Buddhist canon in the Kangyur , in a Chinese edition, and in an incomplete Sanskrit manuscript. Some other complete Vinaya texts are preserved in the Chinese Buddhist canon (see: Taishō Tripiṭaka ), and these include: The Dharmaguptaka sect are known to have rejected the authority of the Sarvāstivāda pratimokṣa rules on

1560-686: The Theravada in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, the Dharmaguptaka in East Asia, and the Mulasarvastivada in Tibet and the Himalayan region. Monks and nuns are expected to fulfill a variety of roles in the Buddhist community. First and foremost, they are expected to preserve the doctrine and discipline now known as Buddhism . They are also expected to provide a living example for the laity, and to serve as

1625-524: 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 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

1690-604: The Theravada school is dominant, there is a long tradition of temporary ordination. During a school break, many young men usually ordain for a week or two to earn merit for loved ones and to gain knowledge of Buddhist teachings. In most countries, this temporary ordination occurs during the vassa retreat, which is regarded as a period of intensified spiritual effort by local Buddhists. Men in Thailand typically ordain only before being married; men in Laos and Myanmar could traditionally return to

1755-485: The Theravada tradition undertake formal upasampada ordination as soon as they are eligible, monks in East Asia often remain novices. This may be due to a historical shortage of fully qualified temples able to provide upasampada ordination in East Asian communities. East Asian monastics also typically undertake Bodhisattva Precepts , a set of additional guidelines based on the Bodhisattva path . Early differences in

1820-673: The Vinaya of the Buddhist doctrine and is seen as the very basis of Buddhism. On the basis of the Prātimokṣa there exist in Mahayana Buddhism two additional set of vows: The Bodhisattva vows and the Vajrayana vows . If these two sets of vows are not broken, they are regarded as carrying over to future lives. The Pratimokṣa is traditionally a section of the Vinaya. The Theravada Vinaya is preserved in

1885-518: The mae ji of Thailand and Dasa sil matavas of Sri Lanka. The medieval era also saw the decline and collapse of organized Buddhist monasticism inside India . By the time of its disappearance in India, Buddhist monasticism had spread to become a pan-Asian phenomenon, with substantial monastic communities in East and Southeast Asia, and surviving South Asian communities in the Himalayan regions and Tibet. During

1950-407: 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 the monastic community, are referred to as the āryasaṅgha ("noble Sangha"). According to

2015-495: The sangha , but in Theravada suttas it is clearly recorded that the Buddha's uncle, a lay follower, reached enlightenment by hearing 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

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2080-654: 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 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

2145-523: The 20th Century, Buddhist monasticism expanded abroad in the wake of Western interest in the Buddhist tradition and Asian emigration, resulting in the establishment of Buddhist monasteries in Europe, Australia, Africa, and North and South America. Buddhism has no central authority, and many different varieties of practice and philosophy have developed over its history. Three surviving Vinaya traditions today govern monastic life in different regions and lineages-

2210-419: 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 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

2275-462: The Buddha had studied under. This lifestyle was not necessarily isolationist or eremitic : the sangha was dependent on the lay community for basic provisions of food and clothing, and in return sangha members helped guide lay followers on the path of Dharma . Individuals or small groups of monks – a teacher and his students, or several monks who were friends – traveled together, living on the outskirts of local communities and practicing meditation in

2340-433: The Buddhist community. Many continued to keep a relationship with their original families. According to the sutras, although his followers initially consisted only of men, the Buddha recognized women as followers after his stepmother, Mahaprajapati , asked for and received permission to live as an ordained practitioner. The Buddha's disciple Ananda strongly insisted on including female order. Female monastic communities in

2405-542: 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 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

2470-467: The Buddhist monastic order. A group of four fully ordained monastics is seen as a sangha . The prātimokṣa tells also how to purify faults, how to solve conflicts, and deal with various situations which can happen in the sangha. Sangha (Buddhism) Sangha ( IPA: [sɐnɡʱɐ] ) is a Pali word used in many Indian languages, including Sanskrit which means "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; in these languages, sangha

2535-415: The Buddhist tradition because the monks and nuns can marry after receiving their higher ordination. This idea is said to be introduced by Saichō , the founder of the Tendai school, who preferred ordaining monks under the Bodhisattva vows rather than the traditional Vinaya. There had long been many instances of Jōdo Shinshū priests and priestesses marrying, influenced by the sect's founder Shinran , but it

2600-623: The Chinese invasion in the late 1940s and early 1950s, more than half of the country's male population was ordained. Today, this is no longer the case. While generally adhering to a Mahayana tradition that advocates the virtues of vegetarianism, Tibetan monks generally eat meat as a concession to climatic conditions that make a plant-based diet largely unfeasible. Tibetan monks follow the Mūlasarvāstivāda vinaya lineage. Lamas who take bhikṣu vows are not allowed to marry. The Nyingma school includes

2665-462: The Himalayan region). Buddhism originated as a renunciant tradition, practiced by ascetics who had departed from lay life. According to Buddhist tradition, the order of monks and nuns was founded by Gautama Buddha during his lifetime between the fifth and fourth centuries BCE when he accepted a group of fellow renunciants as his followers. The Buddhist monastic lifestyle grew out of the lifestyle of earlier sects of wandering ascetics , some of whom

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2730-600: 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 the East Asian cultural sphere , the monastic community traditionally has engaged in agriculture. An emphasis on working for food

2795-476: The Tibetan lineages transmit a tradition of Bodhisattva Precepts from Asanga 's Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra , which do not include 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

2860-476: The bhikkhuni lineage were never established in the Vajrayana communities of Tibet and Nepal; Theravada communities formerly existed, but died out between the 11th and 14th century. Ordination in the bhikkhuni lineage continues to exist among East Asian communities, and attempts have been made at a revival in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka . Support for bhikkhunis varies substantially between traditions, with mae ji and other Theravada female monastics not receiving

2925-406: The community, at which decisions regarding violations of monastic rules and the dispositions of communal property are to be made. Individual relationships of teacher/student, senior/junior, and preceptor/trainee may be observed among groups of monastics, but there are no formal positions, nor is there any authority to give orders or commands invested in senior monks. An abbess or abbot , typically

2990-404: The forests. Monks and nuns were expected to live with a minimum of possessions, which were to be voluntarily provided by the lay community. Lay followers also provided the daily food that monks required, and provided shelter for monks when they were needed. According to the sutras, during the Buddha's time, retreats and gardens were donated by wealthy citizens for monks and nuns to stay in during

3055-489: The fundamental institutions of Buddhism . Monks and nuns, called bhikkhu ( Pali , Skt. bhikshu ) and bhikkhuni (Skt. bhikshuni ), are responsible for the preservation and dissemination of the Buddha's teaching and the guidance of Buddhist lay people. Three surviving traditions of monastic discipline ( Vinaya ), govern modern monastic life in different regional traditions: Theravada (Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia), Dharmaguptaka (East Asia), and Mulasarvastivada (Tibet and

3120-455: The grounds that the original teachings of the Buddha had been lost. The Patimokkha is the Pali equivalent of Pratimokṣa ( Sanskrit ). It is being followed by the monks of the Theravada lineage (Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos). It consists of 227 rules for fully ordained monks ( bhikkhus ) and 311 for nuns ( bhikkhunis ). The Patimokkha is contained in the Suttavibhanga ,

3185-573: 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 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

3250-460: The interpretation or ordination practices and monastic rules, combined with geographical differences, may have resulted in the development of the various early Buddhist schools out of ordination lineages known as Nikayas . The disciplinary regulations for monks and nuns are intended to create a life that is simple and focused, rather than one of deprivation or severe asceticism. Celibacy is of primary importance in monastic discipline, seen as being

3315-523: The kitchen and monastery properties may be the purview of a specially designated layman or a monk who has been given a special role by the abbot of the monastery. Monks chant many mantras in regular living. Buddhist monks and nuns lived together in China in Lingshansi (河南信阳灵山寺), Luming'an (河南固始九华山妙高寺鹿鸣庵), Hong'ensi (重庆鸿恩寺), Ciyunsi (重庆慈云寺), Sandingsi (西藏山南桑丁寺), Monastics in Japan are particularly exceptional in

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3380-512: 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 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

3445-573: The lay population than is observed in most Theravada countries. Because of local conditions of geography and climate, as well as local attitudes towards begging, monks generally do not make begging rounds in China, Korea , Vietnam, and many parts of Japan. Instead, monasteries receive donations of bulk food (such as rice) and funds for the purchase of food that is then stored and prepared at the monastery. Many monks and nuns are vegetarians and, after Baizhang Huaihai , many monks farm food to eat; some work or sell. Most eat after noon. The management of

3510-524: 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 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

3575-432: The preeminent factor in separating the life of a monastic from that of a householder . Depending on the tradition and the strictness of observation, monastics may eat only one meal a day, provided either by direct donations of food from lay supporters, or from a monastery kitchen that is stocked (and possibly staffed) by lay supporters. Unlike Christian monastics , some schools of Buddhist monastics are not required to live

3640-562: 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 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

3705-545: The rainy season (although there is as yet no archaeological evidence to support this claim - evidence only exists for such monastic enclosures at a much later date). Out of this tradition grew two kinds of living arrangements for monastics, as detailed in the Mahavagga section of the Vinaya and Varsavastu texts: One of the more famous Arama is Anathapindika 's, known as Anathapindikassa arame , built on Prince Jeta's grove. It had buildings worth 1.8 million gold pieces built in

3770-564: The same institutional recognition and support as their fully-ordained male counterparts. Women in Theravada countries have also faced official and popular resistance to the re-establishment of fully ordained bhikkhuni lineages. Ordination traditionally is a two-stage process. A Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni first ordains as a Samanera or Samanerika' (novice), residing in the monastery and learning about monastic life. They may then undergo upasampada , higher ordination, which confers full monastic status and obligations. Male novices may ordain at

3835-461: The scriptural and doctrinal traditions that were received in different parts of the Buddhist world. Additionally, local concessions to social, geographical, and climatic conditions have been adopted by most monastic orders in order to smooth the integration of monks into local communities, and to ensure that monks live in a safe and reasonable manner. In cold climates, for instance, monks are permitted to own and wear additional clothing not specified in

3900-534: The scriptures. In areas where begging rounds are impossible (due to traffic, geography, or disfavor by the lay community), monks more commonly employ a kitchen staff of monks or lay followers who are responsible for providing meals for the community. For instance, in the Theravada tradition monks continue to follow the traditional practice of asking for alms where possible. In East Asia, Confucian views discouraged begging and lead to many monasteries growing their own food and employing monks as cooks. Although there were

3965-428: The status of a full Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni, is given to those 20 or older. Women monastics follow a similar progression, but are required to live as Samaneras for a longer period of time, typically five years. Higher ordination must take place before a quorum of monastics, with five being an allowable minimum, and ten suggested for ordinary circumstances. Those who have undergone higher ordination are required to follow

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4030-477: The terms such as "Treasure of 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. Buddhist monasticism Buddhist monasticism is one of the earliest surviving forms of organized monasticism and one of

4095-562: The traditional definition of sangha. The organization interprets 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

4160-539: The traditional pratimokṣa vows. The pratimokṣa of the Mulasarvastivada lineage followed in Tibetan Buddhism is taken for life unless one or more of the four root vows are broken. In Tibetan Buddhism, there are eight types of Pratimokṣa vows: The lay pratimokṣa consists of five vows that are also known as the Five Śīlas : One is not obliged to take all five vows. The commentaries describe seven types of lay followers: Only full monks and full nuns are seen as full members of

4225-663: Was not predominant until a government Nikujiku Saitai Law (肉食妻帯) was passed during the Meiji Restoration that monks or priests of any Buddhist sect are free to seek wives. This practice influenced Korea and Taiwan. A nun in Taiwan gave birth. Some Korean monks live with wives in their monasteries. Monks of certain Chinese Buddhist sects are allowed to marry, such as in historical Yunnan , Lingnan and Taiwan. In Sri Lanka , Thailand, Cambodia , Laos, and Myanmar , where

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