Illustration by Ray Fenwick.
Sangha, or community, is one of the three jewels of Buddhism (the others being buddha and dharma). Traditionally, the sangha is dividied into four categories, known as the fourfold sangha:
- Monks (bhikkhu)
- Nuns (bhikkhuni)
- Laymen (upasaka)
- Laywomen (upasika)
How important are these four kinds of Buddhist practitioners? In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the Buddha asserted he would not enter nirvana until he had followers from all four categories who were “accomplished, trained, learned knowers of the dharma.” Only then would his work be complete.
Unfortunately, Buddhism has not historically valued these four sanghas equally. For centuries, “sangha” referred primarily to just one category: monks. This is changing in the modern world. In both Asia and the West, there has been a revival in recent decades of full ordination for nuns, and laymen and laywomen are taking stronger roles in their communities.
The importance of the fourfold sangha is also reflected in the increasing role of lay teachers, as it tasks all Buddhists equally with understanding, practicing, and sharing the teachings. The true fourfold sangha excludes no one while holding the highest expectations for everyone.
Read More
Learn more about the fourfold sangha in “The Fourfold Sangha Still Matters” by Ayya Yeshe and “Why We Need Monasticism,” a conversation between four Buddhist teachers. To learn more about monks and nuns, look through our monasticism archive:
Women Are Not Second-Class Buddhists
Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo calls for an end to the inferior status of Buddhist nuns, and of Buddhist women generally.
Pema Chödrön Foundation grants property deed to Pema Chöling monastic center
The Pema Chödrön Foundation has granted the deed to the residential property that they purchased for Pema Chöling to the community.
How Buddhist monks are protecting a vulnerable forest from illegal logging in Cambodia
Since 2002, the monks from Samorang Pagoda in Cambodia have protected a 71-square-mile tract of forest from illegal logging and hunting.
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