Nature and Discipline of the Monastic Community AO1

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Nature

  • The monastic sangha was established by the Buddha as an expression of the middle way for a holy man in India.  It required renunciation of worldly concerns but not the extreme ascetism of Hindu Sadhus.  It was designed to provide the best opportunities and conditions to gain enlightenment
  • It established a close interacation and dependence between the monastic and lay community
  • The monastic sangha guides the lay in spiritual and moral matters, act as consellors and support in times of adversity
  • Therevada- monastic sangha is an integral part of culture and all men are ordained as monks for a short or long time as a culturally accepted period of moral and spritual training
  • Mahayana- monastic sangha have a variety of forms and functions from lifelong commitment to spiritual practice, sacred rituals and ceremonies.  They study and teach the dhamma and the monastery can be a place for education of children, especially orphaned boys
  • Ordained monks and nuns leave wordly life to follow the holy life.  The purpose is to serve the spiritual needs of the lay people byt also advance themselves.  In the Buddhist path, they can remove the defilements of greed, hatred and delusion
  • In all…

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