Vinaya

Vinaya is the body of Buddhist monastic rules and procedures governing monks’ and nuns’ conduct and communal life. It also includes procedures for handling disputes and maintaining the monastic community.

Prātimokṣa: A recitation of monastic training rules that also names the rules themselves in several Buddhist traditions. Its rule lists provide the basic disciplinary framework within the Vinaya.
Pārājika: The gravest class of monastic offenses, whose commission entails defeat and loss of monastic status. These offenses show how the Vinaya links rule-breaking to a defined communal consequence.
First Buddhist Council: A traditional gathering said to have recited Buddhist teachings after the Buddha’s death. Traditional accounts associate the council with the early communal preservation of disciplinary teachings.
Bodhisattva precepts: Ethical commitments undertaken in Mahāyāna Buddhism to guide the conduct of one who follows the bodhisattva path. They emphasize bodhisattva commitments rather than the full range of monastic procedures.
Saṅgha: The Buddhist monastic community, and in some contexts the broader community of Buddhist practitioners. Vinaya procedures regulate communal acts and define the authority of the monastic assembly.
Saṅghādisesa: A class of serious monastic offenses requiring formal acts and participation by the community for rehabilitation. Its staged discipline illustrates how the Vinaya combines sanction with restoration.
Second Buddhist Council: A traditional gathering associated with a dispute over monastic practices and the emergence of divisions in the Buddhist community. Its disciplinary controversy illustrates how differing interpretations could reshape monastic rules.
Five precepts: Five basic ethical commitments commonly undertaken by lay Buddhists. They offer a lay ethical framework, unlike Vinaya’s detailed rules for ordained communities.
Upasampadā: The higher ordination through which a candidate becomes a fully ordained Buddhist monk or nun. Vinaya specifies the eligibility and communal procedure for full ordination.
Pācittiya: A class of offenses generally requiring acknowledgment and, in some cases, forfeiture or expiation. These rules demonstrate the Vinaya’s graded responses to less severe breaches.

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