Ordination

Ordination

Buddhists around the world “go for refuge” to the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, but live varied lifestyles. The vast majority of Buddhists are householders, while others are single practitioners, some are celibate monastics, whereas others consider themselves “neither lay nor ordained.” Buddhists who are householders aspire to observe the five precepts of a layperson: to avoid killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and intoxicant. Novice monastics observe ten precepts, which include celibacy. Fully ordained monastics in all traditions a commitment to observe these ten precepts and more: 200+ precepts (for monks) or 300+ precepts for nuns. These precepts derive from three distinct lineages of monastic discipline (vinaya) that have been transmitted since the time of the Buddha. Buddhist followers in Japan may take ten precepts (jukai) that are similar to the precepts of a novice monastic but do not entail celibacy. These codes of conduct provide the ethical foundations for the world’s Buddhist traditions.