The 10 Great Disciples of the Buddha

The 10 Great Disciples of the Buddha

All monks who followed the Buddha's teachings and attained sainthood were considered great disciples of the Buddha. Depending on each individual's efforts in practice and the karmic conditions they encountered, the level and form of attaining sainthood varied. The Buddha's Sangha had the great fortune of directly receiving the teachings of the Fully Enlightened One, resulting in a large number of saints, numbering in the thousands. When speaking of the great disciples of the Buddha, the scriptures often mention ten individuals, known as the "Ten Great Disciples."...

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What is a nun (Bhikkhuni)?

What is a nun (Bhikkhuni)?

The Bhikkhuni Sangha is the congregation of Buddhist nuns, including practicing nuns: novice nuns and learned women (sāmaṇerī, sikkhāmānā). These are women who have become monks, abandoned their families and lived without families, and accepted a life of celibacy. A new woman joining the nun community must undergo two years of female ordination before becoming a novice nun, receive novice nun ordination for two years and reach the age of twenty before receiving full bhikkhunī ordination....

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Who are the Sangha?

Who are the Sangha?

Sangha (IPA: [sɐnɡʱɐ]) is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali which means "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; in these languages, sangha is frequently used as a surname. In Buddhism, sangha refers to 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")....

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What is Dharma(Dhamma)?

What is Dharma(Dhamma)?

The word Dharma in Sanskrit, or Dhamma in Pali, is a very broad noun. It encompasses and contains all. One of the meanings of Dharma is truth, dharma, the self-nature of all things. It also means the special elements of a phenomenon and the natural laws that govern that phenomenon. Dharma also means the teachings of the Buddha and the path leading to enlightenment. Therefore, the word Dharma covers everything. Everything in this world is Dharma, because everything must obey its own natural law. These are also the teachings and commandments of the Buddha during the 45 years from the time he attained enlightenment until the Buddha passed away into Nirvana(Nibbana), recorded in the Tripitaka. It is also the law of nature, and the laws in Buddhism are taught to end suffering...

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