The Sangha is the Buddhist community and one of the Three Jewels. Without the Sangha, the Buddha's teachings could not have been preserved for over 2,500 years.

Monks, Nuns and Lay People

The Sangha has two main parts:

The monastic Sangha: monks (bhikkhus) and nuns (bhikkhunis) who give up family life to devote themselves to the Dharma. They shave their heads, wear robes dyed in earthy colours, own only a few personal items (such as a bowl), and follow over 200 rules.
The lay Sangha: Buddhists with families and jobs. They support the monastics by offering food and gifts, and they keep the Dharma alive in everyday life.

The Five Precepts

All Buddhists try to live by the Five Precepts:

I will not kill any living being.
I will not steal.
I will not engage in sexual misconduct.
I will not lie.
I will not take drugs or alcohol that cloud the mind.

Daily Life of a Monk

In Theravada Buddhist countries like Thailand and Sri Lanka, monks rise before dawn, meditate, then walk silently through villages with their begging bowls. Villagers fill the bowls with food. Monks may only eat between dawn and noon. The relationship between monks and lay people is built on this daily exchange of generosity and teaching.

Y9 Buddhism

The Sangha - Buddhist Community