What Is The Role Of Monasteries In Buddhism?
In Buddhist society, monasteries are not merely places where monks and nuns live, study and worship. They are also ever-present reminders of the goal of the Buddhist path: to transcend attachment to the material world and thereby reach nirvana. The community of monks and nuns, also called the sangha, serves as a model to other Buddhists as to how to live an ethical life. These are the people who have transcended material concerns and are on the path to enlightenment. By pursuing this path, they provide an ethical model for the entire community, and it is their example Buddhist laypeople follow when striving for a moral life. The ethical guidelines these monks and nuns must adhere to are far stricter than those prescribed to laypeople, but by obeying these rules, members of the sangha serve as an inspiration to other Buddhists that a moral life is within their reach.
