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Siddhartha denounced his claim to the throne of a kingdom and instead chose a spiritual path as Gautama Buddha, just on the eve of his coronation. While all great scholars revere his spiritual contribution, most people forget Buddhism’s contribution to the human civilization. Though he rejected the post of a king, Buddha stilled a waged a conquest, which was not of political nature, but one which had a more profound social effect. He sought to free human beings from their sufferings, through enlightening them with the secrets of the holy truth. But to do this, he needed a powerful organization just like a king would do to rule a country. He cannot preach Saddharma to the entire world without an institution in place. Yes, Buddha was a great teacher, but he cannot attain his educational goal without an establishment. Thus he formed the monasteries, a community which was based on his moral principles and practices.
A monastery is a carefully devised social structure, which functions effectively in India and East Asia, for centuries. The literal meaning of the word ‘sangha’ is community or association. The Sangha is comprised of almsmen (Bhiksus) and almswomen (Bikshunis) and also the laity they are ordained to serve. The Sangha is the third element of the Triple gems, and the monastic life is believed by the followers of Buddha to be the safest and easiest route to enlightenment. As with any institution of this magnitude, the monasteries are governed by strict rules. As Strong says,
“The Pratimoksa rules are supposed to govern monastic life. They prescribe modes of behavior with regard to dress, eating, sleeping, cleanliness and so on”. (Strong, Pg. 79)
Denouncing earthly pleasures and celibacy were considered a main requisite of Sangha life. In the Cullavagga it is stated that almsmen, except the travelling and ailing, should hold exhortation to women. (Kansal, Pg. 128). The monks were not forced to undertake any strict oath and were not bound to these principles for life. As Harvey notes, Buddha believed in self-reliance and viewed the Sangha as a community in which people, share their life based on the principles of Vinaya and Dhamma. (Harvey, pg. 89)
Though many monasteries led a secluded life, social concern is a major component of Buddhism. Buddha believes, the spiritual and emotional well being of an individual, will affect the society around him positively. As Salleka Sutta states, a man who is trapped in mud cannot pull out another person trapped in the same mud. After all, every individual is a part and parcel of the society he lives in, so by laying out the rules and principles for individual ethical behavior, Buddhism paved way for a better social order. The number of the first ascetics of Buddha was just five and the number gradually grew. Buddha urged his followers to preach the divine truth to as many people possible. Thus, monasteries had always laid emphasis on recruiting and sustaining a huge number of almsmen and women. Such mass monasticism can be seen even today in parts of the world like Tibet and other parts of south-east Asia.
Since monks led a life of humility, they relied on donations given by the laypersons. The commerce of the entire monastery was dependent on generous laymen. In fact, the very first monastery in Rajagrha was established with the political aid of king Bimbasara, and the financial aid of a rich merchant named Anathapindada. Like a corporate entity though, the monasteries had an established line of command. As Strong emphasizes, there were no strict ceremonies, to join a monastery in the beginning, but gradually many rites and ceremonies were introduced with time. (Strong, pg. 74) These rituals were mainly put in place to ensure, that the monkhood is not given to a wrong person such as a criminal, and also to make the person understand the importance of the path he has chosen to follow. There are two types of monasteries - avāsā and ārāma. Avāsās are modest dwellings with each monk allocated a reclusive cell named parivena. Ārāma is comparatively a more comfortable dwelling donated by wealthy laity, and usually consists of orchards or gardens. Whatever may be the type of the monastery, it was basically run grounded on the principles of Vinaya and Dhamma.
As discussed, Buddha found and preached the path of conquering the sufferings of life. Buddha’s conquest was not aimed at his lifetime alone, but he wanted all the future generations to be equipped with the divine truth. Thus, he planned an institution which could carry forward his instructions and enlighten people for centuries that follow. And thanks to his foresight and vision, Buddhist monasteries have managed to survive almost twenty five centuries, all the while updating and adjusting themselves to the changes happening in the world around them, yet managing to keep their core values intact.
Works Cited
Devender K Kansal. (2005) Women under Primitive Buddhism: Laywomen and Almswomen. Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd.
John Strong. (2007) The experience of Buddhism: sources and interpretations. Thomson/Wadsworth.
Peter Harvey. (2000) An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues. Cambridge University Press
