Monastic Buddhism: Cultural Perspectives

Book excerpt: The Buddhist monasticism is one of the oldest kinds of organized monasticism. It is one of the most important institutions within Buddhism. Monks and nuns in a monastery are in charge of preserving and disseminating the Buddha's teachings as well as guiding Buddhist lay people. Modern monastic life in diverse regional traditions is governed by three persisting monastic discipline traditions, including Mulasarvastivada, Theravada, and Dharmaguptaka. The Mulasarvastivada are primarily located in the Himalayan and Tibetan region, the Theravada are predominantly found in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, and Dharmaguptaka is popular in East Asia. The topics covered in this extensive book deal with the cultural perspectives on monastic Buddhism. Those in search of information to further their knowledge will be greatly assisted by this book.