Vinaya

Vinaya refers to numerous monastic rules and ethical precepts for the Sangha communities, and by extension to a category of Buddhist text discussing the application of these precepts.

In Theravada Buddhism, the Vinaya Piṭaka (lit. Basket of Discipline) is one of the three divisions of the Pali canon, Tripitaka, along with the Sutta Piṭaka and the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, dealing with the monastic codes of conduct for monks (bhikṣu) and nuns (bhikṣuṇī) of the Sangha (community of faithful). It covers rules of individual discipline (prātimokṣa), guidelines for communal harmony, and recommendations for handling transgressions.

Upāli (kh ឧបាលី), a barber by trade and one of the ten chief disciples of the Buddha, was the first in charge of reciting and reviewing the vinaya.