The sangha and its followers

The Buddha founded an order of monks, the sangha. Its members, the bhikkhus, lived simple lives, owning only what was needed to survive, and depended on alms (food given by lay followers).

At first only men were admitted. Through the mediation of Ananda, one of the Buddha's dearest disciples, women were also allowed in. The Buddha's foster mother, Mahapajapati Gotami, became the first bhikkhuni (nun). Many women who entered the sangha became theris, respected women who had attained liberation.

Followers came from many social groups: kings, gahapatis (wealthy men), and humbler folk: workers, slaves and craftspeople. Once inside the sangha, all were regarded as equal, having given up their social identities.

The sangha's internal life followed the traditions of the ganas and sanghas: decisions were reached by consensus through discussion, or, failing that, by a vote. The rules for monks and nuns were laid down in the Vinaya Pitaka.

What drew people to Buddhism? It taught that conduct and values, not birth, decide one's worth, and it stressed metta (fellow feeling) and karuna (compassion). The Therigatha records the voices of women like Punna, a slave woman, who challenged Brahmanical ideas. Equal within the sangha.