Sangha

Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali (saṅgha) meaning “association”, “assembly”, “company” or “community”

It was historically used in a political context to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and has long been used by religious associations including the Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs

Sangha is often used as a surname across these religions

In Buddhism, sangha refers to the monastic community of bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns)

These communities are traditionally referred to as the bhikkhu-sangha or bhikkhuni-sangha

As a separate category, those who have attained any of the four stages of enlightenment, whether or not they are members of the monastic community, are referred to as the āryasaṅgha (“noble Sangha”)

According to the Theravada school and Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, the term “sangha” does not refer to the community of sāvakas (lay followers) nor the community of Buddhists as a whole