vegetarianism. According to Mahayana sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha always maintained that lay persons were capable of great wisdom and of reaching enlightenment. In some areas there has been a misconception that Theravada regards enlightenment to be an impossible goal for those outside the sangha, but in Theravada suttas it is clearly recorded that the Buddha's uncle, a lay follower, reached enlightenment by hearing the Buddha's discourse, and there are many other such instances described in the Pāli Canon. Accordingly, emphasis on lay persons, as well as Sangha members, practicing the Buddhist path of morality, meditation, and wisdom is present in all major Buddhist schools. Sangha referring to any Buddhist community Some liberal scholars opine that sangha is frequently (and according to them, mistakenly) used in the West to refer to any sort of Buddhist community. The terms parisa and gaṇa are suggested as being more appropriate references to a community of Buddhists. Pariṣā means "following" and it refers to the four groups of the Buddha's followers: monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. The Sanskrit term gana has meanings of "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, class", and is usable as well in more mundane senses. The Soka Gakkai, a new religious movement which began as a lay organization previously associated with Nichiren Shōshū in Japan, disputes the traditional definition of sangha. The organization interprets the meaning of the Three Jewels of Buddhism, in particular the "treasure of the Sangha", to include all people who practice Buddhism correctly, whether lay or clerical. After its expulsion from its parent religion in 1991, the organization re-published literature which then revised the terms such as "Treasure of the Priesthood" to "The Buddhist Order". Some modernist Nichiren-shū sects holds this position along with both liberal and progressive Mahayana movements as well. The Nichiren Shōshū sect maintains the traditionalist definition of the sangha as the Head Temple Taisekiji priesthood collective as the sole custodians and arbiters of Buddhist doctrine. See also Bhikkhu Bhikkhuni Buddhamitra Buddhism and democracy Buddhist monasticism Monastery Monastic Monasticism Ngagpa Pabbajja Sanga Monastery Sangat (Sikhism) Sangha (Jainism) Satsang Upasampada World Buddhist Sangha Council References Bibliography External links "The Bhikkhus' Rules, A Guide for Laypeople" by Bhikkhu Ariyesako (archived 26 November 2001) "Duties of the Sangha" by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo Jealousy among the Sangha quoting from Jeremy Hayward's book on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Warrior-King of Shambhala: Remembering Chögyam Trungpa. Sanskrit words and phrases Women's rights in